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[Gamer79]

I am a huge fan of physical media. I love to play through my games and then buy/trade for new games when I'm done. Despite my love for physical media I can see the writing on the wall. Just a few signs

1. Digital downloads dominate the sales charts. I'm many cases it is 5:1 or more when comparing digital vs physical sales.

2. Games like Diablo 4/square/ubisoft and others make physical disk useless. Always online or server checks in game still require service on the developers end. If they shut down their servers the physical disk will not work. It's an expensive toaster.

3. Companies are selling Deluxe/special edition of their games for hundreds of dollars with no physical copy included. It's like they know most do not care for a physical copy.

I guess I am old fashion in wanting physical copies to stay but the market for them is shrinking fast.

Nintendo is the one enigma and keeping hope alive. I bet their eshop has then questioning physical too.

 

[Rocco Schiavone]

Why should I stick with consoles If they kill physical media??

Would be time to switch completely to PC. Especially because the games are way cheaper.

 

[saintjules]

I think the physical medium will exist for a while longer. Specifically because of the amount of people collecting physical discs/content.

It's a great advertisement for physical cases to games being showcased in a store for example.

 

[sendit]

Why should I stick with consoles If they kill physical media.

Would be time to switch completely to PC. Especially because the games are way cheaper.

Games aren't way cheaper on PC.

Recent/pending releases:
Diablo 4 69.99 PC/Console
Street Fighter 6 59.99 PC/Console
Starfield 69.99 PC/Xbox

 

[MarkMe2525]

I don't see it, they risk losing their relationship with retailers. They would lose shelf space and branding opportunities. Of course, this is just my guess.

 

[ungalo]

Nintendo will definitely keep physical alive. Sony and Microsoft i don't know, if they stop it's probably because they made an agreement to stop it at the same time.

For Sony it would probably be a tough decision to make despite the tendencies. But the current Sony could do it if Microsoft does it.

 

[DeepEnigma]

PS6? If the optional drive redesign is a thing, that will carry over. Sony still sells a lot of physical copies.

 

[Tsaki]

PS6 will have a Blue-ray add-on (sold separately). Don't know about Xbox. They really don't sell much of physical.

 

[Diddy X]

Each year less and less people buy physical so there will come a time when selling consoles with disc drives will become a waste, they'll still sell cases but without discs as they'll become obsolete.

 

[Spyxos]

As long as there are people who only buy physical. There will also be consoles for them. Digital games are also significantly more expensive here. And for physical games there are often good offers for big games already on day 1.

 

[Gaiff]

Nay, but I'm guessing the optical drive will come separately. By then, 90% of the sales will be digital so it'll make no sense to include one in the base console.

 

[Bakkus]

Man we live in a bleak future...

 

[lachesis]

I think it depends on the how the retail market landscape changes in 5 to 10 years. A lot could happen. We could lose a lot of physical big-box stores like Best Buy - who knows?

I'd give about 80% chance, it will still have physical - and 20% chance of it being digital only.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Why should I stick with consoles If they kill physical media??

Would be time to switch completely to PC. Especially because the games are way cheaper.

Yes this:

Better hardware
Free online
Better prices

 

[deriks]

Yes, but the market will be weird

 

[analog_future]

Default SKU will be discless on both consoles, but an optional disc drive will be available to be purchased seperately.

 

[Robb]

No I don’t think so.

It’ll definitely continue to dwindle though, but even if the consoles have no disc drive I still think publishers would be selling “physical” games with a code.

 

[akaFullmetal]

I can see Xbox dropping it and Sony having an add on, depending how that goes they could drop next. Finally one will be Nintendo unless tablet consoles somehow push for digital 1st.

 

[jshackles]

People had this same speculation about the PS5 and Series X/S. But I agree, people seem to simply not care as much as they used to and as much as they should.

Games aren't way cheaper on PC.

Recent/pending releases:
Diablo 4 69.99 PC/Console
Street Fighter 6 59.99 PC/Console
Starfield 69.99 PC/Xbox

Diablo 4 is kinda locked to Blizzard's own service (it's not on Steam or EGS). The other two - you can already buy cheaper copies of Street Fighter 6 and even Starfield.

$59.49 ($10 off retail price - not bad for a pre-order)

Starfield | PC - Steam | Game Keys

Pick up your Starfield PC copy from Green Man Gaming today and remember to sign in for our best price

www.greenmangaming.com

$50.99 ($9 off a game that just came out, also not bad)

Street Fighter 6 | PC - Steam | Game Keys

Pick up your Street Fighter 6 PC copy from Green Man Gaming today and remember to sign in for our best price.

www.greenmangaming.com

And that's just from an official keyshop (GMG). Gray market stuff is even cheaper than that. CDKeys has SF6 for $44 or Starfield for $58. PC is an open system and there's actually competition, meaning companies often have to compete on price. Steam and EGS also take smaller cuts than Microsoft or Sony do, which accounts for some of it.

Meanwhile, on consoles, you can only buy the games from their respective stores, and those stores both take 30% off the top. It'll be up to the developer or publisher to set their own price - meaning the digital copy of Starfield will probably stay $70 until Black Friday of next year. Street Fighter will get discounted eventually, but it'll probably be months before it's cheaper than $45 on consoles for a digital version.

If you shop around, you can find PC games for much cheaper than digital console versions.

 

[xrnzaaas]

They surely are going to try this... again. My bet would be on an attachable drive as an extra option.

 

[Danjin44]

 

[PanzerCute]

Fuck that.

 

[Bartski]

yep. With extra drive peripheral for the dying breed of "collectors"

 

[SmokedMeat]

Games aren't way cheaper on PC.

Recent/pending releases:
Diablo 4 69.99 PC/Console
Street Fighter 6 59.99 PC/Console
Starfield 69.99 PC/Xbox

Yeah they are. You just don’t know how to shop for PC games.

 

[foamdino]

From an engineering perspective, there are so many benefits to going pure digital download:

1. Lack of noisy spinning drive makes it easier to build a quiet console
2. Better reliability, more components== more chance of failure
3. Can either reduce the cost of the console or put that cost somewhere else (better/ more memory etc)
4. Reduce size == easier to transport== lower transport costs
5. Testing and validation of hw is easier
6. Simpler OS doesn't need drivers for optical drive
7. Reduction in license fees (mpeg licenses, java license for Blu Ray menus etc)
8. Fewer places for bugs to hide in software
9. Removes any chance of drive firmware hacks leaking private keys which allow homebrew or pirated games, copies
10. Etc.

From a pure engineering point of view it's a no braier to kill optical media next gen. However from a biz point of view, there are many reasons to keep it which have already been covered.

 

[Comandr]

Games aren't way cheaper on PC.

Recent/pending releases:
Diablo 4 69.99 PC/Console
Street Fighter 6 59.99 PC/Console
Starfield 69.99 PC/Xbox

But they are cheaper. Quoting myself here.

Here's an idea... Just...

Don't pay full price.

On topic: I could see launching one sku, a digital only one, with a disc drive as a separate attachment.

 

[TrueLegend]

I think people this day need to switch to new form of physical media. Get the final version of game clean iso from torrent sites of the game you own on steam for quick install. Steam will autodetect the game once you install. You can choose your own cover art for disc drive iso images. You can burn them on Blu-ray too if you got that.

 

[intbal]

Microsoft got a patent a couple of years ago for allowing external disc drives to play previously purchased titles on digital-only consoles.
I don't want to go looking for it, but I think the implementation was intended to allow a XO/XSX to run a disc title on either a Series S (or more likely now, a future discless Series X).
I'm highly confident that the Series X is Microsoft's last physical media console. And the disc-based units will probably be discontinued as soon as a digital-only version is ready.

 

[Syphon Filter]

I think there is a good chance but not certain. We are starting to see more games being digital only or using codes which reminds me of when PC was starting to go digital only with Steam, gog,etc.

 

[TGO]

Although digital sales( which is disingenuous because they do include all digital sales like everything that's floods the Playstation store each week) outpace physical sales, the sales of PS5 & PS5 digital tell a different story and is more likely the data Sony would be looking at.
The upcoming Disc Add-on is likely for the PS5 Digital more then anything.
If you look at the film industry a lot of studios are rethinking there stance on physical media, Paramount for example are now pushing out loads of films old and new to the 4K format which they didn't even bother with 5 years ago.
And lot more effort is being put in too.
Recently Disney has confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol III will ship with a multi aspect ratio on 4K Blu-ray, something that was exclusive to Disney Plus until now.
Does this mean Digital won't kill off physical?
No it's gonna happen at some point and but it will be a sad day when it does.
Because despite what they say, digital isn't forever.

 

[jshackles]

From an engineering perspective, there are so many benefits to going pure digital download:

1. Lack of noisy spinning drive makes it easier to build a quiet console
2. Better reliability, more components== more chance of failure
3. Can either reduce the cost of the console or put that cost somewhere else (better/ more memory etc)
4. Reduce size == easier to transport== lower transport costs
5. Testing and validation of hw is easier
6. Simpler OS doesn't need drivers for optical drive
7. Reduction in license fees (mpeg licenses, java license for Blu Ray menus etc)
8. Fewer places for bugs to hide in software
9. Removes any chance of drive firmware hacks leaking private keys which allow homebrew or pirated games, copies
10. Etc.

From a pure engineering point of view it's a no braier to kill optical media next gen. However from a biz point of view, there are many reasons to keep it which have already been covered.

I think a lot more people would be on board with digital-only consoles if any of these cost savings measures were realized by the consumer. As it is, this all just means extra profit for giant corporations in exchange for fucking over individual rights and freedoms. It's the same argument as "why are digital downloads the same price as physical games, despite them not having any manufacturing or transportation costs?".

Lower hardware costs, less software testing, little to no licensing costs, all combined with no manufacturing or transportation costs of games, not having to appease retail markets, crushing GameStop, AND getting increased revenue from digital sales - all of these factors should be driving the total consumer cost of gaming WAY DOWN, but instead it's been going up thanks in no small part to corporate greed.

 

[Hudo]

No even the US has an internet infrastructure reliable enough to make this viable for the mass market.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

The mere fact that we are discussing this same topic in a new thread every other day speaks volumes as to how far out the final nail in the coffin for physical media is. People are getting nervous.

 

[Kdad]

Yes the main consoles will be marketed and sold as digital. PlayStation will have an addone disc drive (hopefully the PS5 one will be forward compatible too)...Xbox, don't follow them...presume they'll bring HD DVD back or some shit.

 

[Efren is G.O.A.T.]

As much as I like my game discs for console, I don't really have a reason to keep buying physical because I'm not a collector by any means and I rarely sell/trade my games so it's only because I have some sense of happiness of owning some physical representation of the games that I really like.

Plus I prefer to game on my pc and that's all digital so I think for next gen I will jump in the digital only train.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Next PlayStation and Nintendo console? Sure they'll still get physical releases! Next Xbox though, I'm not so sure since they're pushing big time towards digital.

 

[Kdad]

yep. With extra drive peripheral for the dying breed of "collectors"

Or to allow the then current console to be backwards compatible....

 

[Eiknarf]

What happens to GameStop if physical dies? Their main thing is buying and selling physical. Their previously owned section is their bread and butter.

 

[SHA]

It depends how dramatic people will worry about their stuffs.

 

[DeepEnigma]

What happens to GameStop if physical dies? They're main thing is buying and selling physical. Their previously owned section is their bread and butter.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Sure as hell hope not.

What happens to GameStop if physical dies? They're main thing is buying and selling physical. Their previously owned section is their bread and butter.

If it was the damn sure should have a more decent selection than they do the last few times I've made the mistake of going into GameStop it was absolutely terrible selection.

 

[mrmustard]

If i was Sony/MS i would force it by making the disc version or drive super expensive.

 

[Shifty1897]

You'll probably have to pay extra for a disk add on but they'll still make a limited number of physical games. Internet in a lot of countries is still shit and they want to maximize sales. Plus retailers from Amazon to Walmart want physical to stick around so it will for now.

 

[TGO]

The mere fact that we are discussing this same topic in a new thread every other day speaks volumes as to how far out the final nail in the coffin for physical media is. People are getting nervous.

That's because people strangely want it to die as if they benefit anything from it.
But it's more to do with solidifying their own choices as the right one.
Case in Point.

If i was Sony/MS i would force it by making the disc version or drive super expensive.

Why would you want that?

 

[DeepEnigma]

That's because people strangely want it to die as if they benefit anything from it.
But it's more to do with solidifying their own choices as the right one.
Case in Point.

Why would you want that?

I went digital for the PS5 this gen, but I still don't want physical to die.

 

[Zathalus]

I think the disc drives will be optional add-ons

 

[HTK]

I don't think it will go fully digital. I've been digital since 2010 and I'm glad they gave me a cheaper option PS5 Digital Edition for $399.99. Personally it doesn't affect me one way or another, I think there is still a demand for physical and I can see a PS6 supporting physical format still. But who knows what the landscape will be in the next 5 years. :/

 

[Labadal]

Games aren't way cheaper on PC.

Recent/pending releases:
Diablo 4 69.99 PC/Console
Street Fighter 6 59.99 PC/Console
Starfield 69.99 PC/Xbox

You can and could get all of your examples discounted on PC.

 

[lughnasadh123]

Next gen will have physical and will be the testing ground when they finally swap over to an all digital. I really thought it was further off but seeing major releases go digital only is a pretty good predictor of where things are going.

 

[killatopak]