KUALA LUMPUR: Earlier this week, PlayStation announced it would stop producing and manufacturing new physical video game discs from January 2028.
The company cited “shifting trends in consumer preference”, arguing that selling games digitally through individual PlayStation Network accounts is more profitable.
On its end, PlayStation will save on manufacturing, packaging and shipping costs. On the other, consumers will continue paying the same prices for games.
In short, PlayStation wants consumers to spend more on its products while offering less choice. While this arguably makes sense from Sony’s perspective, the shift is the result of a series of internal decisions.
Buying companies at inflated prices, cancelling a slew of games based on a failed strategy, and losing key personnel who could have provided better direction – the list goes on.
The global reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. For consumers and fans in Southeast Asia, however, the impact could be even greater.
Let’s break it down.
PlayStation has been a dominant gaming brand in the region since the 1990s, with a huge audience and a strong influence over video game media and content creators.
Many gamers in Southeast Asia rely on second-hand purchases and physical copies of PlayStation games. Physical discs also allow players to lend and share games, making gaming more affordable.
Once physical discs disappear, retailers such as Impulse Games and Gamers Hideout may have little incentive to stock future PlayStation consoles if there are no physical games to sell. Download codes slipped into a box are hardly the same thing.
PlayStation’s digital ecosystem remains primitive compared with PC gaming platform Steam. Steam offers family sharing, regional pricing, community reviews, more generous refund policies, seasonal discounts and many other consumer-friendly features.
Adding to the bad news, Sony will shut down the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita from August 2026.
A significant number of titles are available only through those online stores and have never been ported elsewhere. Once the stores close, those games will effectively disappear.
In short, PlayStation is giving its audience more reason to buy a gaming PC or a better mobile phone for free-to-play titles rather than invest in a new console – especially a PlayStation 6, which is likely to launch at more than RM4,000.
Music and films still allow consumers to collect physical media through vinyl records, cassettes, CDs and Blu-ray discs. Why should video games be any different?
That is a question Sony should be asking itself. Instead, the company appears more focused on protecting its profit margins, even if it comes at the expense of consumer trust.
Short beats
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Recommended viewing
Bellular News has published an in-depth look at the looming video game industry downturn, featuring comments from John and Brenda Romero.
