Listen Up: PlayStation gives up on physical video game discs

Listen to the podcast and answer the questions in the quiz. If you’re still unsure about a question, read the script provided to help you.

This week’s podcast is voiced by Joshua Dummer, a production editor on SCMP’s China desk, and Cathy Hilborn Feng, SCMP’s health and wellness editor.

Script

Adapted from Tribune News Service

Voice 1: Walking into a video game store is something Isaiah Chavez hopes he’ll always be able to do. In a world where buying and installing new games are just a few clicks away from the comfort of his sofa, Chavez, who is 37, still prefers to drive to a local games retailer to make a purchase. Holding the discs or cartridges in his hands and browsing the shelves while chatting about his favourite hobby is irreplaceable for him.

Voice 2: Chavez, who boasts a collection of over 4,200 video games, compared the experience to Christmas morning, adding that he would get giddy while visiting a video game shop. But the days of heading to the store to find a new game are going the way of videotape rentals. Sony announced in July that PlayStation, one of the largest video game platforms, will no longer produce physical discs for games released after January 2028.

Voice 1: Nowadays, players largely buy and download games directly from their consoles. But Tampa Bay, in the US state of Florida, is still home to more than a dozen stores, which owners and players say are a big part of keeping the local gaming community active. These stores are usually independently owned. They often sell pre-owned games and allow customers to trade old games for new ones or for cash.

Voice 2: The main appeal of a video game on a CD is that the buyer will always own the game as long as they have the physical disc a media preservationist and former game store owner. Digital downloads offered in online storefronts through video game consoles only act as a licence to play a game. A single title can be removed from the digital store, or a server disruption could cause a player to lose access to a game they bought

Voice 1: With a physical disc, you could trade it, sell it, lend it to a friend or put it on a shelf, Garvin said. He also thinks more people will be interested in collecting older games and consoles as well as learning how to repair classic hardware.

Voice 2: Video game stores often host competitive tournaments and overnight arcade sessions, bringing gamers together. Chavez said these events gave him the chance to establish a personal connection with local shop owners.

Voice 1: Thomas Hafer opened Bonfire Games in 2022. He said that since the writing’s been on the wall for video game discs, stores have had time to adapt. To stay ahead of the curve, Hafer began selling trading card games like Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering two years ago. If they were not already, he said, stores should offer products like tabletop games.

Voice 2: Gregg Lonkey, co-owner of Unlimited Video Games, said he was not worried about his business because his store was built on people who love physical media and would continue to support it. Unlike other stores, Lonkey said he had no interest in shifting from video games to avenues like trading cards, but understood why others would.

Voice 1: But recent reports show more people are buying games through online storefronts. Nearly 80 per cent of PlayStation game sales were digital last year, up from 13 per cent from 2022, according to Sony’s financial reports. Capcom, a major Japanese video game firm known for titles like Resident Evil and Street Fighter, reported that 93 per cent of its game sales so far this year were digital – up from 75.5 per cent in 2022.

Voice 2: Nintendo sells more physical games than its competitors, but this year, 54.6 per cent of the company’s total software sales were digital downloads. Higher digital sales are not only due to consumer choice. It can be harder to find physical games for sale, as opposed to online storefronts which sell infinite copies. Many titles from smaller studios are only available digitally.

Voice 1: Physical games also take a more expensive toll on companies due to production and distribution costs. Evan Lauteria, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Florida, said that artificial intelligence and data centres have driven up prices for computer parts and consoles and could have contributed to Sony’s decision to end physical game production.

Voice 2: Sony faced backlash on social media after the announcement, racking up 107,000 comments on a single X post in under one month. Since then, more Sony and PlayStation posts have been flooded with comments like “no disc, no buy”, demanding the company reverse the decision.