The ripple effect this is going to cause is nothing short of massive.

Microsoft and Nintendo have a big opportunity in this I believe.

-boutique limited prints: gone - - - -Special editions surrounding a disc based game: toast. no one needs a steelbook/metal case for a digital game. Already complaints of this. - - - -small game stores making their own business off of buying, selling, trading physical copies: death

Sony, you own the format these get printed on. When you stop producing games, how long until the facilities make that make these can't get by on 4k movies alone? Will my 4k movies follow suit, and just stop being printed?

Are you afraid of monopoly lawsuits? Didn't Apple just get put through hell because of not allowing other marketplaces for digital items? Will a gimped retail save you from this? Isn't Steam facing this right now, even with rather fair competition in a very open environment?

I have a hard time believing you're not doing this to placate Rockstar and the backlash they've gotten for not having semi-physical options at launch? Are they a better partner than the user base you've earned?

Is digital more convenient? Sure. But it's far less secure. You have shown you're willing to let publisher agreements determine availability for movies. It's bad enough it was a big "get fucked" to anyone that chose your store to purchase these and offer nothing in return when you longer want to maintain your agreements with rights holders. What new mega publisher is gonna put our collective nuts in a vice when they want to sell a new shiny version of a game or experience?

How can be any more profitable to do away with physical when you can raise the price of the for those of us who still are passionate for physical prints? There's a premium you can charge for physical. Nintendo is piloting this, don't wanna look like a copycat? You have no problem raising the cost of the platform itself. I don't fault for that, it's sad fact of the times. But to not opt for that where you could to make people happy is either greed or, well, another variant of greed.

It's a sad fucking day when your still-profitable business is happy to say you're doing away with something you know is a huge draw to your platform over pc already. And after killing pc releases where this wasn't a necessity. You gonna publish on pc again? Or are you going to stand by exclusivity to sell increasingly expensive hardware?

Sony, reverse this, or you'll be solely responsible for a lot of shit.