If you were hopeful that the European Union would provide a barrier to Sony’s decision to stop manufacturing new PlayStation physical games starting in 2028, I’ve got bad news for you. An EU commissioner has claimed that companies are “free” to offer games however they want, assuming they don’t break the law in the process.
Earlier this month, Sony announced that it will no longer print physical Blu-ray discs for new video games released in 2028 and after. While physical PlayStation games will still linger around for years to come, it’s clear that Sony is moving on and entering a new all-digital future, no matter how much fans or celebrities yell at them. However, some fans were hopeful that the European Union, which has in the past been able to force companies like Apple to stop doing dumb shit globally, would be able to step in and stop Sony from making the shift to all-digital gaming. According to Michael McGrath, the EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, don’t count on it.
As reported earlier this week by the Irish Mirror, McGrath was talking to reporters in Strasbourg’s European Parliament and was seemingly asked about Sony’s plans to end disc production. His answer was that the EU really has no power to stop them.
“It does come down to commercial and contractual freedoms,” said McGrath. “And companies are free to offer games and services in the manner that they see fit, provided that consumer rights are fully protected in line with national and EU law.”
McGrath also mentioned the EU’s response to the Stop Killing Games movement. Last month, the EU Commission said it can’t create laws or regulations to ensure game publishers must keep servers up or offer ways to play games after their online services are terminated. Instead, the Commission said it would work with the game industry and others to create a code of conduct for video game preservation.
In any case, for the time being, it seems like Sony’s plans to stop making physical games and go all-digital are still moving forward.
