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\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nBloggers are calling it the death of physical media after Sony, the company behind the popular video game console PlayStation, announced that it will stop releasing physical copies of games starting in 2028.<\/p>\n
Edmonton gamers say they are disappointed by the company\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the dumbest thing I\u2019ve ever heard,\u201d said gamer Jules Brubaker. \u201cPeople have been trading DVDs and disks and cassettes and vinyls for the longest time, and that\u2019s how we share media. That\u2019s how we share things we love with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sony\u2019s decision to go fully-digital maybe felt the most at video game stores like Nexwave Video Games in Edmonton. It\u2019s walls and shelves lined with decades of gaming history from the early days of cartridges to more the modern disks, which are now at risk of being phased out.<\/p>\n
\u201cCompanies have been trying to get rid off physical media for years now, and it seems like they\u2019re really making that push now,\u201d says Courtney Cain, Nexwave\u2019s sales manager.<\/p>\n
Cain says while she\u2019d prefer to see physical copies continue be produced for the gaming community, the move to digital games could make physical disks more valuable in the resale market. At Nextwave, some games preserved over the years are already worth hundreds of dollars. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey can\u2019t take away what we already have,\u201d Cain said. \u201cLots of people are in the retro community, more join every day, so thankfully we have that to go back to.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a report from May, Sony said that nearly 80 per cent of all its games sold last year were digital copies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s an expense in creating (physical disks),\u201d says Liz Carten, executive director of Consentia, a company that converts physical media like VHS tapes and DVDs to digital media. \u201cShipping, retailing, packaging, everything is costing the business money, and subscription is just an easier way to have that without the added expense.\u201d<\/p>\n
She says because disks can get scratched and tapes can degrade, there is a booming market for those looking to get a digital copy of media they own adding that a digital copy could be better in the long run.<\/p>\n
However, gamer Matthew Charuk worries that a long-term ownership isn\u2019t always possible with digital games due to licencing issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you own a game digitally, you don\u2019t really own that game, and they can take the rights away from you at any moment, but they can\u2019t really do that if you have a physical copy,\u201d said Charuk <\/p>\n
Charuk said he\u2019d feel more secure buying a physical game instead of a subscription-style services.<\/p>\n
Cain hopes that more gamers will pushback against the change.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s never bad to at least say I don\u2019t like this and encourage it,\u201d Cain said. \u201cBecause even if Sony steps away, maybe Nintendo sees what\u2019s happening and says \u2018You know what we\u2019re going to commit to physical media.\u2019\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tA Sony PlayStation 5 video game console is for sale in Fairfield, Connecticut, on Monday, December 5, 2023. (AP Photo\/Ted Shaffrey) Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. <\/p>\n
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