Playstation Thread.

[Exatron]

Yeah, I don't necessarily have a big issue with the future being digital. I like collecting physical games, but I know that won't continue forever. The problem is knowing that the collection of games you've bought can just disappear overnight on the whims of the company. Sony made that concern front and center by timing their disc announcement at basically the same time as shutting down the PS3 store and deleting a bunch of content that people had purchased. There was no escaping the obvious truth when they laid it out so compellingly.

I mean, I know that people largely trust Steam, but even they're a change of ownership away from all their positives going right in the trash, along with all your games. It's why I haven't bought a PC game in years except on GOG. I do have a substantial library there.

 

[Caldwin]

You see, people say music and movies have already gone this way. But they really haven't. Sure you can't just go into Target or even Best Buy and pick up the latest movie. But you can still get everything from Amazon. Even Walmart has a decent movie selection.

So when Sony and other people bring up music and movies, it just doesn't hold water with me.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

You see, people say music and movies have already gone this way. But they really haven't. Sure you can't just go into Target or even Best Buy and pick up the latest movie. But you can still get everything from Amazon. Even Walmart has a decent movie selection.

So when Sony and other people bring up music and movies, it just doesn't hold water with me.

YMMV, but having to "go to Amazon" isn't entirely indicative of a healthy market for physical media .
And at my Walmart, you got one end cap (the smaller electronics department kind) of new/recent releases, about half an aisle of legacy boxsets and "slightly less new" movies. Target has even less. And music? There's more VINYL RECORDS being stocked than CDs anymore.
Most consumers have moved to digital, be it straight digital purchase or through a subscription service. There are holdouts, but the industry has largely moved "physical media" as being for a more niche/specialty audience.

Maybe the better example is what has happened to PC games, which have been digital first for well over a decade now.

 

[Caldwin]

I'm just saying, there are options. Meanwhile, Sony is trying to take away the option from video games.

 

[Tm_Silverclaw]

You see, people say music and movies have already gone this way. But they really haven't. Sure you can't just go into Target or even Best Buy and pick up the latest movie. But you can still get everything from Amazon. Even Walmart has a decent movie selection.

So when Sony and other people bring up music and movies, it just doesn't hold water with me.

Not for Anime.... Which is almost completely controlled in the west by Sony....

 

[Caldwin]

Not for Anime.... Which is almost completely controlled in the west by Sony....

Wait...Sony controls physical releases for most anime?
...
hug

 

[Steevy Maximus]

I'm just saying, there are options. Meanwhile, Sony is trying to take away the option from video games.

But...which video games? Movies and Music, as physical delivery platforms, are largely standardized. A DVD can play on anything with a DVD drive (or newer). Any vinyl player can read new records or any optic disc reader can read a CD.

Console games don't work like. Neither do PC games. Microsoft still hasn't confirmed its stance on physical games on the next platform, and Nintendo is always going to do its own thing (even though "Game Keys" are a half step into a mess that'll probably come about in 15 years)

Wait...Sony controls physical releases for most anime?
...
hug

Yes and no.
"Sony" is a massive global conglomerate with dozens of semi-independent sub companies. What "Playstation" does isn't reflective of what the disc production and distribution arm does, which isn't impacted by what Sony Pictures is doing. With Microsoft they have the Xbox division, but they also have the Surface/Hardware division and the Windows Group, and the Enterprise group, etc.

Just because Playstation opts to go all digital for its platform doesn't mean Sony, the corporate entity, is going to stop all media production.

 

[Caldwin]

But...which video games?

The ones they have control over (ones released for Sony PlayStation. I mean, thankfully, they can't tell Nintendo what to do.

What I'm trying to saybis, like here, Target, Best Buy and Meijer don't sell movies. But you can still get movies from Amazon. You can get movies from Walmart. You can get digital movies from Amazon, Apple, Hulu, Netflex, Disney Plus...OPTIONS!

Music you can get from Amazon, Spotify, Aplle iTunes, limeyrd but real selection at Walmart...Options.

If Sony has their way, you'll be able to get PlayStation games from...Sony...

And they will ne able to take them away any time they want...just like they took away those movies.

That's why I say, when people bring up that most movies and music are going digital, I say the the comparison doesn't hold water. It's not the same issue.

 

[Tm_Silverclaw]

Wait...Sony controls physical releases for most anime?
...
hug

Sony Controls Crunchy Roll.

Rightstuff just sold themselves to Crunchy Roll.

You can no longer buy DVDs and Bluerays from CrunchyRoll unless you subscribe to them.


So yeah.. Sony pretty much controls Anime in the west.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

To your point:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2077510926417403994

 

[Caldwin]

Lovely!

 

[Steevy Maximus]

And just add a bit of garnish to Sony’s crap sundae (depending on your view, I guess):
The hyped God of War TV series has suffered a massive setback- Star Ryan Hurst tore his bicep muscle during filming. This is a severe injury that typically takes 4-6 months to heal, and up to a year to return to full physical strength. Because Hurst would not be able to maintain his physic and the practicalities of an aging child actor, Producers have moved forward with the decision to recast Kratos. Not only is this a mad scramble on the producer’s part, but even after recasting, they would still have to RE-shoot the four completed episodes with Hurst.

God of War Series Recasting Kratos Following Ryan Hurst Injury

Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television will officially recast the lead role of Kratos in the upcoming live-action God of War series. This decision co

toynewsi.com

 

[Shadewing]

I feel like they should release the 4 as is, and just do the rest with the new guy. It feels kinda disrepectful to Hurst to erase all the work that lead to the injury.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

Wonder if it would be feasible to release the four episodes together as a movie or a special, then continue into the series with the recast.

Maybe when he recovers, Hurst could return for flashbacks as pre-Norse Kratos.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

More context about Sony's decision to cut physical media in 2028. Circana (formaly the NPD group) posted some hard data, showing a decline in physical game sales going back a decade.
Again, it reminds me of the PC market circa 2010 once broadband started to pick up and Steam became the defacto PC games service.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/physical-ps5-game-sales-are-weaker-than-you-might-expect/

 

[Caldwin]

Great! Now put this data in the context of how many PS5's didn't come with a disk drive and had to be bought separately (not cheaply btw). are they counting in the games that were only available digitally?

Look, I'm as guilty as anyone. I've bought my share of digital. I've also bought my share of physical. I look at my own library, and yes, I got a bunch of digital. It's convenient. But when I separate out my PS5 games...not even PS4 games I still play on PS5...but just my PS5 games...I still have about as many PS5 games as I do Switch games, Wii Games, WiiU games.

I also know there are times where people will double dip...digital for convenience, physical to actually own something. That makes that buy a bit of a wash, hard to count either way.

Okay, so maybe it's anecdotal. But I also thing that there is a lot of room where they could manipulate numbers. If there's one thing corporations are good at, it's manipulating numbers to fit their position.

 

[Exatron]

Oh, they definitely manipulate the numbers. I don't have any links handy, but Sony's been citing a figure that 85% of sales are digital, while not bothering to mention that includes games that don't have a physical release. Where there's a choice, it varies from game to game of course, but apparently leaked data from 2022 showed it was usually over 50% physical, at least as of then. Specifically, apparently 31 of 33 games for which data was leaked were mostly physical, including close to 80% for games like GoW Ragnarok. Reference the Insomniac Games leak.

 

[The Predaking]

So, new updates to Sony's online store are now echoing some of the things that killed the Xbox One.

So with the latest updates, if you don't connect your PlayStation to their server every 30 days, your digital game licenses will be invalid and you will not be able to play any games, even the ones already installed on your PlayStation.

So not only is that an issue for me for the fact that maybe I don't want to have my PS4/5/6 online or maybe I have one at a remote location where I can't get it online, but there is an even bigger issue. What happens to all the digital PS6 games I buy when Sony shuts down the server in 2036? I will have 30 days left until everything I have bought is just gone to the ether.

 

[Dekafox]

Sony Controls Crunchy Roll.

Rightstuff just sold themselves to Crunchy Roll.

You can no longer buy DVDs and Bluerays from CrunchyRoll unless you subscribe to them.


So yeah.. Sony pretty much controls Anime in the west.

A bit late, but was just catching up on this. There are still independant companies out there, such as Diskotek. And there are series that Crunchyroll has not picked up to my knowledge, such as Mashin Creator Wataru. They may have a majority of the market ala Microsoft with Windows, but they don't control it all

 

[Caldwin]

So, new updates to Sony's online store are now echoing some of the things that killed the Xbox One.

So with the latest updates, if you don't connect your PlayStation to their server every 30 days, your digital game licenses will be invalid and you will not be able to play any games, even the ones already installed on your PlayStation..

Every 30 days? I thought it was stupid as hell when I heard every couple years. This is an obsessive girlfriend demanding you check in all the time.

Please, someone, start a class action!