5 PlayStation Games That Show Why Physical Copies Still Matter

It feels like every other week we are faced with another video game delisting or major change in the industry, and with the halting of physical discs in 2028 and the announcement of the impending closure of the PS3/Vita stores, yet another wave of titles is going to be inaccessible forever. In the case of certain games, the lack of physical copies means that when stores like these close, access is gone forever.

Furthermore, there is often very little that can be done to reverse these decisions, as they can come from publishers, developers, or even PlayStation directly, making digital-only products all the more uneasy to own. In many ways, these games showcase exactly why physical copies are so important and why the future of gaming looks all the more bleak as our connection to games becomes thinner and thinner.

LittleBigPlanet 3

One Of Sony’s Strongest IPs

Details:

• Delisted a decade after release
• One of Sony’s strongest exclusive IPs

LittleBigPlanet 3 showed that even games published by PlayStation aren’t immune to disappearing from digital storefronts. You play as Sackboy once again, but this time around, you get to switch between several adorable creatures, each with their own abilities and tools to help you navigate the progressively complex stages.

Following years of server issues and changes surrounding the franchise, Sony eventually removed the game from digital sale, ending the ability for new players to purchase it through the PlayStation Store. Fortunately, the game’s physical release ensured it wasn’t lost altogether, and if you still want to experience one of the best modern puzzle-platformers out there, then I suggest hunting down a copy to relive some of that whimsy and wonder.

Deadpool

The Merc With A Mouth

Details:

• Delisted after licensing agreements expired
• Second-hand copies are pretty hard to come by for a low price

Deadpool is one of the clearest examples of licensing affecting game preservation. Activision’s Marvel license eventually expired, forcing the publisher to remove the game from digital storefronts despite a loyal following and continued demand from fans who universally praised it as a true homage to the foul-mouthed anti-hero.

Physical copies have managed to avoid that uncertainty entirely, but due to the game’s relative popularity, getting your hands on one is certainly easier said than done. Still, I would argue that it is much better to be able to shoot, slice, and talk your way through the adventure whenever you want than the story closing forever, even if it means shelling out a couple extra dollars.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Publishing Rights Strike Again

Details:

• Another victim of superhero rights expiring
• Still a pretty stellar Spider-Man game

Superhero games all seem to suffer the same fate, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 falls into the same category as several other Activision-published Marvel games. Once the agreement ends, the game gets cut from the stores, leaving no official way for new players to purchase it digitally and making physical copies all the more valuable.

From a gameplay standpoint, it is obviously a step-back from the most recent releases, but the free-roaming feels pretty great, and it manages to make you feel pretty close to the sensation of flying weightlessly across an entire city. For those waiting for the next Insomniac game to drop, I see no reason why you can’t get the same kind of rush here, assuming you are willing to get that disc shipped in.

Evolve

Pure Asymmetrical Carnage

Details:

• Unique PvP concept
• Huge fan following even after closure

Evolve is a name many people will be all too familiar with; when the game dropped, it felt like we were experiencing something genuinely unique for the first time in a while. The innovative 4v1 multiplayer formula hooked players straight away, and millions of copies were sold overnight, yet due to some questionable internal decisions and a general decline in interest, maintaining a healthy player base proved difficult over the long term.

Evolve was quickly taken offline, then brought back, only to die all over again, with the lights being switched off making the whole point of the game almost entirely inaccessible. Even with the multiplayer functionality lost, physical copies preserve the portions of the game that remain playable, and there are ways to play with others, both online and offline, if you are still seeking the monstrous rush.

Driveclub

Even Exclusives Can Run Out Of Time

Details:

• First-party racing game with a lot of promise
• Everything from music to cars was licensed

Driveclub launched into the motorsport scene, showing off exceptional weather effects, immaculate car models, and a perfect balance between arcade fun and simulator handling, cementing it as a real contender for the best racing game of the era. The trouble is, when you license specific car models and music, unless you keep on paying those high-dollar amounts, eventually, it is all going to come crashing down.

That is exactly what happened, and although it took a while, the game was pulled from stores and restricted to physical copies only. What that means, though, is that racing fanatics can still access a top-notch racing game that holds up today, even though it was digitally erased forevermore.