- GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen says Sony’s decision to end physical game production is “totally irrelevant” to the company
- The claim is supported by physical and digital games, which only contribute 18% of the total revenue.
- Cohen’s comments likely won’t help players in their efforts to preserve physical game discs.
The backlash against Sony continues after its controversial decision to halt production of new physical PlayStation game discs starting in January 2028, and it appears the largest US video game retailer isn’t taking a stance.
In an interview with Bloomberg, GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen dismissed the idea that the company would be affected by Sony’s decision to end physical copies of games, stating that it “doesn’t matter at all,” despite continued consumer uproar.
“It mattered in the past; software is less than 12% of the business,” Cohen said. “Collectibles make up more than half the business, so it’s totally irrelevant.”
Frankly, it’s a harsh and cold stance, but it’s not exactly wrong, as Bloomberg points out that physical and digital copies of games account for only 18% of GameStop’s total revenue. The store has primarily shifted its focus to collectibles such as Pokémon cards, and that is evident the moment you visit their website.
It’s no secret that Sony’s decision to end disc production in 2028 has not been well received by most consumers, with many feeling it is a direct threat to game ownership. A digital-only console means that games (or other media) can be taken away from players at any time, and Sony has recently done so with more than 500 purchased movies removed from users’ libraries.
Essentially, GameStop’s reasoning about the end of game discs being irrelevant is similar to Sony’s, as Sony highlighted the fact that most gamers are purchasing copies digitally in its announcement.
Despite this, the consensus among consumers is that removing discs is quite unnecessary, it only eliminates another purchasing option. It’s also worth noting that game prices on the PlayStation Store won’t be as low as they normally would be at secondhand or video game stores.
Sony has yet to address the issue since the announcement, even with the large amount of backlash it’s receiving online, and gamers will likely hope that statements from CEOs like Cohen don’t hurt the fight to retain physical copies of the game.
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