It’s not about bodily vs digital video games, it is about possession – Popcar’s Weblog

05 Jul, 2026

Just a few days in the past, PlayStation introduced that they’re going to cease producing disks for brand spanking new video games ranging from January 2028, confirming what we already felt was going to occur: consoles are going absolutely digital, and the disk drive will stop to exist.

I’ve seen a number of nice discussions on the web about this, however I can not assist however really feel like individuals are mad concerning the fallacious factor, or fully misunderstand why this is a matter. They have the suitable concept, eliminating disks is dangerous for everybody, nevertheless it’s not concerning the disk and placing your video games on the shelf… it is about Sony’s try to fully kill possession. People preserve evaluating this to PC eliminating disk drives, however these two situations should not comparable in any respect. I’ll get to that later.

The largest factor about proudly owning one thing is the flexibility to commerce it with whoever you want. When I used to be youthful, I used to continuously commerce PS3 and PS4 video games with my buddies. Whether it was to mortgage them a duplicate of the Jak & Daxter trilogy or to promote a sport to somebody I do know, passing round console video games is virtually custom at this level.

But corporations have at all times been vocal about how a lot they despise used video games. How may somebody presumably purchase God of War for $20 from their buddy as an alternative of shopping for it for $40 from the shop?! Every dime spent on used video games is a dime misplaced for the corporate, proper?!

The choice to kill disks is not some kneejerk response to something, it is one thing console homeowners have been slowly constructing as much as for the final ~15 years. The total motive Xbox One flopped so onerous and have become a laughing inventory was, amongst different issues, as a result of they tried to kill the flexibility to re-sell the disk you paid for, and forcing your console to at all times be on-line to confirm your video games. Apparently, they have been simply too early to do this.

This additionally is not particular to video video games. It’s one thing actually each trade has been obsessive about to maximise earnings. If something, video video games have been late in comparison with one thing just like the music trade, the place not proudly owning your music has been the established order for some time now!

And now that we’re catching up, the idea of “giving a game to someone else” will stop to exist. The subsequent era of younger video games will simply settle for shopping for a digital sport off the shop as simply how video games work now. You’ll be there explaining to the younger’uns the way it was once. How giving your favourite sport to your greatest buddy at school was the traditional factor that they are going to by no means get to expertise.

Sure, you can argue that disks on fashionable consoles are virtually simply licenses today, however you can nonetheless cross that possession to another person, with out it being tied down to at least one particular account or console.

Just a couple of days earlier than this announcement, individuals within the gaming area have been celebrating the release of Omnidrive, a mod for optical drives that allows you to simply rip blu rays. That consists of, you guessed it, PS3/PS4/PS5 video games (although they’re encrypted, however that is a difficulty that may be solved later).

Game preservation and emulation has at all times been one other arch nemesis of sport corporations. They hate you can ever play a sport with out being tied to their service or console, and even with out taking permission from them! A whole lot of video games have been de-listed for numerous causes, lots of them authorized, however most have been straight up as a result of the corporate by no means bothered to port them to fashionable consoles.

Most retro video games can be misplaced media if not for individuals preserving them. This is an even bigger deal than individuals give it credit score for. Imagine dwelling in a world the place most video games earlier than 2014 have simply been fully misplaced ceaselessly. SNES video games I liked. PlayStation 2 classics. Even video games that are not that previous! PlayStation introduced that the PS3 and Vita shops will shut subsequent month, and there are tons of video games there that you just wager no firm will wish to protect.

Last yr, I purchased a Playstation Vita and actually loved enjoying the video games on it. You wager these video games and ports won’t ever be archived by Sony. Even PS3 video games I liked like LittleBigPlanet and Asura’s Wrath and Infamous have by no means been ported, and are on the verge of being misplaced ceaselessly if not for individuals spending effort and time grabbing them through dumping disks or hacked consoles!

My level: What occurs if the PlayStation 6 comes out and has no disk drive and has extremely sturdy safety that makes dumping video games inconceivable? Games may be misplaced for actual this time. When PlayStation ever decides to make video games streaming-only (extra on that later), or decides to de-list a sport, or decides to axe the PS6 servers? It can be a catastrophe. Imagine engaged on a sport for a few years then being advised a few years later that it would not exist anymore. Not proudly owning your sport means they will by no means be preserved by the patron.

Stop Killing Games is already preventing for shopper rights to maintain video games playable after being shut down, however no one proudly owning their video games signifies that no one can battle again to maintain the video games they purchased, even by extra excessive means.

Even if you happen to purchase your video games 100% digitally on consoles, it is nonetheless very comforting to know that bodily video games are an choice do you have to ever need one. It’s good that you just’re not completely trapped into shopping for video games from the PS Store with costs solely dictated by Sony.

You may at all times drive to an area retailer and purchase a sport that is likely to be on sale. You have the choice of shopping for a sport used from somebody on the web. You may at all times go to that very same retailer and commerce your sport for a small cashback.

Hell, the place I stay, the most well-liked sport retailer has a rental system the place you possibly can lease a sport and pay for every week you retain it. Some individuals nonetheless use that as a result of buying a sport outright is out of their value vary. That too will not exist anymore. Your many choices are actually restricted to at least one, whether or not you prefer it or not.

Everyone who brings up the truth that PC has been digital and the way that turned out effective would not actually perceive what is going on on.

Yes, PC is digital, however there is a huge distinction: we are able to nonetheless personal our video games on PC. You’re not trapped to at least one ecosystem or one digital retailer, you might have dozens of choices. Most importantly, there are tons of DRM-Free video games and shops on the market. Websites like GOG, Itch.io, and so on. allow you to obtain and play video games with out being tied to any service.

This means you possibly can’t have your license revoked or fear concerning the sport fully disappearing for any motive. You can again up the sport, modify it, play it on totally different techniques, and usually know that 10 years from now you possibly can in all probability get it to work and play it once more.

But most individuals use Steam anyway, I hear you say. That’s true, however you possibly can nonetheless personal your video games on Steam. Very simply, actually! Steam would not apply a tough DRM for video games on their platform, you possibly can bypass it and play your video games offline with out the launcher if you understand what you are doing.

Because PC is an open platform, individuals have figured this out and can proceed to determine bypasses in case issues go south (which they have not up to now, fortunately). All you want is to get one thing referred to as the Goldberg Emulator, exchange the SteamAPI file, then add an app_id.txt file. Done. You can play any Steam sport offline (assuming the writer did not put their very own DRM like Denuvo). I’ve accomplished this so much, and it is authorized so long as you do not share your sport to different individuals.

So no, platforms like PC shedding out on bodily video games is not akin to consoles shedding bodily video games. PC players can nonetheless personal and protect their video games by digital means, and actually, I believe digital is method higher than having to make use of a disk. For console players, you simply misplaced your solely strategy to truly personal your video games. Now you are getting trapped in a walled backyard with no different alternative, until you abandon the console ceaselessly, which is a tricky tablet to swallow for the typical individual as a result of they do not wish to lose all their video games and buddies they’ve on the platform to maneuver to a brand new factor they do not know or perceive.

It will! That’s like saying Spotify getting widespread will not have an effect on you, as a result of your favourite band continues to be placing out CDs you should buy. But now, so many songs are trapped behind a subscription service with no strategy to correctly personal any of them. The trade transferring in a selected course will have an effect on you in some unspecified time in the future. The film trade is similar method, “blu-rays will always exist”, however now a lot content material is trapped behind subscription providers.

In this case, the subsequent step for console makers is clear. Everyone needs to be Netflix.

Look, everybody! Netflix is raking in billions of {dollars}… Just by providing a streaming service? People are prepared to pay each single month for years at a time? And they will preserve shedding content material and folks will keep subscribed? And they will preserve elevating costs and folks will proceed to subscribe? And everybody has to personal an account that may’t be shared to borrow content material they will by no means personal and is not obtainable wherever else?!?!??! The line will at all times go up!! Wow!!!! I must be like Netflix!!!!

– Every tech enterprise govt within the final ~15 years

Okay, perhaps it is much less about Netflix the corporate and extra concerning the common sentiment. Every trade is transferring to this holy grail of extracting cash from individuals, a service the place they preserve paying you for the remainder of their life (or till they become bored with your platform, I suppose).

Xbox is crashing as a result of it tried this, however my private principle is similar because the Xbox One era: they have been just a bit too early. Xbox Game Pass is reportedly doing effectively, nevertheless it’s not the established order changer they in all probability needed it to be. PS and Xbox already supplied yearly subscriptions to play multiplayer and unlock extra superior options, however rattling it, that is not sufficient. Because they nonetheless personal their video games (or had the choice to) and did not absolutely depend upon the service.

So the subsequent logical step is fairly rattling easy. PlayStation and Xbox wish to be Netflix. They wish to make buying video games onerous or overly costly that the de facto strategy to play a sport might be by a service. I’m prepared to wager that within the subsequent decade, Sony or Xbox will begin making their video games playable EXCLUSIVELY by a subscription, with no method to purchase it. Of course, you will want a relentless web connection too. Maybe with a scan of your face to substantiate you possibly can by no means lend your account to a buddy. Uhh, I meant a face scan to guard youngsters from ever enjoying a 16+ sport! It’s all about defending the kids, in fact.

And that impacts you, too, smug PC customers. When one firm will get away with it, different corporations will catch on and begin following the chief. It’s already getting normalized with Game Pass on PC, nevertheless it’s simply not sufficiently big but that they will begin constructing a walled backyard and trapping individuals in but. If it have been widespread sufficient that they will get away with it, I’m prepared to wager the subsequent Elder Scrolls can be Game Pass unique.

That’s to not say that gaming is doomed or no matter. We will at all times nonetheless have choices, and I doubt this subscription-only future is coming quickly… But we’re getting there.

Even after we do attain the conclusion, DRM-free shops will nonetheless exist as a result of sufficient individuals care. Cool indie builders will nonetheless make superior video games that will not be tied down to at least one platform or service. The video games trade is simply too various and indie-friendly that there is not an enormous threat of the trade being completely monopolized by giant corporations ( you, film trade).

But if you happen to care about these items (you clearly do because you learn this far), please assist the creators which can be preventing towards this future. Buy DRM-free stuff. Donate to a corporation that preserves video games & game-related content material. Donate to emulator builders. Support your pleasant neighbourhood indie devs. Make some noise on-line. We don’t desire bodily media, we wish digital possession rights! Don’t confuse the argument!

All of these things will make a distinction, even when it would not really feel prefer it. So preserve at it.

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