Xbox's technology chief Scott Van Vliet has addressed an ‘unacceptable’ 20-hour outage that temporarily halted access to physical disc games. The issue arose due to a licensing problem, but the good news is that players were still able to use their discs during this time.
Van Vliet’s statement highlights growing concerns over gaming's digital future. Recent outages at both Xbox and PlayStation have intensified debates on game ownership and the reliability of digital systems.
The Xbox incident follows a string of industry moves towards digital distribution, including Rockstar Games’ decision to offer physical copies of GTA 6 with a digital download code. Nintendo’s Game-Key Cards also exemplify this trend. Meanwhile, Sony announced plans to stop releasing physical games from 2028.
The backlash against these changes has seen the rise of movements like 'Stop Killing Games,' which campaign for publishers to ensure that games remain playable even after server shutdowns. Critics argue that such practices are consumer-unfriendly and lack trust.
While digital sales dominate, recent outages might signal a rethink in strategy by gaming companies. The world looks on with bated breath as the digital rights discussion continues to evolve.
