Former PlayStation exec questions Sony's move to kill game discs

Layden articulated concerns that the shift away from physical media fundamentally changes the concept of game ownership. "It changes the conversation from: do you own a game to do you have access to a digital asset?" he said in an interview with The Expansion Pass podcast. "If you can't sell a thing, that means you don't own a thing. If you don't own it, what are you buying? If you're buying access, that doesn't sound quite as sexy."

This stance aligns with Sony's recent arguments in a California court, where the company contended that consumers do not truly own the digital games they purchase on the PlayStation Store, but rather possess a revocable license. This assertion is part of Sony's defense against a proposed class action lawsuit alleging that the store's purchase buttons imply ownership.

Layden, who previously served as President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, highlighted that while only about 20% of gamers still buy physical discs, this segment often includes the "most faithful" players and collectors who appreciate owning tangible copies of their games. He drew a parallel to comic book collectors, emphasizing the acquisitive nature of these consumers.

In the wake of Sony's announcement, a physical gaming advocacy group has called for a boycott, and a "Don't Kill the Disc" petition has garnered over 385,000 signatures. Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency community has proposed Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) as a potential solution for verifiable game ownership, though the current implementation of NFTs still relies on third-party infrastructure for access.