Last week, Jacob Novak, an ex-Square Enix business strategist, claimed that Sony’s push toward a digital only future, seen in its impending ceasing of PlayStation disc production, could actually result in lower prices for digital games down the line, as he argued that physical game prices are “holding digital hostage.” The idea that a complete monopoly on how people buy something would lead to lower prices without competition to incentivize them sounds incredibly naive considering human history, and earlier this week, I got a big slap in the face when I encountered firsthand what we’re losing as PlayStation doubles down on the digital future.
I want to replay the Kingdom Hearts games ahead of Kingdom Hearts IV. Given that the next entry in Square Enix and Disney’s world-hopping RPG series is a little over a year away and that the series currently has over a dozen games to get through, I’d better get started ASAP, right? Well, I logged on to the ol’ PlayStation Network and went to check how much all the games were going for. If physical prices are “holding digital hostage,” then you would think that a PlayStation Store price would be competing with the ones in the physical space, no? The awareness that no, I would in fact have to pay a lot more on PSN hit me like a boulder smacking Goofy’s noggin in Kingdom Hearts II.
Kingdom Hearts III is a seven-year-old game. It’s not even the most recent Kingdom Hearts game, and Square Enix is still selling full-priced digital copies at $60 as if it were January 29, 2019. A quick Google search shows that some physical retailers are selling it for half that price, while others have it listed for as little as $10. This is a last-gen game that, in a physical-dominant industry, would have gone on to be part of a Player’s Choice or Greatest Hits-style branding and sold at a discount price years ago. And yet, on Sony’s own digital platform, it’s still sitting at the same price it was given at launch.
Kingdom Hearts III’s price has fluctuated over the years on PSN as temporary sales come and go, with some databases indicating that it’s gone as low as $15 during some events. But I’m trying to play these games now, and cannot be arsed to wait until its next big discount. But you know what I can do? Buy physical copies for a reasonable price. In fact, I was able to buy the Story So Far compilation disc, which includes almost all the games, on top of a physical copy of Kingdom Hearts III for less than it would cost to buy just one of those on the PlayStation store. If I want to play these games on my TV, this is remarkably cheaper than what Sony’s offering me, and while the Steam version of the series is even less costly right now thanks to a series sale, that’s not gonna put all these games on my big-screen TV instead of my tiny gamer laptop.
We’re losing a lot as physical discs go away. Collecting games is a pastime for many and a means of affording and playing games for those on a budget or stuck in places with poor internet speeds. A store shelf can give some games visibility instead of overwhelming players like a crowded digital storefront can. But make no mistake: the biggest threat that looms over a digital future is that Sony will have full control of PlayStation video game prices, and there will be no alternative to whatever they’re selling them at come 2028. At least Kingdom Hearts IV will be out before then according to Square Enix, so it should be available on discs as well.
