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[phant0m]

Still wild to see. But the consumer masses have awoken to realize that buying a Blu-ray for $35 at BB is dumb when Amazon has it for $20. Or less.

Amazon has decimated electronics/media retailers that survived by fat margins on media and accessories.

 

[NomenNescio]

Don't be afraid, guys. Join the dark side. It's nice in here.

 

[ReBurn]

They need more space to stack unopened TV's

 

[saintjules]

GameStop still thriving.

 

[Elder Legend]

Not surprised by this one bit. It was only a matter of time as I have previously said, but many people are coping and for some reason believe that physical media is here to stay when it absolutely will not. Retail is also dying because of stuff like www.amazon.com. Day 1 deliveries, plenty of occasional discounts too and you do not have to step a foot outside your house and waste time, money and gas.

 

[ReBurn]

GameStop still thriving.

Let's not get crazy

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Some Best Buys I've been to have cleared out lots of aisles of product, readjusted the layout and filled the space with walled off racks of inventory turning a good portion of the store into an internet pick up joint. It's like half store/half warehouse.

 

[ViolentP]

There is a quantifiable cost savings in digital distribution versus physical media. It's only a matter of time, and that time will be behind a major release where those hardcore physical users cannot help but indulge. And if they did it once, why not a second or third time?

It's happening, bros. And most of you are coming regardless of what you say now.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

Can't wait until we go full circle on physical goods again. The older I get the more I see the pendulum that is public opinion. Saw this digital and subscription exploitive model from a mile away and years out.

 

[MarkMe2525]

Xbox probably pays for that branded retail space, at least that's how it often worked at BestBuy. If Walmart stopped selling physical xbox games, it would be due to MS leaving that market. Things may have changed since I left the retail management world, so I could be off base.

 

[adamsapple]

GameStop still thriving.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Make Physical Great Again Then.

 

[Majima Everywhere System]

The other problem with Xbox is they are kinda stinking up the room lately.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure I am buying digitally from them until I see signs of life.

 

[Deerock71]

There is a quantifiable cost savings in digital distribution versus physical media. It's only a matter of time, and that time will be behind a major release where those hardcore physical users cannot help but indulge. And if they did it once, why not a second or third time?

It's happening, bros. And most of you are coming regardless of what you say now.

You can't make us.

 

[dem]

Disks are dead man walking


I can't believe people still get up to change disks.

That's some TV before remote controls shit.

 

[demigod]

Those are movies, not games.

 

[kazuyamishima]

Retailers get about 25% of a physical game nowadays so it's normal the console manufacturers want more digital sales.

 

[Spyxos]

Those are movies, not games.

All physical media includes games.

 

[Jesb]

Doesn't this spell the end of the bluray format for film than, or the beginning of it…

 

[JimmyRustler]

I'm surprised it took so long. Who the hell still buys their physical media in stores? Usually the sorting is horrible and you can't find anything. Who the hell would prefer that to buying your stuff in an online store like Amazon?

 

[demigod]

All physical media includes games.

No it doesn't, they clarified its only movies for Best Buy.

 

[MasterCornholio]

Not surprised by this one bit. It was only a matter of time as I have previously said, but many people are coping and for some reason believe that physical media is here to stay when it absolutely will not. Retail is also dying because of stuff like www.amazon.com. Day 1 deliveries, plenty of occasional discounts too and you do not have to step a foot outside your house and waste time, money and gas.

Doesn't Amazon support the idea that physical media can still exist?

I mean I use them all the time to buy movies. Just order a movie and the next day its in my PS5. Plus there's plenty of great deals and collections when it comes to blu rays.

 

[MasterCornholio]

I'm surprised it took so long. Who the hell still buys their physical media in stores? Usually the sorting is horrible and you can't find anything. Who the hell would prefer that to buying your stuff in an online store like Amazon?

Only exception for me are pawn shops and that's due to how low the prices can be. But then again you rely on luck to find what you want.

 

[Dorfdad]

Wonder in this world of technology if there was any a way to have a digital version be burned to media from the users account to convert your digital backups into physical backups for preservation etc. so that in the future you can unpack this on a new system with your account info?

Probably too niche and costly to even consider

 

[Horseganador]

It is something that happens in all countries, Xbox sells so little software that you go to any store and since there is only Nintendo and PlayStation, it is a serious matter for the brand to disappear from the stores, the casual mass when they go to buy and see the situation will distrust the console that barely has space.

 

[Skifi28]

It is something that happens in all countries, Xbox sells so little software that you go to any store and since there is only Nintendo and PlayStation, it is a serious matter for the brand to disappear from the stores, the casual mass when they go to buy and see the situation will distrust the console that barely has space.

If they stop stocking xbox games and the new series X is only digital, I wonder if most retailers will even bother selling it.

 

[Bernoulli]

If they stop stocking xboz games and the new series X is only digital, I wonder if most retailers will even bother selling it.

Depends on the margins

 

[Punished Miku]

I'm surprised it took so long. Who the hell still buys their physical media in stores? Usually the sorting is horrible and you can't find anything. Who the hell would prefer that to buying your stuff in an online store like Amazon?

I haven't used Amazon for several years. Even if it's just getting shipped to me, I'll always go through Best Buy, Target or Wal Mart. Best Buy is far more reliable where I'm at. Amazon is bottom tier trash.

 

[Doctor Hades]

It's funny because I have had no problem with PC games being digital only for most of the last decade but I get extremely nervous at the thought of only been able to buy all my console games this way.

The main reason is that on PC I have often have a choice of where to purchase the keys from and frequently get them for anywhere up to £20 less than what they sell from direct from the digital platforms such as Steam, UbiConnect and so on. This is turn makes up for the lack of resell value of not owning a physical product.

On consoles, this option does not exist. Digital only means that your only choice is to pay the full price at launch or else wait months for the game to be discounted in a sale. Digital only also means that I would have no games to sell on with the console once I upgrade. I like owning something physical that has value even though I admit digital is far more convenient (as in not having to swap discs between games). It is the reason I still buy music CDs but rip them to my PC where I then play the digital version. There is just something so nice about actually owning the thing I've paid money for.

Companies like Microsoft have been pushing for an all-digital games market since the catastrophic unveiling of the Xbox One so it was no surprise to me to find that many of the Xbox Series X games I was buying on disc contained little more than a launcher to download the game rather than the full game itself. In that sense owning the disc was pretty much pointless and a complete waste of resources. Most people probably won't care but there may come a time when the game you want to play on your Xbox or PlayStation may not be available even though you bought it. It hasn't happened yet - some games have been removed from sale but if you own them then you can still download them - but who knows what may happen in the future when your only option for buying console games is to purchase them directly from the console's own store...

 

[rofif]

Sucks.
Physical is selling majority on PlayStation but I can see it not selling well on gp machine

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Sucks.
Physical is selling majority on PlayStation but I can see it not selling well on gp machine

I've seen you say this a number of times, but for a long time it's been reported that Sony's physical sales are declining in favour of digital.

In Q2 2023 it was supposedly just 4% of their sales. That's a heck of a turnaround if it's come back.

Physical Games Represented Just 4% of Sales for PlayStation Last Quarter

The only category down year-on-year

www.pushsquare.com

 

[Dis]

Disks are dead man walking


I can't believe people still get up to change disks.

That's some TV before remote controls shit.

 

[JimmyRustler]

I haven't used Amazon for several years. Even if it's just getting shipped to me, I'll always go through Best Buy, Target or Wal Mart. Best Buy is far more reliable where I'm at. Amazon is bottom tier trash.

Yeah, I get it. But like I said, you order it online with them. Who the hell buy their game/movie hard copies in the store itself these days?

 

[Kenpachii]

If microsoft is smart they release the next xbox series X with 12 months of free gamepass and remove discs entirely.

Also makes it far more likely that microsoft will be releasing a new console sooner rather then later.

 

[mckmas8808]

This is sad man. And the worse part is they won't even sale Blu-ray movies online either.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Physical games being dropped is a reality, it's funny no one is pushing back with a physical game store.

 

[Deerock71]

Disks are dead man walking


I can't believe people still get up to change disks.

That's some TV before remote controls shit.

 

[mckmas8808]

There is a quantifiable cost savings in digital distribution versus physical media. It's only a matter of time, and that time will be behind a major release where those hardcore physical users cannot help but indulge. And if they did it once, why not a second or third time?

It's happening, bros. And most of you are coming regardless of what you say now.

But the quality still isn't there. Plus what if they remove the movie from your subscription service?

I've seen you say this a number of times, but for a long time it's been reported that Sony's physical sales are declining in favour of digital.

In Q2 2023 it was supposedly just 4% of their sales. That's a heck of a turnaround if it's come back.

Physical Games Represented Just 4% of Sales for PlayStation Last Quarter

The only category down year-on-year

www.pushsquare.com

This article is trying to trick you. It doesn't mean what you think it means. Most of Sony's 1st party games sell 40-60% of their games on physical discs.

 

[dem]

I'd respond... but i think I'm gonna go to another website. Let me get ESPN.com off the shelf.

 

[kiphalfton]

I think Xbox is making a mistake dropping games physically.

Yes, Gamepass exists... but not all games are available on Gamepass. And the games that aren't will only get that much less exposure as a result.

But if Microsoft's goal is to run the Xbox brand into the ground, they're doing a good job.

I wouldn't be surprised if Gamepass price shoots through the roof once they've weaned people off physical games though.

 

[Sushi_Combo]

My local Walmart has basically nuked the gaming section already.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

My local Walmart has basically nuked the gaming section already.

Including the Nintendo game section? Those still sell very well physically.

 

[SScorpio]

Wonder in this world of technology if there was any a way to have a digital version be burned to media from the users account to convert your digital backups into physical backups for preservation etc. so that in the future you can unpack this on a new system with your account info?

Probably too niche and costly to even consider

Wouldn't you still need to access the account online to verify access to the backup? Otherwise, what would be stopping someone from distributing a backup and just having it run on any offline system?

Steam has had the ability to do backups for a long time, right click game, properties, installed files, backup game files. https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4593-5CB7-DC3C-64F0

GOG on the other hand just lets you download an installer that has no DRM that you can backup and install on to whatever you want.

On consoles, you can connect a USB drive and copy games to it, but you need to log in to access them. There isn't a way to have a digital license get restored without verifying online that it's valid that wouldn't allow massive piracy. A major way to pirate PS4 games in 3rd world countries was modding systems and cloning the disk drive so the system thought it was the one the account was registered to for offline use. You couldn't take those systems online as they would update and lock everything out.

 

[gothmog]

Physical games being dropped is a reality, it's funny no one is pushing back with a physical game store.

There's no money in it. Every game store in my area is either out of business or hanging on by a thread.

 

[dem]

There's no money in it. Every game store in my area is either out of business or hanging on by a thread.

And the stores probably make more money on Sonic plushies than games

Game stores are a sad, sad place.

 

[Shin-Ra]

If microsoft is smart they release the next xbox series X with 12 months of free gamepass and remove discs entirely.

Also makes it far more likely that microsoft will be releasing a new console sooner rather then later.

Reducing Xbox console and game sales further is 'smart' alright.

 

[mdkirby]

makes sense, they'll constantly run the numbers on X shelf space == Y revenue, if the demand for those physical games just isn't there, and if the space was used for something that would drive more revenue then these sort of conversations will happen.

 

[rofif]

I've seen you say this a number of times, but for a long time it's been reported that Sony's physical sales are declining in favour of digital.

In Q2 2023 it was supposedly just 4% of their sales. That's a heck of a turnaround if it's come back.

Physical Games Represented Just 4% of Sales for PlayStation Last Quarter

The only category down year-on-year

www.pushsquare.com

That's misleading.
The numbers I repeat are from Sony leak itself and for Sony games.
Of course total sales are mostly digital of all games because you have 15000 psn games and 1000 physical games or less

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

Regarding Nintendo, I once again have to say that their commitment to physical and complete-on-medium is amazing.

Even at Christmas 2023, my son received a Switch game (Mario Wonder) from my mother at her house when we visited -- and he was able to open it, plug it into his actual Switch a few minutes later, and start playing.

No messing with his grandmother's awful wifi, no nonsense about digital code redeeming, no time waiting for install, etc. I hope Nintendo never changes on this point. The all-digital and monthly subscription approaches can be one business model, but there should and can be an alternative model that thrives and never budges from its commitment to physical.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

But the quality still isn't there. Plus what if they remove the movie from your subscription service?



This article is trying to trick you. It doesn't mean what you think it means. Most of Sony's 1st party games sell 40-60% of their games on physical discs.

That's misleading.
The numbers I repeat are from Sony leak itself and for Sony games.
Of course total sales are mostly digital of all games because you have 15000 psn games and 1000 physical games or less

So, First party Sony games sell as little as 40% physical, but the others are more digital?