Sony‘s decision to end physical disc production came as a massive shock for the gaming community. But, apparently, it wasn’t as big a surprise internally. The company’s staff were even told to brace for the fallout well before the public ever found out. That’s according to former Sony Santa Monica writer and ex-IGN staff, Alanah Pearce.
“Sony already knew everyone would be pissed off — they knew this. People working at PlayStation First Party Studios told me that Sony had the strictest social media guidelines for this particular thing that they’ve ever seen issued,” said Pearce during one of her personal podcasts.
She acknowledged that Sony, like most companies, regularly issues communication guidelines. She was also under similar restrictions during the development of God of War Laufey. Despite that, Pearce revealed that this was the most rigid employees had ever seen regarding public communications. “They would only have done this if they knew it was going to be an enormous PR issue. This is no surprise to them,” she continued.
The disc production shutdown, revealed via a standard PlayStation Blog post, was announced the same day it’s closing the PS3 and PS Vita PlayStation Stores. The backlash, so far, has been swift and severe. A Change.org petition urging Sony to continue supporting physical PlayStation games has already gathered more than 330,000 signatures. Industry figures like Hideo Kojima have called the move disappointing. Of course, social media and YouTube trailers have also been flooded with criticism from unhappy fans.
Nevertheless, this might be one decision that won’t be reversed solely due to gamers’ outcry. Earlier this month, we reported that Sony has already repurposed one of its disc-manufacturing plants in Austria. It has also invested roughly $34 million to use the plant for optical microlenses production. The components are used in automotive lighting and, potentially, camera image sensors, which remain one of Sony’s biggest moneymakers.
What’s more, a leaked internal memo reportedly revealed Sony’s broader digital ambitions. According to the document, the company plans to phase out PlayStation Network branding gradually. In the future, it’ll be replaced with a unified digital ecosystem spanning games, movies, TV shows, and potentially even anime under a single subscription service. This might just line up perfectly with Pearce’s theory.
“Keeping players inside of the PlayStation ecosystem for as long as possible,” Pearce said, noting that Sony’s stock climbed following the disc shutdown announcement. “You remember that Don Mattrick Xbox E3 conference everyone hated. I think that’s exactly what Sony is trying to do right now.”
Whether Sony ever walks back its decision remains to be seen. But if the company really did issue its strictest-ever social media guidelines, it suggests Sony knew one thing. This was only the beginning of its push toward an all-digital future with the PS6.
