ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Exciting news has emerged for gaming enthusiasts: Sony has announced a monumental shift to an entirely digital platform. Starting in 2028, the company plans to cease the sale of physical video games. This transition has been anticipated for some time, and one Central Illinois gaming store owner has long been bracing for this possibility.
The announcement came from Sony earlier this month, with company officials citing evolving consumer preferences and a growing inclination for digital purchases as the driving forces behind their decision.
Mario Reed, who owns Juke Gaming in Danville, expressed his concerns about the future of the gaming industry. Like many enthusiasts, he feels a sense of disappointment over the direction in which the industry is moving.
“They overlook the significance of physical media and the benefits that come with it, such as the ability to trade, gift, or simply cherish a tangible product,” Reed stated.
Reed has owned Juke Gaming Company for 17 years, and this era has forced him to adapt.
“So we went to online only as a retailer, and we service our community by maybe delivering in the area,” said Reed. “People would now come in, kind of like it was a museum. Not necessarily to buy, but just more to kind of look in.”
Reed said it’s likely that fewer people will trade games and consoles when things go digital.
“No one’s going to trade in their console with a library full of games,” said Reed.
And he said buying games right on your console skips physical retailers entirely, hurting businesses like the one he poured his heart into.
“Some of the smaller places still had to focus more on the media, the hard media, hard disk itself. But not necessarily the extra content,” said Reed.
But Reed still believes people will be pulling hard copies off the shelves of their favorite stores for a long time.
“On one side of my business, how terrible. I think it’s awful that you guys decided to do this,” said Reed. “On the opposite side of my business, thank you. Because out of everything that I had, that might not have been worth very much, might be worth a little bit more now.”
Reed thinks the shift will take a long time for gamers to catch onto, but, the industry is pushing ahead with the change. Grand Theft Auto VI, for example, is releasing fully digitally in the fall.