00:00If you've been following the ongoing debate over physical games, you probably heard about something called the PS Blackout.
00:06From August 23rd through August 30th, PlayStation fans are being encouraged to participate in a week-long boycott of Sony's
00:14PlayStation ecosystem.
00:16The idea is simple, don't log into PlayStation Network, don't play your PlayStation, and don't buy anything from Sony's platforms.
00:23The campaign was announced by Does It Play, a community focused on video game preservation, in response to Sony's reported
00:31plans to end physical game production by 2028.
00:34And while I completely understand the frustration behind this campaign, I have to ask, is a one-week blackout really
00:41enough to make Sony change its plans?
00:43Because I'm honestly not convinced it is.
00:47The PS Blackout is essentially a protest against Sony's continued move toward digital gaming.
00:52The campaign is asking PlayStation owners to stay away from the platform from August 23rd through August 30th.
00:59That means no logging into PSN, no play sessions, no purchases on Sony's platforms, and for some people, that means
01:07completely turning off their PlayStation console for the week.
01:10The goal is to demonstrate that PlayStation users don't want physical games to disappear.
01:15And I think it's important to understand why people are upset.
01:19But this isn't simply about people wanting a plastic disc sitting on their shelf.
01:23It's about ownership and preservation.
01:26When you buy a physical game, you have something tangible that you can potentially keep, resell, lend to someone else,
01:33or preserve.
01:34Digital purchases are different.
01:36In many cases, what you're actually purchasing is a license to access the game,
01:41rather than a completely independent copy that you can preserve forever.
01:45And that's becoming an increasingly important issue as the industry moves further toward digital distribution.
01:51The concern isn't that digital games are inherently bad.
01:55They're convenient.
01:56You don't have to go to a store.
01:57You don't have to wait for a shipment.
01:59You can download a game immediately.
02:01And let's be honest.
02:03Digital distribution has become a huge part of the gaming industry for a reason.
02:07But convenience comes with trade-offs.
02:09What happens when a digital storefront shuts down?
02:13What happens if a game is delisted?
02:15What happens when servers disappear?
02:17What happens if a company decides you can no longer access something you purchased?
02:21Physical media isn't perfect either.
02:24Modern physical games can still require patches, downloads, installations, or online services,
02:30but at least you have a physical copy that can potentially exist independently of a company's storefront.
02:35That's why preservation groups and collectors are so concerned about the industry moving completely away from physical releases.
02:43And that's the bigger issue behind PS Blackout.
02:47Here's where I have my doubts.
02:49The Blackout only lasts one week.
02:51August 23rd through August 30th.
02:53And that's a pretty short amount of time when you're trying to pressure a company as large as Sony.
02:58One of the biggest criticisms of the campaign is that Sony knows exactly when the protest ends.
03:04If the Blackout lasts seven days, Sony can potentially just wait seven days.
03:08Then on August 31st, people start logging back into PlayStation Network, people start playing their games again, people start buying
03:16games again, and everything goes back to normal.
03:19That's why I've seen people suggesting something much longer.
03:22Six months.
03:23A year.
03:24Or even changing their purchasing habits permanently.
03:27And I think that argument makes a lot more sense.
03:30Because if you're trying to convince Sony that consumers don't want a completely digital future, the strongest evidence isn't necessarily,
03:37I didn't use my PlayStation for one week.
03:40It's, I haven't bought a digital game in six months.
03:43That's a much harder message for a company to ignore.
03:47There's another part of this I think needs to be considered.
03:50PlayStation Plus.
03:51Some people are encouraging players to cancel their PlayStation Plus subscriptions as part of the protest.
03:56And if you genuinely don't want to continue subscribing, that's obviously your choice.
04:02But there's something people need to understand.
04:04If you've already paid for your PlayStation Plus subscription, canceling it doesn't necessarily mean Sony immediately loses the money you've
04:12already given them.
04:13If you paid for a year PlayStation Plus and cancel automatic renewal during the Blackout, you've already paid for that
04:19year.
04:20You'll generally continue receiving the service until the period you purchased expires.
04:25You're basically telling Sony, don't charge me again.
04:28That's different from saying, I'm no longer giving Sony the money I already paid.
04:32And that's why I don't think turning off auto renewal for one week is going to have some massive immediate
04:37financial impact on Sony.
04:40If thousands of people cancel their subscriptions, but continue using the service for the time they've already paid for, Sony
04:46isn't suddenly losing all that subscription revenue.
04:49And this is where I think some people may be overestimating what a one-week protest can accomplish.
04:55Sony obviously tracks PlayStation revenue and subscription numbers.
04:59But the company isn't going to look at August 23rd through August 30th and say,
05:04Wow, PlayStation revenue was down this week.
05:07We better abandon our entire digital strategy.
05:10Businesses look at larger trends, monthly performance, quarterly results, annual results, long-term consumer behavior.
05:19So even if this Blackout produces a noticeable drop in activity, Sony could potentially view it as a temporary event.
05:26That's the biggest problem I have with this campaign.
05:29It's temporary by design.
05:32Personally, I think there's another strategy that could send a stronger message.
05:35Instead of telling people, don't use your PlayStation for seven days, tell people, keep playing the games you've already purchased,
05:42but stop buying digital games.
05:44If a game is available physically and digitally, buy the physical version.
05:49If there isn't a physical version, consider whether you really need to buy it digitally.
05:53Don't pre-order digital games.
05:55Don't spend money simply because something is available on the PlayStation Store.
05:59That would create a much more sustained message.
06:02Because at the end of the day, money talks.
06:04If Sony sees that consumers consistently choose physical releases whenever they're available, that's meaningful information.
06:12If digital sales continue increasing despite complaints about the disappearance of physical media, Sony has very little financial incentive to
06:20reverse course.
06:21And that's the uncomfortable reality of this whole debate.
06:24There's also something else worth pointing out.
06:27Sony isn't the only company dealing with this criticism.
06:30The entire gaming industry is moving toward digital distribution.
06:34PC gaming is overwhelmingly digital.
06:37Services like Steam, Epic Game Store, and PC Game Pass have made digital gaming incredibly convenient.
06:44And companies obviously have financial incentives to prefer digital distribution.
06:48There's no physical disc to manufacture, no case to manufacture, no disc to ship, no shelf space required at a
06:56retailer.
06:57So if consumers want physical games to survive, they're going to have to demonstrate that there's still enough demand for
07:02them.
07:03Complaining about the disappearance of physical games is one thing.
07:07Continuing to buy digital games every time they're offered is another.
07:11I wouldn't say it's pointless.
07:13I think the campaign has succeeded in getting people talking about an important issue.
07:17The preservation of games matters.
07:19Having different ways to purchase games matters.
07:22And consumers absolutely have the right to tell Sony that they don't want physical media to disappear.
07:27But I question whether one week is enough.
07:30If the Blackout gets a huge number of people involved, maybe it'll get Sony's attention.
07:35But I don't think we should expect Sony to completely change its strategy because people didn't log into PlayStation Network
07:41for seven days.
07:42And canceling PlayStation Plus for the Blackout isn't necessarily as powerful as it sounds either,
07:48especially if someone has already paid for their subscription and simply turns off auto-renewal.
07:54Ultimately, the PlayStation Blackout releases a much bigger question than whether people will turn off their PlayStation for one week.
08:01The real question is, how much are gamers actually willing to change their spending habits to keep physical games alive?
08:07Because if consumers genuinely want physical games to survive, the most powerful thing they can do isn't simply disappear for
08:14seven days.
08:15It's to change where their money goes.
08:17Buy physical when you can.
08:19Support publishers that continue offering physical releases.
08:23Avoid digital purchases when a physical alternative exists.
08:26And if you believe a game should be available physically, make that preference known with your wallet.
08:32The PlayStation Blackout might be a good way to start the conversation.
08:35But if the goal is to actually make Sony reconsider its plans, I think the protest needs to be more
08:41than just one week.
08:42Because Sony can wait out a seven-day blackout.
08:45What Sony can't easily ignore is a long-term change in how millions of PlayStation owners spend their money.
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09:02Until next time, game on.
