All Digital Warfare

Physical is dying, it’s an unfortunate occurrence in this modern world we live in. Subscriptions are becoming more of an option or more of a certainty in some aspects. But that doesn’t mean that physical media is not still loved by countless players around the world. The likelihood is you’ve just become a part of the digital shift that is sweeping every generation of people right now.

We’re witnessing the change right before our eyes. When you see the retailer Game give up one of it’s biggest money makers in the used games sector. Leaving CEX as the only place, it’s just insane how fast this industry is evolving and we’re bearing witness to it. Bearing witness to a cultural shift in how we consume entertainment on all levels.

It’s like those days when us 80’s and 90’s kids were the first on the block of internet access. How much has changed is crazy and it’s an evolution that nobody is going to stop. Most physical games now have to be downloaded and most consoles need internet access. It’s a sign of the times people. Whether we like it or not. So how do we move forward from this? Unfortunately we have to embrace that change.

Now we’re coming to a time where purchasing things digitally doesn’t actually guarantee you actual ownership. This is happening on all platforms except for Nintendo. But we still don’t know how Nintendo Switch 2 will handle and what path it will take.

I will say, there is a slowdown in the uptake of subscriptions and they’re levelling off. But how long until the subscriptions become actually meaningful to people in gaming just as it has in music? When you get Ubisoft coming out and talking about the importance of subscriptions. These things come as a bit of a shock.

But then, we have to realise that we’re in 2024. The same momentum happened with digital. Could it happen with subscriptions also? Will it continue to grow? If Microsoft and Ubisoft are betting on it. Surely, it’s going to be about the content going forward. It’s going to be about enticing and changing behaviours. It’ll be interesting how things go in the future and who is right. Whether that be the industry or players.