I only ever bought games after being discounted or second hand. Digital I never used as they were never discounted. I won't be buying any more games for Playstation.

For me it's a little sad, but for Sony I expect they're pleased to see the back of me.

Jo22 wrote on 2026-07-11, 16:07:

@jh80 What’s actually stopping Sony from launching a survey? They could easily display a notification about it on the PlayStatio […]
Show full quote

@jh80 What’s actually stopping Sony from launching a survey?
They could easily display a notification about it on the PlayStation at any time.
Instead of guessing what players want, Sony could simply ask them what they’d like—you know, regarding things like, er, exclusive digital distribution.
I know—a totally crazy idea! 😅

Who said anything about Sony guessing what consumers want? I'm sure they're very aware.

The death of physical media is being driven by publishers, who Sony also has to cater to. Sony could come out guns blazing about how dedicated it was to continuing physical game releases, and the major publishers still would follow the path of Rockstar in going digital-only, leaving Sony in a bad spot (more costly hardware, having to maintain manufacturing facilities, etc.).

Third-party publishers like Rockstar hold the cards here, and they have decided the industry has reached a point where they can finally cut physical releases. That makes them much healthier in business-terms. It cuts risk and improves profit margins, at the cost of losing a small percent of revenue from disgruntled consumers (anyone that thinks GTA6 is not going to break sales records because it doesn't have a disc release is delusional).

The real problem here from the consumer perspective is the issue of ownership of digital media, and that's likely going to require some legislation to guarantee anything in the future. Thinking physical disc = ownership is a mistake, as we already see cases where physical discs require day-one patch downloads, which are obviously tied to servers that can be taken down in the future.

jh80 wrote on 2026-07-11, 21:57:

Who said anything about Sony guessing what consumers want? I'm sure they're very aware. […]
Show full quote

Jo22 wrote on 2026-07-11, 16:07:

@jh80 What’s actually stopping Sony from launching a survey? They could easily display a notification about it on the PlayStatio […]
Show full quote

@jh80 What’s actually stopping Sony from launching a survey?
They could easily display a notification about it on the PlayStation at any time.
Instead of guessing what players want, Sony could simply ask them what they’d like—you know, regarding things like, er, exclusive digital distribution.
I know—a totally crazy idea! 😅

Who said anything about Sony guessing what consumers want? I'm sure they're very aware.

The death of physical media is being driven by publishers, who Sony also has to cater to. Sony could come out guns blazing about how dedicated it was to continuing physical game releases, and the major publishers still would follow the path of Rockstar in going digital-only, leaving Sony in a bad spot (more costly hardware, having to maintain manufacturing facilities, etc.).

Third-party publishers like Rockstar hold the cards here, and they have decided the industry has reached a point where they can finally cut physical releases. That makes them much healthier in business-terms. It cuts risk and improves profit margins, at the cost of losing a small percent of revenue from disgruntled consumers (anyone that thinks GTA6 is not going to break sales records because it doesn't have a disc release is delusional).

The real problem here from the consumer perspective is the issue of ownership of digital media, and that's likely going to require some legislation to guarantee anything in the future. Thinking physical disc = ownership is a mistake, as we already see cases where physical discs require day-one patch downloads, which are obviously tied to servers that can be taken down in the future.

Rockstar does not hold the cards. Sony does. And X box. Rockstar will go out of business without a console platform to sell their games. And the hell with Rockstar catering for consoles and not for pc for another year , etc and the experience is bad...

As shown by recent events , the hardware manufacturers are the ones that matter. not the people that design stuff. same as with fabs that make chips , companies that build consoles , etc...

No Disc
Lots of code and data stored on console
A fair amount of code and data streamed when playing
use of generated content to cater experience to (paying) customers

Result
- you don't own it,
- you cant play it offline,
- code and content will be updated by vendor to fix bugs, update feature, edit things out or in
- you cant play old versions,
- no one can "repack" it or find some way to preserve it, gog and similar can't either,
- no one plays exactly the same game (individual generated 'experiences'), once the stream is switched off its gone, forever

probably not just games, all new streamed media eventually

gerry wrote on 2026-07-12, 17:57:

No Disc Lots of code and data stored on console A fair amount of code and data streamed when playing use of generated content to […]
Show full quote

No Disc
Lots of code and data stored on console
A fair amount of code and data streamed when playing
use of generated content to cater experience to (paying) customers

Result
- you don't own it,
- you cant play it offline,
- code and content will be updated by vendor to fix bugs, update feature, edit things out or in
- you cant play old versions,
- no one can "repack" it or find some way to preserve it, gog and similar can't either,
- no one plays exactly the same game (individual generated 'experiences'), once the stream is switched off its gone, forever

probably not just games, all new streamed media eventually

Or Sony backtracks and have license blue ray discs that are only 45mb like game key cards

twiz11 wrote on 2026-07-12, 21:14:

gerry wrote on 2026-07-12, 17:57:

No Disc Lots of code and data stored on console A fair amount of code and data streamed when playing use of generated content to […]
Show full quote

No Disc
Lots of code and data stored on console
A fair amount of code and data streamed when playing
use of generated content to cater experience to (paying) customers

Result
- you don't own it,
- you cant play it offline,
- code and content will be updated by vendor to fix bugs, update feature, edit things out or in
- you cant play old versions,
- no one can "repack" it or find some way to preserve it, gog and similar can't either,
- no one plays exactly the same game (individual generated 'experiences'), once the stream is switched off its gone, forever

probably not just games, all new streamed media eventually

Or Sony backtracks and have license blue ray discs that are only 45mb like game key cards

what is the server goes down?

think people need to understand that if you don t own physically a copy of the game in full , then you don t really own it.

looks like pirates and hackers will be the salvation of the pc.

bitzu101 wrote on Yesterday, 18:25:

what is the server goes down? […]
Show full quote

twiz11 wrote on 2026-07-12, 21:14:

gerry wrote on 2026-07-12, 17:57:

No Disc Lots of code and data stored on console A fair amount of code and data streamed when playing use of generated content to […]
Show full quote

No Disc
Lots of code and data stored on console
A fair amount of code and data streamed when playing
use of generated content to cater experience to (paying) customers

Result
- you don't own it,
- you cant play it offline,
- code and content will be updated by vendor to fix bugs, update feature, edit things out or in
- you cant play old versions,
- no one can "repack" it or find some way to preserve it, gog and similar can't either,
- no one plays exactly the same game (individual generated 'experiences'), once the stream is switched off its gone, forever

probably not just games, all new streamed media eventually

Or Sony backtracks and have license blue ray discs that are only 45mb like game key cards

what is the server goes down?

think people need to understand that if you don t own physically a copy of the game in full , then you don t really own it.

looks like pirates and hackers will be the salvation of the pc.

pirates and hackers i think did save the library of alexandria by copying down forbidden knowledge and passed it around but then did it ever really exist? If offically they can neither confirm or deny it, its sort of in grey area. Did the pirate or hacker write it or did they own it or lease it or rent it or borrow it and never returned it

bitzu101 wrote on Yesterday, 18:25:

what is the server goes down? […]
Show full quote

twiz11 wrote on 2026-07-12, 21:14:

gerry wrote on 2026-07-12, 17:57:

No Disc Lots of code and data stored on console A fair amount of code and data streamed when playing use of generated content to […]
Show full quote

No Disc
Lots of code and data stored on console
A fair amount of code and data streamed when playing
use of generated content to cater experience to (paying) customers

Result
- you don't own it,
- you cant play it offline,
- code and content will be updated by vendor to fix bugs, update feature, edit things out or in
- you cant play old versions,
- no one can "repack" it or find some way to preserve it, gog and similar can't either,
- no one plays exactly the same game (individual generated 'experiences'), once the stream is switched off its gone, forever

probably not just games, all new streamed media eventually

Or Sony backtracks and have license blue ray discs that are only 45mb like game key cards

what is the server goes down?

think people need to understand that if you don t own physically a copy of the game in full , then you don t really own it.

looks like pirates and hackers will be the salvation of the pc.

games today are like chewing gum, you dont or cant share used chewing gum. Games have expiration dates on them now the game expires so play it before it goes bad. You move on hoping to record your playthroughs so you can prove it existed at one point.

Like lets play of destiny 2, you dont own it even if its on disc but you can prove you played it or it existed at some point by videos and stuff.

back then games were hmm plates you put food on, now games are the food, what is the plates today? idk i dont have good analogue. All i know is minecraft is a game you dont own, the maps you create using it are not yours entirely they rely on a game which relies on an authentication server you cant go see in person and make backup copy of. Saying that is minecraft a good experience, yes but its a limited experience. Eventually minecraft as we know it will shutdown and become a ship of thesus.

but enough of that
a system a physical system like the n64 even with its carts you dont own because to repair them takes chips that are no longer in existence. You can do emulation maybe but everyone wants the real deal the first timer experience.

You can still play Master Of Orion 2 on PC through Dosbox, I tried that patch 1.5 didnt work. If the community created tools that publishers could tap into for the emulator market, if ReactOS became an emulator for consoles or for windows game where you emulate or simulate the actual hardware.

You dont control what you dont understand and what is intangible

The concept of ownership died when XP introduced product activation, tied to some external server that was shuttered. Sure you can resell the XP disc but without the key or the key being used its as good as a coaster

I played my fill of PS2 games to know only a handful were worth preserving and guess what i only played them for the assets. The OST the gimmicks. EyeToy, Fantavision. Its all just pressing buttons and nothing fancy. Basic Input Output System.

You play it you absorb it and you move on giving the disc passing it around like hot potato until it ends up in some attic stores charging for a premium you cant replicate with experience.

i dont own anything because i realize the maintenance costs would exceed the value of everything i would ever own. So i play games and let them lapse into the ether because even my memories i dont own will fade.

So if sony is shutting it down its likely because its a good idea and they are ahead of the trend and bandwagon. Pay once and play forever vs paying a yearly tax on IP like real estate property.

I played the games i did in my youth and i changed the games never changed but i did

Lawmakers in Mexico to file antitrust complaint against PlayStation

If discs disappear, anyone who owns a PlayStation will no longer be able to choose where to buy their games and will be forced to purchase them exclusively through Sony’s store.

Consumers would stop truly owning their video games. With digital distribution, you’re no longer buying a game in the traditional sense-you’re purchasing a license, which means access to the content depends entirely on the conditions established by the company,

There are reports that some other countries may follow suit, and open their own antitrust investigations.

bitzu101 wrote on Yesterday, 18:25:

looks like pirates and hackers will be the salvation of the pc.

if there is a point where playing a game means being online and getting streamed content that has been generated by game servers then pirates and hackers won't be the salvation

the code that runs the game wouldn't be entirely on the pc (or console), just capturing the code & data that was installed on PC wouldn't be enough, part of the code running on game servers would be invisible to the PC/console

trying to pirate a game would become like recording a playthrough and saying "there, its preserved"

the ultimate version of this would be where the entire game is generated by game servers and your device is just for input/output, more likely in the next decade or so is some half way measure (still enough to udo any preservation attempts)

I'm lucky to have more than 40 Years of gaming behind me.... It's easy to me to say - I will not buy PS6 because of this decision!!! If I were a "little" younger, who knows what would be my decision??? I don't give a f..k for Sony or anyone else who doesn't want me to own game for myself! Only games i bought without physical media, in last 10 Years, are from GOG! I have downloaded files for all this games, and they are mine!!! Everything i "own" on Steam, Ubi, Epic and Rockstar are not mine games, i have only purchased the license to play (didn't know that 10 years ago...).
So, SONY - GOODBYE !!! And if Nintendo does that, i will not buy any console from them... If the PC games will be sold only "digitally", i will not buy PC games no more... Easy! I'm not addicted to games, even though i play games even these days....

gerry wrote on Today, 07:52:

if there is a point where playing a game means being online and getting streamed content that has been generated by game servers […]
Show full quote

bitzu101 wrote on Yesterday, 18:25:

looks like pirates and hackers will be the salvation of the pc.

if there is a point where playing a game means being online and getting streamed content that has been generated by game servers then pirates and hackers won't be the salvation

the code that runs the game wouldn't be entirely on the pc (or console), just capturing the code & data that was installed on PC wouldn't be enough, part of the code running on game servers would be invisible to the PC/console

trying to pirate a game would become like recording a playthrough and saying "there, its preserved"

the ultimate version of this would be where the entire game is generated by game servers and your device is just for input/output, more likely in the next decade or so is some half way measure (still enough to udo any preservation attempts)

if you capture alot of the game by recording your playthrough can you recreate it later using tools

i will keep my idea that if something is good , people will buy it. regardless of pirates , etc...

i will also say that , if something is good , then will be pirated.

twiz11 wrote on Today, 11:21:

if you capture alot of the game by recording your playthrough can you recreate it later using tools

recreate, as in create a new game by observation of a game - so its not the original just a version of it. that's programming a clone (for the missing code anyway). it's good and might get something close to the original, but its not really preservation like a cd or gog. maybe that's the best t hope for, much higher effort though, so suspect will not be done as much as now

Xbox user has account deleted by Microsoft and loses 25 years of purchases

One of the perils of an all-digital future. Get your account banned and lose thousands of dollars worth of games, movies etc.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on Today, 17:05:

Xbox user has account deleted by Microsoft and loses 25 years of purchases

One of the perils of an all-digital future. Get your account banned and lose thousands of dollars worth of games, movies etc.

Oof... that is awful. It is horrible that these companies don't have a better process set up to fix this. I mean, if they are still bothering to email you to tell you what they are doing then they must have at least some slight confidence that the email is going to reach the legitimate account holder. Feels like it should be illegal for companies to do anything that is "irreversible" that causes a loss of an account, personal info or purchases. Everything should be reversible with the right verification. You can bet if this happened to a high ranking MS employee they would find a way to reverse it. I mean, if I live next door to Microsoft's headquarters and I can literally go up to their front desk, hand them my proof of address, show them my house, invite them in for coffee and then say "See, this is the address you have listed for my account. IT IS ME!" , it is completely absurd that they would be unable to reverse an account closure like this.

I am not going to blame the victim here, because this is absolutely ridiculous conduct for a corporation the size of MS, but the email he got does mention that unauthorized access was confirmed. So, there was likely some kind of security breach of his account that lead to this.

This is a good time for everyone to give their most valuable accounts (phone, banking, internet, email, google, apple, microsoft, steam, etc.) a security checkup. One thing to make sure that you do (that hasn't always been available) is to set up a SIM lock or SIM swap protection on your phone line. You can usually either call your provider or go to wherever you manage security settings for your account online. Doing this basically prevents SIM swaps entirely, so if you end up needing to do a SIM swap you have to go back in and change it first. Absolutely everyone should do this unless you are constantly swapping SIMs for some reason (and in that case, one might argue that you should not use that number for any kind of 2FA). I know that simply not using text\phone for 2FA has been a recommendation for a long time, but preventing SIM swapping alleviates most of those worries. Also, a lot of places still use it as their main 2FA method.

Another thing to consider is setting up one or more brand new email accounts that you use ONLY for those important accounts. That way your login info, 2FA emails and other account related things are associated with an address that isn't used anywhere else online and has little or no "trail" around the internet. You can also have the strictest, most secure multi-factor authentication set up on the new email account(s) possibly even have it set up so that it doesn't stay logged in on any devices or doesn't have the password saved anywhere.

I would say that if you want to avoid having an account with scads of valuable purchases\data shut down, the #1 way to avoid it is to not use these accounts at all, but the #2 way to avoid it would be to do everything in your power to prevent unauthorized access to your accounts. That is the main reason that companies do this to people, at least from what I have seen.