PlayStation says it will stop making exercise games – and that should worry us all | Sports

SOny’s decision last week to quietly announce the end of PlayStation gaming in 2028 is one of the best PR disasters in recent gaming history – I reckon. which has been happening with XboxI am saying something.

First, there was time. Sony sent it news of his election on the PlayStation blog, less than a week after confirming that it would happen Removing 550 movies from the digital libraries of PlayStation owners due to license expiration – thereby clearly highlighting the dangers of purchasing digital content. (Surprise! You didn’t own it!) This move is in stark contrast to the company’s stance on the matter back in 2013. While Microsoft is trying to push the Xbox One as the first digital console with strict rules on sharing and reselling its games, Sony has surprisingly mocked its rival with short video how easy it was to rent exercise games to friends on PS4. Oh dear.

If Sony thought that the response to its decision would be to listen gently, it was wrong. TikTok and YouTube are full of videos that speak clearly to disgruntled players, while brands like KFC, Domino’s and, for heaven’s sake, Dolorean have them. posted insulting announcements to social media to announce their intentions to download only. Onion news page soon he got into the jokewhich features news that the popular US snack Twinkies will become digital only. The answer from Sony? Four days of radio silence, because, well, what can they say?

Of course, from an economic point of view it is understandable why this decision was made. All over the worldvideo game publishers and console manufacturers are seeing game sales being dominated by digital – on the PlayStation it seems about 80% games are bought through online stores (although this number is difficult because there are hundreds of titles only available as a digital download). Abandoning discs will reduce the cost of producing and distributing games, and will pave the way for a free PS6 console, which would be cheaper to produce. Sony controls all digital sales through the PlayStation Store so it also starts to set its own prices.

The problem is, there are very few customer benefits. The choice is usually good for consumers, and PlayStation owners won’t have it from 2028 onwards. They won’t be able to buy cheap games from retailers, they won’t be able to share games with friends or buy them used. Sony can and often does sell on its digital storefront, but often the customer’s heads are at a premium. The company is meeting more cases for its control over PlayStation digital marketing.

More importantly, the majority of customers who still buy physical copies will be enthusiasts, the types of people whose spending on games, accessories, peripherals and merchandise is above average. They’re not just consumers, either: they are encouraging – who encourage their friends to buy and play games. They are active members of online communities, and can also be creative. Last year, Goldman Sachs published a report on the music industry (where Sony also works) in which they identified celebrities as the most important factor in today’s business, bringing in $4.5bn in 2024. Music Business Worldwide wrote: “Which means a fan not only spends money, but it is a symbol of people, recognition, influence of public opinion and community. It is the same in games – and with one idea, Sony has stopped some of his most ardent followers.

In the past, Sony has been spreading the understanding that games are a cultural and consumer product. From the amazing TV commercials that accompanied the original PlayStation, to the great management of the television series called The Last of UsIt has told players to understand the art of art. Hardware has played a role in this: the first PlayStation was also good for playing music CDs, the PlayStation 2 was a cheap DVD player, the PlayStation 3 introduced Blu-ray to the world. Of course, this was all before the digital revolution, but the picture these decisions showed was of a company that understood the main part of the entertainment industry as a place of entertainment.

Perhaps Sony has learned that numbers don’t tell the whole story when it comes to how people see themselves, what they like and what they buy. At a time when gen Z is embracing social media like vinyl and cassette albums and movie DVDs, it seems the culture has not learned to remove the game discs in the future. As a lifelong gamer and media collector, the games I own mean a lot more to me than the ones stored on my hard drive. It’s been interesting to see the rise of companies like Lost in Cult and Iam8bit who release the latest titles for avid collectors. That’s how fandom cultures work – by rewarding and validating those they love the most – and there are benefits for the universe as a whole.

Apparently, there was no section on Sony’s discount pages to take this into account.

Toys

I wanted to make PS5 games available for purchase on physical disc and I’m going Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knightthe latest title in an excellent series. It has an open world of Gotham to explore, a great fighting system and the usual jokes and hijinks.

The main story line takes you through all the stages of Bruce Wayne’s life, and mentions many of the character’s TV and movie appearances, and the co-op mode, like in previous Lego titles, is the perfect way to introduce kids to fun games. All my kids have completed this game and they love it.

Available at: PC, PS5, Xbox
Estimated time: 15-plus hours

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For you to read

• As we finish writing the story, the creator of Metal Gear, Hideo Kojima, commented on Sony’s proposal stop making exercise. Speaking at a film festival in Italy, he said: “I’m very sad because I grew up on TV.” He added that the outlook for the future of sports subscriptions is “scary”.

• Microsoft he is provided updates on his decision to remove four studios, Double Fine, Forced Games, Ninja Theory and Undead Labs. Those developers won’t shut down thankfully, but elsewhere in the letter it was confirmed that 3,200 Xbox employees will be cut in a major company restructuring.

• I loved Nottingham’s GameCity festival, a proper festival of gaming culture that took over the city center in October. It’s long gone, sadly, and so has GamesIndustry.biz the fun part asking where they all are UK sporting events? Rising costs and declining consumer demand are the culprits, but there are still a few survivors.

Worth clicking

Question Block

This week’s popular request from Mark via email:

“I’m doing a lot of train travel this summer and I need a great mobile game that doesn’t require internet or a new phone. Or really fast.

Okay, deep breath… I love road trip strategy games Mini Motorways and Mini Metroa cross-road game similar to Frogger, Crossy Roada list of interesting games Roomand Civilization as well Polytopia. I recommend it again He rules: His Majestywhere you control the queen by swiping cards like Tinder, it’s a smash-hit card game Balatro and Kill the Spire. Ooh I am Results Plague Incabout the spread of the global epidemic (but this can make you confused if you are traveling). Golf in the desert and Worst Chess they are also fun, and if you haven’t played them to death, you can’t go wrong with the old ones, Little Wings, Fruit Ninja, Plants vs Zombies, Monument Valley and Cut the Rope.

If you have a Question Block question – or anything else to say about the newsletter – post a reply or email us at pushingbuttons@theguardian.com.