Robert Bowling, a former creative strategist at Infinity Ward who worked on the Call of Duty franchise from 2006 to 2012, stated that video game publishers have been attempting to eliminate physical disc production since 2007. According to Bowling, Activision executives first floated the idea during the development of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as a strategy to maximize profits and bypass resale markets like GameStop. He explained that going fully digital would allow publishers to avoid disc fees charged by console manufacturers such as Xbox and PlayStation, while also preventing consumers from reselling used games.
Bowling noted that initial efforts to convince retailers to share revenue from second-hand sales failed, leading publishers to pursue the elimination of discs entirely. He expressed concern that this shift trades the cultural value of collecting games for increased profit margins. This historical context emerges amid current controversy over Sony’s announcement to discontinue disc production starting in 2028. The decision has sparked significant consumer backlash, evidenced by a petition with more than 387,000 signatures opposing the move. While PlayStation founder Ken Kutaragi defended the decision, citing a "mentality issue" among upset gamers, Bowling argues that the primary driver remains publisher profit motives rather than technological inevitability.
Bowling emphasized that the only reason Sony did not implement this change earlier was that consumer habits have shifted toward digital purchases. He highlighted a growing divide in the industry between viewing games as mere software products versus treating them as art or collectibles. Additionally, court filings cited by Bowling indicate that Sony argues purchasing digital games constitutes a revocable license rather than ownership. Activision did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding these historical claims.
The revelation that major publishers considered eliminating physical media nearly two decades ago reframes the current debate over Sony's 2028 disc discontinuation as a long-standing corporate strategy rather than a recent technological pivot. By linking past internal discussions at Activision to present-day actions by Sony, the narrative suggests that the push toward digital-only ecosystems is driven primarily by financial incentives—specifically, capturing full retail margins and neutralizing the secondary market—rather than purely by consumer demand or hardware limitations. This continuity underscores a persistent tension between publisher control and consumer ownership rights.
From a Market Structure perspective, the shift away from physical media consolidates power within platform holders and publishers, effectively removing the competitive pressure exerted by third-party retailers like GameStop. As digital storefronts become the sole point of sale, the ability to revoke licenses, as noted in Sony's legal arguments, introduces new risks for consumers who may lose access to purchased content. This transition challenges traditional notions of digital ownership and could lead to increased regulatory scrutiny regarding consumer protection laws and the definition of property rights in virtual goods.
