Sony’s last disc-making plant is decreasing production by 10 percent, not 90, as previously reported, according to an unnamed spokesperson. The division’s president, Dietmar, anticipated an overall product volume decline by 10 percent, not a decline down to 10 percent. This means the transition to digital media in gaming is slower than initially predicted.
Despite the slower transition, the future of ownership in gaming remains uncertain. Major publishers are not participating in Microsoft’s disc-to-digital initiative, and Sony has made legal arguments questioning the concept of ownership in gaming. The company has argued that ‘reasonable consumers’ cannot believe they own a game after purchase, as multiple copies could not exist if true ownership is respected.
For now, Sony will continue to support the use of physical discs for re-orders of existing PlayStation games, even as the industry moves towards digital distribution. This could extend the life of physical gaming media, but the long-term outlook for disc ownership remains bleak. The question is, how long will gamers resist the digital shift?
