Former Boss Shawn Layden Says PlayStation Dropping Discs is 'a Significant Brand Hit' - News
by William D'Angelo , posted 12 hours ago / 787 Views
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden in an interview with The Expansion Pass podcast says PlayStation dropping physical discs is a mistake.
“Not having been in the room, I don't know what the what the stressors were around that, and what the spreadsheet said – because I'm sure this is heavily spreadsheeted decision, where the costs are being contained and where the profit is being extracted. I don't know any of that," he said (via VideoGamesChronicle).
"I do think that gamers are… yeah, we like the digital download. People said 'oh, downloading a game is easier than going to the store.' No, no. Downloading a game is easier than going across my living room to put a disc in the machine. I don't even have to do that. I just press a button on my controller and I don't have to move. And the convenience of that is is unquestioned.
"But I do think, particularly in in the gaming realm, maybe 80% of the people download and 20% don't, or whatever that breakdown is going to be. But that's a super important 20%.
"I mean, that is largely the most faithful of the faithful. That is, many times, the people who buy two copies of every game, right? One never gets out of the shrink wrap, right? And you play the other one. It’s just like comic book collectors. you always buy two comic books.
"I think the the ability to have the physical disc… you know, we've got to remember one of the core drivers of the gamer is this desire to collect, right? 'I finished Crash Bandicoot, I had 27 of 30 diamonds, oh my God, I have to replay the entire game now because those three diamonds, I've missed them somewhere.'
"We are an inquisitive collecting sort of people, and we like to show off our stuff. So I think for those reasons I don't agree with that decision."
Layden added the decision for Sony to go all digital has put the debate on digital ownership front and center.
"I think this is probably the more insidious aspect to it, is that it changes the conversation [to] 'do you own a game or do you have access to a digital asset’, right?
"If you can't sell a thing, that means you don't own a thing. And if you don't own it, then what are you buying? If you're buying access, that doesn't quite sound as sexy, to be honest. And people, as people tend to do, in their mind they'll game out the worst case scenario.
"And that's a whole lot of brand hit and reputation bite that – as I said, I don't have any visibility on the financials around it – but that's a significant brand hit, and I hope it made sense to them."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
More Articles
i agree, no PS6 for me
"It’s just like comic book collectors. you always buy two comic books." - Ahaha, never did this, you buy, read, then put in a plastic bag that didn't come with it and put it in a box to never be read again and claim "oh it's going to be worth something one day". Nope, worth bugger all. :P
On topic, his reply to the original thoughts on it all were kinda very on point. He understand the convience, he understands why people collect and he understands the thought process for Sony and the hit they might have taken. Even the idea of ownership which is a industry wide issue even if Sony is taking the hit right now. But this is about it.
The question was "What are your thoughts on digital vs physical?" not "What would you do?" This is what I'd be interested in hearing.
I’d rather have to change the disc than to constantly have to figure out what games I want to delete and redownload.
Well, PS5 Pro's are now selling for around 1400$ so they can't have taken too much of a brand hit. It's just what everyone wants to believe.
Why doesn't this jackass stfu for once about his old job. Its like an annoying guy at the bar that cant get over his ex.
He sounds out of touch with reality at times, but he also makes some good points. I agree that's it's definitely a brand hit, it even made it to mainstream news here. I'm sure Sony will manage quite well with this decision as well, but a hit's a hit.
Doubt it, PS will still sell a ton.
