The creator of God of War and Twisted Metal, David Jaffe, recently commented on Sony’s decision to stop releasing PlayStation discs, calling it an inevitable business move. Jaffe’s comments come as the “No Disc, No Buy” movement continues on social media, with many gamers believing that Sony might be using prominent names to defend the PlayStation brand and help control the backlash.
David Jaffe believes that PlayStation’s no-disc policy is “not some evil, greedy, Rothschild-coded, Illuminati-stuffed, anti-consumer plot to ruin your life.” However, he does acknowledge that the decision is largely about money, arguing that removing the cost of producing physical games is inevitable for companies that want to continue creating big-budget titles.
God of War Creator Calls Sony’s No-Disc Future an ‘Unavoidable Financial Reality’
In his recent YouTube commentary, David Jaffe addressed the backlash against PlayStation’s all-digital future, starting by acknowledging that his opinions might not be popular at the moment. Jaffe then explained why he believes Sony is not planning an anti-consumer movement, saying, “It is just the brutal, unavoidable financial reality of an industry trying to survive.” The former God of War developer believes physical media is disappearing not because “an evil villain” hates gamers, but because games are becoming increasingly expensive to make.
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David Jaffe Thinks ‘Anti-Consumer’ Is Just a Phase
In the video, Jaffe also reflected on the term “anti-consumer,” which is frequently used by gamers these days to criticize PlayStation’s imposed digital-only ecosystem. He said that anti-consumer is usually a temporary phase between outrage and the new normal. To support his argument, he pointed to examples of controversial business decisions from the past. For instance, he mentioned how Adobe stopped selling physical software and how people eventually accepted the change after the initial backlash. He also compared it to airlines charging extra fees for checked bags to improve their profit margins and how passengers eventually accepted it.
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Image via Sony -
Image via Sony -
Image via Sony
Jaffe’s views regarding an all-digital gaming industry are not particularly new. Throughout his video, he explains how digital game releases are more profitable than physical discs, which is something many experts have already pointed out. Basically, Jaffe appears to be on the side that believes eliminating disc production costs is necessary to keep gaming businesses operating. Speaking to those fighting for physical media, Jaffe said, “Don’t be surprised when the video game train keeps racing right past you because the vast majority of the market has already decided. They’ve moved on.”
Based on the comments Jaffe has received following his statements, many gamers seem to be disappointed by his stance. He has also been accused of being part of Sony’s alleged PR effort to mitigate the damage caused by the ongoing backlash. However, Jaffe said in his video that, in the current situation, attacking PlayStation or Sony would likely be the more profitable move. “I really wish I could lie to you,” he said, adding, “But I’ve got to be honest with you. And this is the truth as I see [it].” In the coming days, it will be interesting if more video game creators like Jaffe break their silence and comment on everything that’s going on.
