I like digital games on PC, not gonna lie.

But the only money I'm spending on the consoles I have is on used games. That's what makes them worthwhile for me. I spent stupid money on the ps5 and psvr2 because my library of games could be built at a discount, and maybe every now and then I'll get a new game that looks interesting because I have the system already. I bought the disc version of the ps5 specifically, not right at launch but close enough to it that I had to look around to find one (and said no thanks to the driveless ones that were available). Can't remember if it was for the ps5 or psvr2 but for one of them I even held my nose and got it from walmart, which I try to avoid when possible.

Though the writing is already on the wall with these things. So many games are already just download codes even if they are on a disc or card, which means they require active support just to install and once that's gone (either by Sony or publisher's choice), then that game is gone. And I know you assholes think that's a good thing because it means someone who would otherwise be playing that game needs to find something else to do and that something else might be buying another new game. So ultimately it doesn't really matter if you (Sony) use discs or not, since removing them entirely is really just slamming that final nail in the coffin, but it's already there just waiting for the hammer. I probably won't get the next PlayStation either way.

Sony has released very few single player games this generation on purpose. Single player games are perfect for physical media.

Sony wants everyone to play live service games to sell the game, the updates and the online subscription. It is part of the plan.

Easy for Valve to say; they never deleted anything anyone paid for without refunds. While I still think they would get pushback for it, I don't think it would have been as much had they not deleted over 500 movies from accounts just like a week before.

Valve, who ushered in the digital only landscape for PC, is like, "We're all trying to find the guy who did this!"

Edit: this is a joke. Please Steam nerds put down your neck beards and chill.

There's a reason he's former steam.

No we havn't

I think part of the reason why games have inflated so little, compared to any other goods, is that they slowly but consistently moved from selling physically to selling digitally, thus increasing profit without needing to raise prices. Now they are forcing more to switch to digital AND they are increasing prices. I do think the AAA gaming industry is about to hit a wall quite soon

I only care about getting a copy of the game, not a licence.

Yeah... for global gaming market disk sales are like under 5% of total sales, even for consoles it's like 10%. It's a nice option for you and me, a collectors item, aftermarket sales, a hedge for digital "ownership" rugpulls? For publishers and devs it's just a cost that doesn't even justify itself, because nobody is buying or putting their money where their mouth is. How low would the marketshare have to go for them to be justifying pulling the plug. Nobody really gave a shit about physical until few days ago.

Plus 90% of the games that come with disk option these days are irredeemable AAA slop anyway. Digital distribution enabled the indie scene where all the innovation is these days. if we had disks we we wouldn't have indie studios. Companies like EA, Sony, and Ubisoft would dominate totally and act as gatekeepers, because only they would have the resources pay for the upfront cost of publishing to make the damn things. Digital won, accept the caveats and be happy about the upsides.