Almost any feud is distasteful and full of resentment. But who is to blame for the current crisis Sony has put themselves in, and will it all end in tears?
This all started when Sony stated it was not going to produce hard media after 2027. No more DVDs, just downloads of your favourite software games.
Sony argues that there are more people downloading digital content than people buying disc games. Sony also says it’s a natural progression moving to digital-only media.
When people bought the PS5, you had digital-only, disc drive and PRO versions. Now maybe it would have been a good time to introduce digital-only at the PS5’s launch.
If the PS5 had no disc versions at the start, it maybe would have been expected. Like any other company, sales of the PS5 were important at the beginning.
Due to a shortage of components, though, sales of the PS5 were slow for a while, and people had to wait months to get their hands on one.
So, we come down to why now?
One reason could be the imminent release of the game GTA6. This game has been in development for a year or so.
But this game will be digital only, and maybe Sony has looked at this format and made a decision. But there is more to it than meets the eye, and that’s MONEY.
If you buy the program or game digitally, the license is for one PlayStation username. Yes, the game is identical to the disc version, but the license is nontransferable.
This means when you buy a game, you cannot sell it. A non-transferable license is for the purchaser only.
So, looking at Rockstar Games and GTA 6, their quids in.
But look beyond GTA6, and you have the PlayStation Network, which has its own shop to sell digital downloadable games.
Here you can buy games, but some are expensive. Let’s look at an example. PlayStation Store sells Gran Turismo 7 for £69.99, yet on eBay a new disc version costs £31.90.
This is where the rip-off starts to show. It’s not even a few pence; it’s pounds.
But think of it. As soon as Sony makes all sales digital, the prices could rise, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Owning a disc feels like you own the game. It gives you the opportunity to do as you wish, i.e. keep it, sell it or swap it.
All through life, we have seen mega corporate companies bully their clients just to make an extra buck.
But the most dangerous part of all this is that your digital game could be pulled by Sony at any time. They have done things like this before with the TV.
Our opinion is that this is down to greed over convenience or slimming down. The software houses beware, though, because the public are not going to buy rubbish games and be stuck with them. They just won’t buy them.
