the end is near. I remember a time when disc collecting was a point of pride (like vinyl, but that beauty is beyond the masses). DVDs, music albums and of course, games. The wider the collection, the more ‘friendly’ it will be in school and college. Netflix and every streaming app since has removed the video disc. Spotify, Apple Music and streaming apps mean we no longer have to pop by a friendly neighborhood store to check when the next most anticipated album is hitting stores.
Grand Theft Auto VI will arrive as a digital download in November. (Sony PlayStation Store)
Instead of solving any PlayStation 5 stock issues in India (dealers are hoarding them for the expected price hike), Sony has decided it’s more prudent to set off a chain of unfortunate events that will also take game discs away from us. The company says production of physical discs for the games will cease in January 2028. Any games released after that will be available only in digital format on the PlayStation Store and retailers. This is bad news. Very bad news. Not only for gamers, but also for independent (and often smaller) retail stores. And also for the protection of sports. This also marks the end of the game reselling ecosystem.
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The simple act of sharing a game disc with a friend will eventually no longer be possible.
In an official statement, Sid Shuman, Senior Director, Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications, says, “This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media largely outpaces physical discs. This change will enable us to more closely align with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.”
I have no misconceptions that digital downloading of game titles is convenient and has become popular. Just last week, some progress was made on much-delayed work grand theft auto vi Developer Rockstar Games, and it will hit stores in November as a digital download code. I’m also not under the misconception that there is often more than one way to look at the same data – and the human/corporate tendency is to look at it in a way that is beneficial.
Soon after, Sony also said that they would be shutting down the PlayStation Store on the PS3 as well as the PS Vita. Before you scoff and say, “Who owns the PS3 now?” Remember, the PS4 console (which many people still have) is next. And the same thing may come to light there tomorrow or after two years – no one knows.
In 2023, the Video Game History Foundation indicated that 87% of classic games, titles originally released before the year 2010, were considered “critically endangered”. The 2010s mark the rise of digital stores for purchasing and downloading games. The increasingly digital nature made it impossible to save these games for the future due to the lack of a physical copy.
Phil Salvador, library director of the Video Game History Foundation, wrote in the report at the time, “Our experiences collecting data for this study suggest that these problems will intensify over time due to the reduced diversity of re-release sources and the long-term instability of digital game storefronts.” They were right. He had seen a glimpse of the future.
Then there’s also the issue of the longevity of the digital storefront. In early 2023, if memory serves me well, Nintendo closed down stores for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS consoles. This also meant that titles that were exclusive to these stores at the time immediately became inaccessible forever.
Dr. Luigi, Juggernaut, Mini Mario & Friends: Amiibo Challenge, The Pushmo Trilogy and Dillon Rolling WesternSome titles that are mostly lost. forever. It defines something that most of us overlook – being digitally trapped. There’s nothing stopping digital stores from making a title inaccessible at any time, and gamers will have little recourse. Disc? Well, they sit nicely in your bookshelf, and you can gently slide them into the console whenever you want to play.
This is the reality that we are seeing from emptiness. Starting in 2028, each new PlayStation title comes with an expiration date that is not explicitly mentioned. Titles like GTA VI will be available through the PlayStation Store or another digital storefront. Through a code. how convenient. But (and this is a matter of when and not if) when this digital storefront becomes inaccessible at some point, the game is lost. forever.
I will now expand the sheer size of the game for you. Call of Duty (HQ / Warzone / MWIII) Ranging from 140 GB to over 235 GB on the PlayStation 5. gran turismo 7 There is about 160GB space. final fantasy vii rebirth Requires approximately 145GB. Firstly, the download size on home broadband lines will take time. Secondly, console storage will fill up really fast.
To be fair, if you still intend to buy a PS5 at some stage, don’t spend the extra money for the disc version. I know I don’t intend to do this (for many more reasons than this), I’ve leaned toward the Windows gaming ecosystem (for all Windows’ weaknesses) with recent experiences, including the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ gaming handheld that heralds the Intel Arc G3 gaming chip leap, as well as the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16s AI gaming laptop.
At this point, one can only hope that Microsoft and Nintendo don’t pursue Sony’s efforts with the same enthusiasm. Physical disks were never the norm. They can wear out over time, especially if used roughly. But there was a feeling of protection. Of the efforts of the creators. Of memories while playing games. Of the time spent doing it. Went. Whatever remains of gaming stores will also disappear. We will be left with cold digital storefronts, as this helps console makers and other gaming platforms drive revenue.
We are again trading the illusion of stability for real convenience, and we will collectively regret the point of no return.
Vishal Mathur is Technology Editor at HT. Tech Tonic is a column that looks at the impact of personal technology on the way we live our lives, and vice versa. The views expressed are personal.
