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Rockstar Games' decision to drop discs for GTA 6 continues to spark debate in the industry. More and more studio representatives believe this could accelerate a complete move away from physical game releases. The head of Polish CI Games also spoke out, presenting specific calculations of sales profits. The data show why publishers are increasingly opting for digital distribution. For players, this means further changes to the console market.
Creators earn significantly more from digital copies
CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski believes decisions by Rockstar Games and Sony could significantly accelerate the move away from physical releases. He predicts that by 2027 the number of new games released on discs could fall sharply. The reason is mainly financial. Tyminski calculates that at a game price of $69.99 the studio receives only about $26 per physical copy. The rest is absorbed by retailers' and distributors' margins and the costs of producing discs and packaging. With digital sales, developers can receive around $49 per copy. The gap becomes even larger during promotions and discounts. The head of CI Games admits their upcoming game Lords of the Fallen 2 will still be released on discs, but from a business perspective it is increasingly hard to justify keeping that sales model. Especially when physical editions already account for less than 20 percent of total sales. He says the decision to shift to digital distribution is becoming obvious for many companies.
The future of physical releases is in doubt
In recent days, Sony confirmed that from 2028 it will stop producing new physical game discs for PlayStation. Combined with Rockstar Games' decision regarding GTA 6, this could set a new direction for the whole industry. There are suggestions that physical releases could be limited to pricier collector's editions. Marek Tyminski, however, believes such a model would not solve the problem, because it would further reduce interest in physical discs. At the same time, gamers are increasingly vocal in opposing full digitisation of the market. Online there are petitions and numerous critical voices aimed at the decisions of the biggest console manufacturers. So far there is no sign that Sony or other publishers plan to change course. Everything suggests digital distribution will play an increasingly large role in the coming years. For many gamers, this could mean the definitive end of the era of physical releases.
According to the CEO of CI Games, the absence of discs in GTA 6 and Sony’s decision could accelerate the disappearance of physical releases as early as 2027. The main reason is much higher profits from digital sales, which increasingly influence publishers’ decisions.
source: wccftech
