- Sony is sending emails to remind players that they don’t purchase ownership of digital titles.
- It says that players only buy licenses that can be revoked under certain circumstances.
- The emails come as players prepare for a boycott over disc cancellation and digital dominance.
The physical vs. digital media argument intensified since Sony announced that it will end discs starting in 2028. Gamers consider physical titles important because they allow them to truly own a tangible product, instead of a license that can be revoked at any time.
The company is now sending emails to remind players of its official TOS policies regarding digital titles. Just like other gaming publishers, Sony says players don’t own digital titles but only buy licenses.
Sony has sent these specific emails ahead of the huge blackout that players have planned to protest disc cancellation and a lack of digital ownership. So, this reminder of PlayStation terms at such a sensitive time has made many gamers upset.
Why it matters: These PlayStation terms reminders have lit a fire under gamers preparing for a global blackout to protest disc cancellation. Sony has been criticized heavily for sending these emails at such a sensitive time.
Insider Tom Warren points out on Twitter that Sony is sending these emails to remind players about its digital game policies. The PlayStation TOS reads that a game is ‘only licensed to you, not sold‘ and only associated with the user account.
In other words, these licenses can be revoked anytime Sony wants, such as if your account is closed or banned.
While many gamers are already familiar with these unfair terms used by gaming studios, the timing of the reminder suggests Sony is openly challenging the player blackout and their stance against the lack of digital ownership.
Therefore, there’s been a lot of backlash regarding the TOS online. Some gamers got these emails as far back as August 12th, while others have not received any recent reminders, as per reports.
The blackout, which begins today, aims to be a large global protest against Sony’s decision to cancel discs. However, many critics have said a timed boycott will never work, and it’s still unclear just how many gamers will actually participate in this protest.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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