Support NeoGAF

[LavitzSlambert]

Do you know Nintendo? I don’t think so.

The only reason the PlayStation even exists is because Nintendo so obsessively controls and protects their proprietary formats that Yamauchi killed the deal with Sony when Sony wanted to control the Super-CD games.

Nintendo has ALWAYS created a proprietary format that they 100% own and control so they can tax third parties for the right to publish a game on their console. Even the Wii and Wii U used a proprietary disc format Nintendo created.

You don't need a proprietary physical media format when you have an e-shop. I hope you're right though, I love owning physical carts and Nintendo is my favorite developer.

 

[sachos]

If they trully do not have a physical option for next gen Xbox then the PR disaster will be a repeat or even worse than the Xbox One disc fiasco if the PS6 does indeed support discs.

 

[sachos]

But buying a disc which acts like a key to download most of the game, nah. I'm good it's 2024.

At least for most PS and Switch games this is false, with Xbox games and Smart Delivery it gets worse because you only get the Xbox One version on disc but recent non smart delivery releases were getting a little bit better. https://www.doesitplay.org/

 

[Toons]

This was inevitable, physical games is going away eventually, I think everyone knows that deep down. Gamestop is a zombie, game sections in big stores are getting smaller and smaller. Disc will still exist but will be niche products barely carried by retailers for the few that want them.

Seems M is just rippling the bandaid off faster.

 

[Heisenberg007]

This was inevitable, physical games is going away eventually, I think everyone knows that deep down. Gamestop is a zombie, game sections in big stores are getting smaller and smaller. Disc will still exist but will be niche products barely carried by retailers for the few that want them.

Seems M is just rippling the bandaid off faster.

Physical still represents a HUGE chunk of game sales. And even if it were, consumers should have choices. Microsoft isn't doing any favors and is instead being anti-consumer by taking the choice away from consumers.

And it is actually Microsoft expediting the death of physical games.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

This was inevitable, physical games is going away eventually, I think everyone knows that deep down. Gamestop is a zombie, game sections in big stores are getting smaller and smaller. Disc will still exist but will be niche products barely carried by retailers for the few that want them.

Seems M is just rippling the bandaid off faster.

if companies really are chasing any way possible to maximize making money, sure.

but I could see it being used as a way to make "something special" with "cache".

 

[MrA]

Bro do you even know Nintendo? They are candidate #1 to go digital, sub-only, and take the Disney vault approach to their games. The only reason they haven't done so is because they're bad at tech, and traditionally they have stuck to their core competencies as a "toy maker". It's clear they are modernizing their company and as they get further into other forms of media and expand their brand, I would not be surprised if they try to force digital-only games.

what are you basing this on? because why would the company that relies the least on digital and the most on physical be the first to go digital only? the switch has nearly 2000 physical releases in the US alone, and Japan, which is incredibly important to nintendo favors physical releases more than any other country.
plus nintendo's cartridge port adds almost nothing to the cost of the machine unlike a disk drive.

 

[Toons]

Physical still represents a HUGE chunk of game sales. And even if it were, consumers should have choices. Microsoft isn't doing any favors and is instead being anti-consumer by taking the choice away from consumers.

These are giant capitalist corporations. Consumers only have rights if their bottom line is being affected.

Do you truly think the dwingling portion of die hard physical gamers still buying disc will dissappear if discs do? No, they won't. Some won't like it; but they will put up the money to keep gaming anyways.

Were already seeing this play out. Most of the big games even on disc are live service so its not even gonna make much of a difference.

And it is actually Microsoft expediting the death of physical games.

Very possibly correct, but u truly believe if it wasn't them then it was still gonna happen eventually regardless.

 

[AREYOUOKAY?]

What the hell is this BS. I'd be lucky enough to find and own 20 by the time this system is over.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

physical games is going away eventually

Sentiment, usually shared by urban dwellers in 1st world countries. We're way farther from the digital future than hardcore bubble is thinking, it's just MS trying to force adorably digital future from the couch of a distant third.

Internet connection, even in fairly rich parts of the world is patchy, limited and wonky. The market is filled with datacaps, slow tech like xDSL and plain old infrastructure. Biggest potential new markets like India, South Asia and South America are not basking in fast and cheap fiber either and wireless has it's set of problems with ping, traffic cost ant coverage too, so 5G won't be a magic panacea.

And even if we ignore the bandiwth woes that would take a solid few decades to resolve, there's the matter of simple convenience. Physical can be traded, can be shared with a friend, can be saved for later if the game is delisted.

Xbox is throwing out literally huge international markets to force already stalled GP and digital-only onto a few million Americans that stuck with the platform.

 

[Yekshemesh]

Xbox going all digital next gen means it's dead in Japan off the bat. I dare any xbox shill argue otherwise. But, but they're going to buy Sega.... STFU.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Xbox going all digital next gen means it's dead in Japan off the bat. I dare any xbox shill argue otherwise. But, but they're going to buy Sega.... STFU.

always has been

 

[Sleepwalker]

Honestly Its getting harder and harder to care about Microsoft/Xbox.

-Xbox one kinect bundle + drm fiasco.
-Series S all digital underpowered console. - - Propietary storage expansion.
- Subpar game output.
- Borked app on PC.
- PC versions of games on xbox app outdated vs steam .
- Starting to drop physical game support and going for digital only releases.
- Microsoft rewards nerf.
- Gold conversion nerf.

To think I was more excited about the Series X than the PS5 in 2020, but as someone who prefers physical media I can safely say that my money spending on the xbox ecosystem is coming to an end.


The series X is a great console hardware wise, good performance and silent, its great for emulation too. Just sad that xbox leadership is moving away from the things I care about.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Can someone explain me the reasoning behind it? This is giving full retail space to competitors, at this rate Nintendo will be the only one left there and you know they will make absurd amount of money from it.

 

[GHG]

Banjo64 GHG alright who’s alt is this?

Take your pick, let's be honest there's only a small handful of possibilities. It's like clockwork, it's pathetic.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Take your pick, let's be honest there's only a small handful of possibilities. It's like clockwork, it's pathetic.

I think our friend DarkMage619 got laid off too, haven't seen him do damage control lately.

 

[GHG]

I think our friend DarkMage619 got laid off too, haven't seen him do damage control lately.

Anyone who was told to put a sock in it the moment the CMA blocked the deal has closer ties than you think.

 

[magnumpy]

Nintendo is not an American company. they are a very Japanese company. and digital isn't nearly as popular in Japan. Nintendo Network for example will be shutting down in a few months.

 

[Barakov]

This fucking company is giving me even more of a reason not to turn on my XSX.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Can someone explain me the reasoning behind it? This is giving full retail space to competitors, at this rate Nintendo will be the only one left there and you know they will make absurd amount of money from it.

At a guess, physical sales are drying up across the board.

Here in the UK the only specialist retailer is stopping trade ins. They're not doing that because physical sales are in great health but they hate making money. We've had people here say that Walmart are pulling out of physical sales.

We've had endless amateur analysis of market share that concludes that Microsoft must want to increase market share. If stopping physical sales was going to be an unpopular decision then Microsoft wouldn't be doing it. This has to be them following consumer trends, not dictating them. They'll know the value in being visible on store shelves, but they'll also know how many games are being sold at retail versus their digital store.

 

[Klayzer]

Is Brooklyn in the house?

Without a doubt.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

At a guess, physical sales are drying up across the board.

Here in the UK the only specialist retailer is stopping trade ins. They're not doing that because physical sales are in great health but they hate making money. We've had people here say that Walmart are pulling out of physical sales.

We've had endless amateur analysis of market share that concludes that Microsoft must want to increase market share. If stopping physical sales was going to be an unpopular decision then Microsoft wouldn't be doing it. This has to be them following consumer trends, not dictating them. They'll know the value in being visible on store shelves, but they'll also know how many games are being sold at retail versus their digital store.

Microsoft not doing unpopular decisions?

Xbox One reveal, Kinect and stagnating GP subs beg to differ.
The entire reason Xbox is dying is because MS does nothing but make unpopular decisions.

 

[Klayzer]

Microsoft not doing unpopular decisions?

Xbox One reveal, Kinect and stagnating GP subs beg to differ.
The entire reason Xbox is dying is because MS does nothing but make unpopular decisions.

To be fair, Phil did wear a tee shirt with Battletoads on it that one time. That was pretty popular with the faithful. Untill the game was shown, and the anti "woke this, woke that" crowd came for it.

 

[consoul]

And then there were two.

Game retailers will split their shelf space between two platform holders who aren't even competing with each other. A new age.

 

[EDMIX]

Honestly Its getting harder and harder to care about Microsoft/Xbox.

-Xbox one kinect bundle + drm fiasco.
-Series S all digital underpowered console. - - Propietary storage expansion.
- Subpar game output.
- Borked app on PC.
- PC versions of games on xbox app outdated vs steam .
- Starting to drop physical game support and going for digital only releases.
- Microsoft rewards nerf.
- Gold conversion nerf.

To think I was more excited about the Series X than the PS5 in 2020, but as someone who prefers physical media I can safely say that my money spending on the xbox ecosystem is coming to an end.


The series X is a great console hardware wise, good performance and silent, its great for emulation too. Just sad that xbox leadership is moving away from the things I care about.

Agreed.

I also hope this puts to rest that entire thing about people making it sound like Don Mattrick was the sole reason behind all that. No way a company is just blindly letting him do that folks, most should have worried more about WHY MS was ok with that vs dog piling on Don as if he alone suddenly ruled MS or something.

MS has wanted this for so long its not even funny.

Their end goal is clearly to have sole control over the market. No used games, no choice and once you see that shit happen, don't act surprised folks when you see suddenly games are going on sale once a year by this publisher.

Remember Overwatch 1 dying? imagine MS now can do this with any game to push the sequels sales.


Removing a choice to the consumer is never about giving them options, its about limiting them.

 

[Moses85]

Cutting jobs... after making billions in acquisitions.

 

[LordCBH]

Microsoft not doing unpopular decisions?

Xbox One reveal, Kinect and stagnating GP subs beg to differ.
The entire reason Xbox is dying is because MS does nothing but make unpopular decisions.

Hey man…leave the small indie company ALONE!

 

[Klayzer]

Hey man…leave the small indie company ALONE!

Where are all the 3 trillion dollars Microsoft GAF lobbyists? Their voices should be heard.

 

[DenchDeckard]

We all know physical is dying. It doesn't mean we shouldn't grasp onto it and make the fight as hard as possible.

This is the most dissapointing news for me.

I still have disks from my 360 days and always respected microsofts bc strategy.

Shit news. Fuck ms for this.

 

[Clintizzle]

Where are all the 3 trillion dollars Microsoft GAF lobbyists? Their voices should be heard.

You think a 3 trillion dollar cares about poor people? Hah!

Poor people don't deserve jobs if you ask me. All they do with money is spend it on cheap piss.

 

[Gamezone]

Glad I moved to PC. I get a much better deal on my digital games there.

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

The misinformation tactic in full force here.

Yeah whataboutisme "and Sony to" is strong by the diehard xboxfanboys....

 

[DenchDeckard]

I don't actually use my series x for disks really, this entire generation I've bought yakuza like a dragon, star wars in 2023 and tsles of arise for like 7 quid on black Friday. I'm probably 98 percent digital on xbox consoles on anything xbox one and series generations. They do nail being able to buy digital games from various store fronts, something I'm hoping Sony allows soon....but overall... fuck this news. I like options and having options removed sucks.

 

[Toons]

if companies really are chasing any way possible to maximize making money, sure.

but I could see it being used as a way to make "something special" with "cache".

I dont think those "collectors editions" or anything are going away. But I think those may become the ONLY physical options for most games. That way if you wann buy physical you just gotta pay out the are to get some useless trinket along with the actual game

Sentiment, usually shared by urban dwellers in 1st world countries. We're way farther from the digital future than hardcore bubble is thinking, it's just MS trying to force adorably digital future from the couch of a distant third.

Internet connection, even in fairly rich parts of the world is patchy, limited and wonky. The market is filled with datacaps, slow tech like xDSL and plain old infrastructure. Biggest potential new markets like India, South Asia and South America are not basking in fast and cheap fiber either and wireless has it's set of problems with ping, traffic cost ant coverage too, so 5G won't be a magic panacea.

And even if we ignore the bandiwth woes that would take a solid few decades to resolve, there's the matter of simple convenience. Physical can be traded, can be shared with a friend, can be saved for later if the game is delisted.

Xbox is throwing out literally huge international markets to force already stalled GP and digital-only onto a few million Americans that stuck with the platform.

You make a good argument. My counter is two fold. Firstly, that if those markets were actually that reliant on physical media as you say, Microsoft wouldn't dream of doing this.

I did a small bit of research and there's not a ton to glean at this time from what I can gather but I found this: https://www.statista.com/outlook/amo/media/games/physically-sold-video-games/southeast-asia

Which seems to indicate that digital media is faster outpacing physical media in south asia and the returns on physical media will become dismissing. I could be misreading.

Theres also the simple fact that, reducing physical media will probably save MX a LOT of money right off the bat. Less international shipping, less boxes, more streamlined localization, and less competing for and management of shelf space.

As for the trading of games and what not, that was a thing here too; until they realized that if you take away the option to trade games, that doesnr actually stp folks from buying the games, they will usually just either share a console to some extent, or bite the bullet and buy the game for themselves anyway.

 

[TheGreatMusashi]

This is shitty but at the same time, what are you actually buying on a disk now?

It’s a physical software license to put on a shelf next to your dumbass Funko Pops. I don’t see any AAA companies publishing fully offline, patched editions. Nintendo is a different story, kind of, but not always.

I’m against all of this but you have to accept it, it’s the way it is. Microsoft is being much more transparent about us owning nothing, as is Ubisoft but that’s been the state of the business for years.

I don’t understand this physical chest beating push that been going on when we lost the battle back in the PS3/360 days.

 

[THE DUCK]

Whole lot of crying about nothing. Physical games are down to less than 10% and shrinking every year. This is happening if you like it or not. Welcome to 2024, don't blame Microsoft, blame consumers for thier preference of media.

 

[Clintizzle]

Glad I moved to PC. I get a much better deal on my digital games there.

This is my hope with xbox. If they're going mainly adorably digital, I'm hoping that also means keys are readily available on some of the grey market sites. This is M$ though, so I wont hold my breath. Maybe I'll have to continue to visit turkey every now and then (IYKYN)

Then again, all their stuff is on GamePass as well....

Fuck, I might just become a PC and Playstation gamer.

 

[baphomet]

Neither Sony nor Nintendo have been actively trying to destroy their physical sales numbers like MS for the last half decade. They're not going digital only anytime in the near future.

Sony's next console will do what they're doing with the slim currently. Base model with the disc drive able to be added.

 

[Banjo64]

Banjo64 GHG alright who’s alt is this?

They’re all the same person let’s be real

 

[Panajev2001a]

Physical still represents a HUGE chunk of game sales. And even if it were, consumers should have choices. Microsoft isn't doing any favors and is instead being anti-consumer by taking the choice away from consumers.

And it is actually Microsoft expediting the death of physical games.

Only anti-consumer when the other does it… oh the cross play debate was fiery, but this is just MS doing us a favour as good parents/nurses… .

 

[Embearded]

I get salty vibes from Jez, did they also fire the shills?

 

[Panajev2001a]

I’m against all of this

You want to say you are, but the rest of the post seems a bit too “oh well, it is just the future we Have to accept it…”… .

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

MS is doing what MS does. That is, making the change they want and then tell the customer to suck it up and accept it.

It works for the Commercial software business, because workers don't have a choice in deciding what software to use if they want to be employed. But that never worked in entertainment.

Good luck, Xbox. Even if they release a next gen console, they have laid the ground-works for a tough launch.

 

[veterangamerUK]

At a guess, physical sales are drying up across the board.

Here in the UK the only specialist retailer is stopping trade ins. They're not doing that because physical sales are in great health but they hate making money. We've had people here say that Walmart are pulling out of physical sales.

We've had endless amateur analysis of market share that concludes that Microsoft must want to increase market share. If stopping physical sales was going to be an unpopular decision then Microsoft wouldn't be doing it. This has to be them following consumer trends, not dictating them. They'll know the value in being visible on store shelves, but they'll also know how many games are being sold at retail versus their digital store.

Ssh you can’t talk sense in here

 

[Doctor Hades]

As long as Sony and Nintendo continue to sell consoles that use optical drives (Sony only in this case) and physical media then whatever Microsoft decide to do will likely not have much impact.

They are already lagging in third place in console sales and this decision may reduce their market share further, in the same way that their disastrous Xbox One reveal did when they focused on the TV/media aspects and the 24 hour online verification thing did after the huge success of the Xbox 360. Personally, I am not ready to switch to an all-digital console as long as the choice of new games is only full-priced games from the console's own store, something that isn't an issue on PC where I have completed embraced digital games (the lack of a physical disc is more than made up for by the £10-£20 lower prices I typically pay for keys from third-party resellers). An all-digital Xbox for me would be an easy decision: I just wouldn't buy one. I can play the few worthy Xbox exclusives on my PC anyway.

Microsoft have an unfortunate recent history of seemingly doing the wrong thing, making bad decision after bad decision that results in a media backlash, and that even extends to their Windows platform (the limitation on which PCs Windows 11 can be installed to, their statement that Windows 10 would be the last numbered version of Windows before backtracking and announcing Windows 11 with Windows 12 on the way when Windows 11 still has reported issues etc etc).

As for Microsoft switching to Xbox being a service and abandoning console hardware, I'm not sure they have a big enough back games catalogue to what SEGA did years ago when they decided to leave the console market. GamePass seems great on paper - lots of different games to try each month for a nominal fee - but it is compromised mostly of third-party and indie games, most of which are available on other platforms and through similar subscription services (Sony have have their own version now and a much higher number of active users).

 

[Mr Reasonable]

As long as Sony and Nintendo continue to sell consoles that use optical drives (Sony only in this case) and physical media then whatever Microsoft decide to do will likely not have much impact.

Agreed, which is why retailers dropping physical games for any additional platform can mean only that physical media isn't that popular after all...

 

[THE DUCK]

MS is doing what MS does. That is, making the change they want and then tell the customer to suck it up and accept it.

It works for the Commercial software business, because workers don't have a choice in deciding what software to use if they want to be employed. But that never worked in entertainment.

Good luck, Xbox. Even if they release a next gen console, they have laid the ground-works for a tough launch.

Why should they focus money and attention on an area of thier sales that is only 10% and rapidly shrinking? They aren't telling everyone what to do, they are reacting to what the customers are asking for.

 

[magnumpy]

it's (IMO) a shame Bethesda got bought by Microsoft. I mean it makes financial sense for them to accept the deal, but "Elder Scrolls" will be a series that is sorely missed. I mean it will still be available on PC and Xbox, and gamepass, and there are still a great number of other fantasy RPG games coming... but I don't know "Elder Scrolls" seems like the (to me) biggest loss in this whole ABK deal

 

[THE DUCK]

As long as Sony and Nintendo continue to sell consoles that use optical drives (Sony only in this case) and physical media then whatever Microsoft decide to do will likely not have much impact.

They are already lagging in third place in console sales and this decision may reduce their market share further, in the same way that their disastrous Xbox One reveal did when they focused on the TV/media aspects and the 24 hour online verification thing did after the huge success of the Xbox 360. Personally, I am not ready to switch to an all-digital console as long as the choice of new games is only full-priced games from the console's own store, something that isn't an issue on PC where I have completed embraced digital games (the lack of a physical disc is more than made up for by the £10-£20 lower prices I typically pay for keys from third-party resellers). An all-digital Xbox for me would be an easy decision: I just wouldn't buy one. I can play the few worthy Xbox exclusives on my PC anyway.

Microsoft have an unfortunate recent history of seemingly doing the wrong thing, making bad decision after bad decision that results in a media backlash, and that even extends to their Windows platform (the limitation on which PCs Windows 11 can be installed to, their statement that Windows 10 would be the last numbered version of Windows before backtracking and announcing Windows 11 with Windows 12 on the way when Windows 11 still has reported issues etc etc).

As for Microsoft switching to Xbox being a service and abandoning console hardware, I'm not sure they have a big enough back games catalogue to what SEGA did years ago when they decided to leave the console market. GamePass seems great on paper - lots of different games to try each month for a nominal fee - but it is compromised mostly of third-party and indie games, most of which are available on other platforms and through similar subscription services (Sony have have their own version now and a much higher number of active users).

So much misinformation here in the last paragraph. Not enough games vs sega to switch to being a software only company? They have 5 times the catalog and 10 times the teams Sega had. As to gamepass vs ps+, there's actually close to the same number, if your comparing just ps plus premium vs actual gamepass and not including gold/basic or ps plus, ms has more subs. Even if you add in all the "regular" subs the MS number is surprisingly high for such a low number of hardware units sold vs sony.

 

[Ozzie666]

Microsoft might be a generation a head or two generations a head with this move. A bit early I think personally. If they do this, they will have an entire generation to course correct and make their moves, they may have to weather the storm though. Digital only impacts a lot of the world. They want to pull the industry that way, by brute force. I am sure publishers like Ubisoft will be well on board. People want digital library, but now it will be at the cost of the death of physical media. Different ball game now when both forms are available. PC market was saved by digital. Truth is consoles didn't need saving.