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PlayStation Store codes for full games will no longer be provided to retailers

Shagger

Banned
Honestly, this doesn't bug me because I would not go to a store to buy a code, I'd buy a physical copy instead. I wanted a digital copy, I'd buy it from the digital store.

With all due respect to anyone who dose buy these things, they are a pointless waste of time.
 

The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
Sounds like that makes sense to me.

Well, if you are Sony, this is a good thing. But as a consumer, which I guess you are... Then you get crippled by not being able to find it cheaper anywhere on the web.

It's like gamestop had monopoly on selling physical games.

Making sense from a business view or making sense as a customer are two very different things. I guess Sony is on a roll of making anti consumer practices, and wants to see how far they can go.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Well, if you are Sony, this is a good thing. But as a consumer, which I guess you are... Then you get crippled by not being able to find it cheaper anywhere on the web.

It's like gamestop had monopoly on selling physical games.

Making sense from a business view or making sense as a customer are two very different things. I guess Sony is on a roll of making anti consumer practices, and wants to see how far they can go.

I just can't make myself care about that though. I get what you are saying. Maybe because I've bought enough games on PSN during sales, that I don't feel like I'm losing out.
 

Shin

Banned
Official statement via Eurogamer:

"We can confirm that as of April 1, 2019, Sony Interactive Entertainment will no longer offer full games through SIE's Global Digital at Retail program. This decision was made in order to continue to align key businesses globally. To support full games and premium editions, SIE will introduce increased denominations at select retailers. DLC, add-ons, virtual currency, and season passes will still be available."
 

demigod

Member
Well, if you are Sony, this is a good thing. But as a consumer, which I guess you are... Then you get crippled by not being able to find it cheaper anywhere on the web.

It's like gamestop had monopoly on selling physical games.

Making sense from a business view or making sense as a customer are two very different things. I guess Sony is on a roll of making anti consumer practices, and wants to see how far they can go.

So which PS4 games did you buy at B&M digitally that's cheaper than the PSN store?
 

TimFL

Member
Who actually goes in-store to buy a digital game? Never heard of this before. PSN credit I understand, and that's still available.
Stores usually have them cheaper (promotions etc) and some love the convenience of digital copies. I'm fully digital myself and I always hop on a code deal when it happens and is substantially cheaper than the PS Store (which isn't hard).
 

TLZ

Member
Stores usually have them cheaper (promotions etc) and some love the convenience of digital copies. I'm fully digital myself and I always hop on a code deal when it happens and is substantially cheaper than the PS Store (which isn't hard).
I didn't know they existed. Also I always thought the convenience of digital is actually not having to go to in-store :D
 

Jigsaah

Member
Welp, Gamestop is extra boned now. The hits just keep on coming for them. I personally don't hate gamestop, but I haven't been in one in about a year or two. So yea...sucks for them.
 

shark sandwich

tenuously links anime, pedophile and incels
God damnit. Now I can’t drive to the store to buy a digital download code. How in the fuck will I be able to get my downloads now?
 

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
I'm struggling to see why gamers care? If you want digital, then buying a game directly from the PSN store is a much simpler process. The ONLY people who should care are the retailers. This does kind of suck for them. For everyone else, this is a non-issue.

And if we're being honest, this is the entire point of the all-digital gaming market. All the people who love going all-digital, are really only helping companies to tighten their grip on the control they have over their market. If this kind of move from Sony rubs you the wrong way, then stop buying digital. Digital delivery of content was never about how convenient it could be for the consumer. I expect every console maker to follow suit. It's kind of insane it took this long for the obvious shoe to drop.

EDIT: As a side note. If I could, just for a second, plug the Playstation Credit Card... I've had it for a few years now. It's a Captial One card that gives you points that can be redeemed for PSN dollars and seriously, I have not had to pay for DLC or PS Plus since I started using it. I actually get kind of mad when I have to pay actual money for digital content on the Xbox.
Convenience, mostly. I never loved the idea to begin with and it’s possibly SONY didn’t either based off this anouncement and when you have a digital store that should be your priority as a gaming business. I mean, some PC games sold at stores come diskless, only with a code but that’s whoever the developer is.
 

thelastword

Banned
Oh boy, seriously, who is the person who drove down to a store to pick up a digital game? I mean by the gods.....I can understand physical.....I don't even buy PSN cards on Amazon anymore and I can understand some outrage if they ceased that, because that's what I used for digital purchases in the PS3 days and I know some persons have issues with their CC on PSN around the world....As for me, I have been using paypal for all purchases this gen, checkout has never been smoother....I'm fully digital and I would never buy a digital game code on Amazon or at any store. PSN is where it's at, you get bonuses, you get great sales every week......The consolumer loses by buying digital anywhere else, if anything they should be thanking Sony for being too PRO consumer here and saving them lots of money...
 

Shin

Banned
GameStop: Sony pulling game cards won't "have a material impact" on sales
Executive chairman Daniel DeMatteo believes PS4 owners will still fund digital purchases by buying currency in-store


GameStop has downplayed the effect of Sony's decision to stop selling full game downloads through physical retail.
The platform holder revealed that, as of Monday, it will no longer sell codes for digital titles through the likes of GameStop and GAME. But it will continue to sell virtual currency for the PlayStation Store and add-ons such as season passes with its retail partners.
In an earnings call last night, transcribed by Seeking Alpha, GameStop was asked how much impact this will have on the chain's digital receipts and whether it knows more about the reasoning behind Sony's decision.

"There is -- as I understand and in discussions with Sony about this, there is some effort associated with providing that what we call code to content to sell the full game download as content," said executive chairman Daniel DeMatteo. "Most of the sales of full game downloads whether at retail came in the form of the -- actually the currency.

"So, the move by Sony to go back to the currency model, we don't expect to have a material impact on our results because we'll continue to sell that currency for that customer that wants to buy it in GameStop stores whether they want to pay in cash, in trades, or unwilling or unable to put a credit card on the Internet."

Via: GamesIndustryBiz
 
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