At the start of July, a critical petition surfaced online, raised by those enraged at Sony Interactive Entertainment’s decision to stop producing discs for new PlayStation games from January 2028. It quickly gathered traction, securing a quarter of a million signatures in around a week, but as time has gone on, the energy around the petition has waned, even as Sony addresses the situation.
During a recent financial update, Sony stated it would be ‘cautiously moving forward’ with the decision to scrap discs. Despite that, the number of signatures against the petition has slowed. We also heard from other key industry players, some of them supportive of the decision
Growth Slows As Decision Settles with Gamers
It could be argued that the knee-jerk reaction of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s scrapping of physical games has abated now that people have had time to sit with the revelation. That’s likely what has happened, as the massive spike at the start of the campaign attracted the attention of preservationists, collectors, physical aficionados, and old-school gamers worldwide.
It only took around two weeks for the energy to dissipate, and now, it’s almost plateauing entirely.
In six days, 250,000 signatures were secured, but in the following 24 days, only 105,000 signatures landed on the petition. When you consider how many users subscribe to PlayStation Plus, and how many people out there own a PlayStation console, it represents a pinprick against the overarching figure.
Sony has seen the sentiments in social circles worldwide and has not changed its stance. In another financial update, Ubisoft’s Yves Guillemot, an old-school personality himself, went on record saying this change won’t disturb the industry too much.
Digital gaming isn’t going anywhere, and over the years, it has only become the leading way to buy and play games. We’ve seen plenty of issues of late that serve as firm reminders of the danger of an all-digital ecosystem, but things aren’t likely to change because of a petition, nor will the incoming PlayStation blackout change Sony’s mind.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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