Digital Entertainment
There was a time in the early 2000s when a program called Napster rocked the music world by allowing people to share music digitally. It was a revolutionary time when the public discovered that they didn’t need to physically have an audio CD to play their favorite tunes. Fast forward to today and entertainment by and large can be enjoyed without a tangible item being played in a console. Physical media still exists alongside digital media, but with the convenience of streaming, many homes seem to opt for digital entertainment.
Sony Removes Physical Options
Months ago, Sony dropped a bomb on their Playstation users by stating that they would be phasing out physical discs for their video games completely by January 9, 2028. Sony says this controversial move is being made with the intention of following consumer trends, as they claim that digital download purchasing is significantly outweighing the purchase of physical game discs.
Now, according to Gizmondo, Sony is planning to cease production on their Blu-ray disc players as well. The irony here is that Sony was actually dominating the Blu-ray market. Gizmondo points out that Sony’s decision could have some frightening ramifications on the physical media movie world for collectors. As the “budget” 4K Blu-ray players end their run, prices may now go up for those who may choose to purchase physical copies as the practice becomes more niche.
The Whim of Digital Libraries
Another concern is that, like the video games, many consumers will only be able to purchase or access their films only when the online retailers continue to make them available. So, you don’t truly own them after purchase. Sony customers already no longer have access to over 500 film titles that they have purchased digitally through the online store. This includes movies like The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Apocalypse Now: Final Cut, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and the first three Rambo films. Streaming for these movies are discontinued for licensing issues and those who have made the purchases are now out of luck
The reactions to this new game announcement cite that Playstation customers are now subject to the same kind of temporary ownership. They worry that they are at the whim of license agreements, and that what they purchase, they will not be able to truly keep access to.
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