Developers Are Furious With Sony Over Digital-Only Move, Studios Were Blindsided Says Analyst

Expert Verified By

Most Developers Are Not Happy To See Physical Media Go Away.

Story Highlight
  • Game developers are not happy with Sony for going digital with game releases.
  • YouTuber Moore’s Law is Dead revealed that studios were completely blindsided by the announcement.
  • Bigger studios had a more neutral response; however, most developers are furious.

Physical media has been on a slow decline in every sector of entertainment, with gaming being no exception. The biggest title launching this year, GTA 6, is also skipping disc drives, opting for a code-in-the-box instead.

Regardless, no one expected one of the gaming giants to announce the end of game discs this generation, and that is why Sony’s recent decision has angered a sizeable portion of its fanbase. As it turns out, players aren’t the only ones feeling alienated by this move.

Why it matters: Developers are also hardcore gamers who grew up with physical media. Hence, this anger towards Sony makes complete sense.

According to analyst Moore’s Law is Dead, developers are not happy with Sony for announcing the termination of physical game discs starting in 2028. The YouTuber talked to several studios and reported that none of them were in support of the Japanese giant’s new strategy.

The game devs I talked to were completely blindsided by this. I didn’t talk to anybody at any studio of any size that was happy to see physical games go Away.

Developers were completely blindsided by this move, and no one knew beforehand that Sony would announce something so drastic. According to the YouTuber, the larger studios cared less about the company going digital, but most of the developers he talked to are furious.

In addition, Moore’s Law is Dead also revealed that Sony was expecting the backlash from the entire gaming community, fans, and developers. As a result, it is going to take a break from social media to avoid the fallout.

Sony PlayStation physical media
Before this generation, physical game discs accounted for a sizeable portion of Sony’s revenue.

Even though physical game sales only accounted for about 3% of Sony’s overall gaming revenue, there is a core fanbase that still purchases disc drives for one reason or another, and Sony is alienating a sizeable portion of its players by taking this precedent so early.

Do you think Sony is doing the right thing by ending physical game sales? Is every gaming giant going to go digital in the near future? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Former Sony CEO Says AI-Based DLSS 5 Is Just A Party Trick That Will Fall Apart Quickly

Ex-Sony boss clarifies that AI gaming tools like DLSS 5 are just a party trick that fall apart if you examine them hard enough.

Fans Threaten To Abandon PlayStation Following Shift Away From Physical Discs

PlayStation has recently confirmed that it will soon end production of physical discs, and fans have not taken well to this news at all.

Next-Gen Xbox Project Helix To Be Digital-Only Console, Report Suggests

A new report states that Xbox Project Helix is likely to abandon support for physical games and launch as a digital-only console.

“Too Boring” Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Director Says GTA 6 Doesn’t Excite Him At All

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 director says that GTA 6 doesn't excite him at all and he finds the GTA games to be quite boring to him.

Rockstar Accused of Crunch, Pay Gaps, And Poor Bonuses Ahead of GTA 6 Launch

Rockstar Games employees have accused the studio of crunch, late working hours, pay gaps, and poor bonuses ahead of the GTA 6 launch.