September 6th 2023.
The CEO of GameStop, Ryan Cohen, has recently made a statement that all console manufacturers should include a disc drive in their consoles, despite the industry's move towards digital-only hardware. This sentiment has been echoed by many consumers online who are eager to maintain the option of buying physical copies of their games.
Ryan Cohen has compared this to the EU's new rule that Apple must include a USB-C charge point in its next iPhone, so that consumers don't have to buy a new cable to charge it. He believes that this same logic should be applied to physical video games, and that consumers should be able to 'invest their hard-earned money into physical video games'.
This opinion has been met with widespread support from consumers, however, it is unlikely that console manufacturers will ever agree to make disc drives mandatory. Microsoft has no plans to ditch its digital-only Xbox Series S model and even Nintendo, the odd man out, is rumored to still be using cartridges in its successor console to the Switch.
The enthusiasm for digital downloads is understandable from a publisher's perspective, as they are more profitable and reduce the chance of piracy. This is evidenced by GAME’s pivot to selling toys in order to survive, and Tesco stopping the sale of physical boxed games. GameStop has also been impacted, with all 35 of its stores in Ireland shutting down in June.
Ultimately, it appears that the industry is gradually moving away from physical media and towards digital games. Even though this will be disappointing news to those who prefer physical copies, it is important to remember that this is what consumers are increasingly opting for.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
