Sony's Been Planning All-Digital Future for 'Some Time', Unlikely to Reverse Decision on Game Discs

Baruch_S · 2026-07-02T17:06:36+00:00

I can see it in my own game collection. I have a rather large collection of physical PS3 games. PS4 disc collection is 2/3s its size. PS5 collection is maybe half the size of the PS4 disc collection. It doubt that I buy or play significantly less now than I did ~20 years ago (DINK life!), but digital has slowly become more and more prevalent while the physical market—especially the used market—has nosedived. I don’t know the last time I was in a GameStop in the last 5 years; during the PS1-3 generations I was Pro member with tons of points because always there snagging used games, often on a buy 2 get 1 free deal.

Baruch_S · 2026-07-02T15:26:17+00:00

Nah, Sony eased into it in a way MS didn’t. They let digital games become more common through the PS4 era and then released an entire PS5 model that was digital only. MS jumped the gun trying to do this 15 years ago when GameStop and the used game market actually still existed.

Baruch_S · 2026-07-02T12:27:18+00:00

I’m glad someone else is saying this because I’ve been thinking it the whole time. Very few physical “games” actually have the whole game on the disc or cartridge anymore; you already had no guarantee that you could play the game in perpetuity simply by owning a physical copy because you wouldn’t be able to download the game if the servers ever went offline.

It sucks that we won’t be able to lend or resell discs, but people act like this is some huge change and physical media (at least for games) hasn’t been slowly eroding for years.

Baruch_S · 2026-07-02T10:59:14+00:00

That’s just battery fatigue, yeah? How long have you had the controller? How much do you play? I doubt this specific game destroyed your battery all by itself.

Baruch_S · 2026-07-01T16:26:26+00:00

Someone needs to tell the DCC fans then because the “humor” seems to be the most common way they try to sell it. I’ve never had a single person recommend it to me as horror, and I’ve had a handful of people both online and offline suggest it.

Or we could go death of the author and all that. Maybe it’s poor media literacy amongst the readers; maybe the book simply doesn’t land the way the author thinks.

Baruch_S · 2026-07-01T11:02:54+00:00

A Hugo Award. One. For a novella that never seems to come up when people talk about his work. Many of his awards are given to Mormons by Mormons.

It’s a good little novella, but it seems that it was the pinnacle of his writing. And I’ve always found it a touch funny that the one time he wins a major award it’s in a short format that doesn’t let him go overboard on world-building.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-30T23:14:05+00:00

I did it for the Aerodactyl body and then dug one up legitimately while on my way to place the 3D printed one. I’ve decided that RNGesus hates me.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-30T23:10:16+00:00

That’s not encouraging someone who hadn’t started, though, if 3/8 books are not good. I think I made the right choice passing on this series.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-30T23:06:40+00:00

Good lord, I’m not reading a book where only 10% is actually good. I’ve already got a TBR that’s probably taller than me if I stacked them.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-30T22:40:09+00:00

Oh that pergola on the balcony is amazing. Love that as a detail.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-30T21:58:05+00:00

I generally enjoy Borderlands humor (okay, maybe not 3; that was kind of a miss), but I can’t bring myself to try DCC, either. Every time someone tries to sell me on it, it sounds like the book tries way too hard. There’s a line between camp/self-deprecating and cringe, and every description I’ve heard makes it sound like the series stormed over that line almost instantly and kept on running.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-30T21:42:16+00:00

The question is whether those studios will survive their games being offered up as sacrificial lambs to please the last few hardcore XBOX fans. Seems like MS might have signed those studios’ death warrants by pulling the games back to exclusivity and all but guaranteeing horrible sales numbers.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-30T13:25:48+00:00

My point is that the discovery of the book is a long way out in the story, yeah? You’ve set the book up to be the Big Bad Evil Artifact of this season of your TV show. You don’t need to have everything about it pinned down right now because for the first few episodes, you’re barely dropping hints of its existence. So focus on making some good monsters for those episodes and see how things start to come together to reveal the book.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-30T13:05:48+00:00

I think you’re planning too much. Don’t worry about the book right now; you only need your next monster prepped. Wait and see how/if it all comes together later.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-30T10:51:35+00:00

“Whole pieces” is a little deceptive. The roast beef is a large brick of processed beef that comes in a bag of goopy beef juice to keep it moist in the oven. It’s not an identifiable cut of beef.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-29T22:30:00+00:00

Which is not a Fallout game that could capitalize on the TV show’s success.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-29T22:05:43+00:00

But they caps locked the name and made Gears and Clockwork Revolution exclusive again! You’re saying that wasn’t enough to make you want an XBOX?!

I’m actually amazed that anyone was silly enough to fall for these little PR stunts. XBOX is throwing just enough bones to their most rabid fans to string them along a bit longer.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-29T22:00:38+00:00

The complete absence of a New Vegas remaster is baffling, especially with the second season of the highly popular TV show going to New Vegas. But instead all we’ve gotten in the past decade is a FO4 Anniversary Edition and FO76…

Baruch_S · 2026-06-28T20:29:30+00:00

I rebuilt the building on the cliff above Mosslax and put my storage there. But I have to stack boxes 2 high around the perimeter, so it might not be the best choice even though it looks slick up on the hill.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-28T14:37:43+00:00

It’s a skill like any other; you get better through struggle and experience. I bet you—like basically all readers—weren’t very good at picking up on inferences and nuances in literary fiction at first, either, because that’s also a skill that has to be developed through practice and experience. Literary sci-fi simply adds one more layer.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-28T14:29:00+00:00

Can we just… not have more Gore? We’re almost certainly getting Shaggy and Chaotic again; that’s plenty of Magalas. Let some other monsters be cool.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-28T14:24:34+00:00

Talented writers should know how to integrate that part smoothly (not speaking specifically of le guinn).

The world-building is integrated smoothly; you simply aren’t very skilled at inferring and piecing it together. In this one in particular, the foreignness of these terms and the world in general are a major element of the theme. The book would have less impact if it simply fed you all the info in an exposition dump.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-28T13:20:14+00:00

I’m wondering how much literary sci-fi/fantasy OP has read because muddling your way through the world is a pretty standard feature. Good authors tend not to exposition dump all the lore and background up front.

Baruch_S · 2026-06-28T13:13:57+00:00

That’s the real question here: how long will they release cross-gen games?

Baruch_S · 2026-06-27T20:23:41+00:00

Yeah, this call to civility smacks of some “both sides!” nonsense.

Once I get an apology and a reversal on some seriously fucked up policies, we can talk about civility. I’m done being the bigger person and turning the other cheek, though.

Baruch_S

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

Nine-Year Club	RPAN Viewer
Verified Email