Ever since the industry-changing deal between Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard came to be, Xbox has quietly stood as the observer and sometimes even victim to all that’s been changing. For instance, according to recent information, massive layoffs have resulted in Xbox bidding farewell to the physical media department.
While this news is still under speculation, the hints are pretty clear. In fact, the debate between physical forms of media and digital ones might just have a winner, and the community may not really like the answer.
It Isn’t Happening Yet, but Soon It Might Become a Reality
While none of this information really gives out an accurate depiction of how things might change, previous numbers have indicated a pattern that seems to indicate a certain tragedy for every consumer looking into investing their money in physical media as the future arrives.
There have been 1900 job losses in recent times within Microsoft’s departments, and it seems that some of these directly link to the department that’s in charge of physical discs. However, online users like JezCorden give a better understanding of what it all means:
Note: reducing retail teams doesn’t confirm Microsoft is quitting physical retail for Xbox games yet, they can outsource, and might be consolidating here. So, don’t run with “Xbox is quitting physical” based on this. But, it does seem to be the industry trajectory. Writing is on the wall.
Furthermore, this is the kind of news you can’t really take with a grain of salt, even if there’s no official word from Microsoft or Xbox yet. However, the fact remains that optimism for physical discs is a dwindling afterthought that slowly shows us the reality we may have to bear witness to.
Xbox Game Pass and Cloud Services Pave the Way for the Future
Ever since services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Netflix Games came to be, gamers across different platforms (not just PCs and consoles) started diving deeper into the realm of games they could simply download or stream. There was no longer the need to even purchase an expensive console or build one’s ideal PC setup.
Moreover, Xbox Game Pass popularized the existence of such subscription models, and it’s been fairing well for developers and gamers. Undoubtedly, more and more gamers are giving new games a chance simply because they don’t have to buy the game separately. Plus, PC gamers have always been in the market for all things digital.
All of this has, for the last many years, reduced the need for investing in physical media. Long gone are the days when gamers would wait for the midnight launch and stand in a queue in front of their favorite game store to get a copy of a much-awaited title. With the latest news from Xbox, it feels like these days might just become extinct at some point.
The shutting down of physical retail shops for games and companies fighting over the ownership of media simply adds fuel to the fire. Not only does this give rise to piracy, but it also drives players away from paying full prices.
For what it’s worth, there’s still time until physical media completely burns to the ground. Do you think that will happen? If so, what are your thoughts on the same? Let us know in the comments below.
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