#418 | Nevermind, These Are Horrid Times

It seems that no matter where one looks in the gaming industry, there's bad news on the horizon. Such is certainly the case with Sony, as the Japanese company announced two pieces of bad news concurrent to one another: That beginning in 2028, PlayStation hardware will no longer receive disc-based releases, and that by next summer, you will no longer be able to buy digital PS3 and Vita games. All things considered, the latter is a more understandable decision (after all, Sony tried to do this back in 2021 before pulling back), but the former situation has set the PlayStation fanbase alight in a way we've not seen since perhaps 2011, if not 2006, both extremely ominous years in the brand's history. We discuss both topics in great detail, incorporate a ton of your inquiries, and try to make sense of what's happening from every conceivable angle. There's other news this week, too, including Sony's stance on hardware subsidies, PlayStation's continuing commitment to the games-as-a-service sector, new roster additions for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is Exodus' scrapping of its in-game character creator a sign of things to come? Why are some publishers and developers so secretive with sales figures? What potential ideas could emulate the interplay between EVE Online and Dust-514? Did Dustin answer the Dustin-signal that Colin sent into the atmospheric ether? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card.  Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro20:52 - Welcome Lily24:01 - Loud neighbors39:11 – Colin's plan of succession42:13 – The return of the King46:23 – Starting in 2028, PlayStation consoles will no longer receive new games on disc1:17:23 – Sony’s strategy1:39:54 – Why is Sony removing this option?1:52:50 – The passive income of disc production1:57:49 – What’s this mean for pricing?2:03:19 – Improving the storefront2:09:10 – Should the ownership paradigm shift?2:18:48 – Codes at stores again?2:25:58 – Multiple storefronts, buying outside of PSN2:30:07 – Does “pro-consumerism” even work?2:32:04 – Have the people spoken?2:33:47 – The never-ending rural problem2:37:00 – Lillymo2:42:32 – PS3 and Vita’s digital storefronts will go offline forever in one year3:15:53 – Sony won’t subsidize its hardware beyond a certain point3:19:29 – PS5 has its worst May on the US market since the late PSone era3:24:44 – Sony says it has to (and will) keep investing in games-as-a-service3:31:59 – Sony pulls Studio Canal films from the PSN backend3:35:24 – Shaun Layden says Sony is making a mistake by stopping its PC support3:43:11 – Blade, Loki, and Deadpool revealed for Marvel Tokon3:46:37 – Capcom moves Onimusha’s date up3:47:46 – July’s PS+ Essential games3:49:40 – Persona is getting a live action TV series3:51:54 – What We're Playing (Luna Abyss, GTA V, GTA: San Andreas)4:07:45 – When will consumers vote with their wallet?4:14:11 – Exodus will no longer feature a full character creator4:19:04 – Why are companies so reluctant to share sales data?4:22:24 – Does end game DLC generate more revenue?4:27:35 – Why won't the PS6 be delayed?4:30:40 – What franchises could benefit from a Dust-like shared world? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices