Following last week's announcement that PlayStation will cease production on physical game discs starting in 2028, collectors, game preservationists, and even activists have been rallying to slow the inevitable, with some going as far as to call on authorities to put a stop to Sony's decision. However, in a blow to those hoping for some sort of legal ruling, an EU commissioner has said companies are free to release games however they please.
Although far from an official ruling, EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, recently told reporters in Strasbourg's European Parliament (via the Irish Mirror) that he doesn't think it's the government's job to get in the way of the free market so long as laws aren't being broken.
"It does come down to commercial and contractual freedoms, 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 said.
Referring to last month's EU ruling against Stop Killing Games and the decision against recommending new legislation to prevent publishers from revoking access to online-only games, McGrath adds, "We did have to consider a European citizens initiative on this question of whether games should continue to be available after a new edition of the game has been brought forward." It seems in McGrath's view, the decision to stop producing a physical product being the manufacturer's choice is a more clear-cut case.
From everything we've seen so far, it seems unlikely that Sony will reverse its stance on getting rid of physical games ahead of the next generation of consoles, which likely won't include a disc drive-equipped PS6 unless something major changes. One noteworthy analyst recently said Sony "will not reverse" its plan and that, "They knew what the online reaction would look like, and they now wait for this storm to pass."
Of course, this sort of consumer rights-focused view does beg the question of how digital rights, and what you actually get with a license, could be expanded – something else that analysts and advocates have focused on.
