u/GamingSagar

The “Don’t Kill the Disc” petition has hit 100,000 signatures in just four days, pushing back against Sony’s plan to end production of physical discs for new PlayStation games starting January 2028.

Supporters say physical copies can be "owned, traded, resold, gifted, and preserved," benefits not offered by digital licenses.

They also raise concerns about "consumer choice, game preservation, and the impact on retailers" who sell physical games.

The campaign states players are "not against digital games," but oppose removing physical media as an option.

Sony’s long-standing PlayStation Network Terms of Service are back in the spotlight as the company moves toward an all-digital future.

In Europe, the terms specify that accounts inactive for 36 months may begin the closure process, though users are first sent a warning email and given six more months to log in before closure.

While the policy isn’t new, it’s now sparking fresh debate over digital game ownership, especially after Sony announced that new PlayStation titles will be disc-free starting in 2028.

Once an account is permanently closed, access to purchased digital content is lost, prompting reminders for players to stay active and keep their contact details up to date.

Polygon ran an opinion piece taking aim at Red Dead Redemption 2’s realism and pacing. While the writer praised the game’s world, story, and technical feats, they felt mechanics like hunting, looting, and horseback riding were too slow or "not fun." Many fans slammed the article on social media as clickbait. The backlash comes amid reports that Valnet has rolled out a page-view-based pay system for some freelance writers, where payment depends on readership ($8 for 1000 views) instead of a flat rate per article.

Jerk Gustafsson, former MachineGames studio head (developer behind the modern Wolfenstein reboots and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle), is now officially leading Arkane Lyon.

Arkane Lyon is currently developing Marvel's Blade.

The Batman Part II co-writer Mattson Tomlin believes Hollywood is shifting its attention from comic book adaptations to video game franchises. While discussing the long-awaited Mega Man movie, Tomlin said he wouldn't be surprised if the project eventually moves forward, though he no longer expects to be involved.

"Hollywood is sort of making a shift from being comic book obsessed to video game obsessed so I wouldn't be surprised if it [Mega Man] sees the light of day in some form." — Mattson Tomlin

Former Destiny 2 community manager Dylan "dmg04" Gafner has weighed in on the gaming industry's ongoing struggles following Bungie's recent layoffs. While responding to a discussion about market conditions, Gafner argued that leadership decisions should also be held accountable, saying the industry's problems cannot be blamed solely on market forces.

Former Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Ybarra has reacted to Sony's decision to stop producing new PlayStation game discs from 2028, urging platform holders including PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo to introduce stronger protections for digital ownership.

>Sad to see this happening across the entire gaming industry. I guess it was going to happen at some point, but I didn't think it would be this soon.

I'm not a collector and I only buy digital so it doesn't impact me. What I personally don't like is the Christmas mornings and Birthday parties for young kids. Having to open a game only to have to spend potentially hours downloading it (realize a lot of people have faster bandwidth but still...) - it's a real bummer. I get games have patches (some large, some not so large) and consoles require massive updates at times, etc. But the fundamental magic I felt of opening my NES (and many other systems and games as time went on) during Christmas morning and immediately playing games was partially what made me fall in love with the industry (and be lucky enough to work in it across platform and games).

My, likely unwanted, feedback to platform holders:

1. You need to establish a digital promise for consumers. We can't live in a world of fear if our games will work in the future or not. You owe everyone a clear vision for our "digital locker" that gives us confidence our games are actually our games. You don't get to just turn the games off (I get MP games are different from SP games, etc.).

2. You need to innovate game sharing. Lending my game to my friend should be as easy as handing him/her a disc. It's possible to do, I've lived it and looked into it before. As players, we should be able to share our games. You can have restrictions on it but fundamentally this should "just work" 75%+ of the time. A "friends and family" of 3, 6, 9, or whatever number is a solution others have in place. Mirror it and make it industry standard.

3. You haven't innovated with your console Store in ages. You need to. Enable people to have an open marketplace where I can sell my used game back to the community for Store credit or cash. You are the platform holder, you can take a fee. Again, this is not hard but you have to put your legacy behind you and innovate to provide consumer friendly features for our "digital lockers" across all platforms. Game developers will not like this - but being consumer friendly has to go both ways here. A used game marketplace is a must have in my view.

4. Let us showcase our libraries. As gamers we love achievements, friends, profiles, and game libraries. Some of us want to show off what we own and how much we play. Make the "digital locker" a feature I can share and be proud of.

5. Communicate. Show us you have a plan for this transition and that you care about gamers. We will embrace the transition if you give us the confidence, trust, and freedom to enjoy the hobby we love.

All of this is possible. Make your platform the best place to play.

Former Rocksteady Studios developers Axel Rydby and Johnny Armstrong have shared new details about the troubled development of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, describing how the project gradually shifted from creative game design to meeting commercial targets.

"That's when I started feeling like I wasn't making games anymore. I was following a spreadsheet, some elusive marketing-analysis spreadsheet that no one could present clearly."

The game spent more than seven years in development and suffered multiple delays before launching in February 2024. Following poor sales and reviews, Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly took a $200 million loss on the project.

Both developers eventually left Rocksteady, saying the experience left them burned out and questioning their future in game development. The duo has now launched a Kickstarter for their indie RPG deckbuilder Secret of Circadia, aiming to create games driven by creativity rather than monetization.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has renewed his criticism of Steam's revenue share, arguing that Valve's platform fees encourage major developers to distribute games independently instead of using Steam.

>"Here’s what’s happening economically: Steam charges such high fees that developers with strong brands and big enough audiences, like Epic, Riot, and MiHoYo find it more profitable to go it alone. Ironically, lower fees and more openness might increase Steam profit."

However, his comments were quickly challenged by a community note highlighting that HoYoverse has already released multiple games (Honkai Impact 3rd and Zenless Zone Zero) on Steam.

GOG has reaffirmed its commitment to DRM-free game ownership following Sony's announcement that it will stop producing new PlayStation game discs from 2028. The platform says players should always retain access to the games they purchase, regardless of future changes to storefronts or business models.

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Sony has reportedly started restructuring its largest disc production facility in Thalgau, Austria, following its decision to stop producing new PlayStation game discs from 2028. The company plans to significantly reduce disc manufacturing while retraining employees to produce Micro Optics, backed by a €30 million investment.

The debate around game preservation has intensified following Sony's decision to end new PlayStation game discs in 2028 and Rockstar's digital code approach for GTA 6. Video Game History Foundation director Frank Cifaldi says piracy remains the only effective method of preserving games today, arguing that the industry has yet to provide a meaningful legal alternative.

During the AB 1921 (Protect Our Games Act) committee hearing, an ESA (Entertainment Software Association) representative argued that Minecraft community servers are illegal.

The remarks quickly went viral, while the Stop Killing Games campaign rejected the interpretation and accused the ESA of making misleading claims.

The campaign also challenged several other ESA claims, including that the bill would require "forever support" or force developers to build entirely "new products."

The bill didn’t make it out of committee, losing by a 4-3 vote with a few members abstaining.

Stop Killing Games says it plans to come back with stronger backing in the next session and is also looking into pushing similar legislation in more U.S. states and at the federal level.

Hideki Kamiya, the director of Resident Evil 2 and creator of Devil May Cry, has jokingly shared his idea for a cozy Resident Evil spin-off starring a retired Leon Kennedy. Instead of fighting zombies, Kamiya imagined Leon enjoying a quiet countryside life filled with fishing, gardening, baking, and spending time with friends.

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A new report claims Microsoft is looking for a buyer for Undead Labs, the studio behind State of Decay 3. If no buyer is found, the report says the 17-year-old developer could be shut down, potentially affecting around 110 employees.

State of Decay 3 was first announced in 2020, with its first gameplay trailer revealed during the 2026 Xbox Games Showcase. The game is currently scheduled to launch in 2027 for Xbox, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Several reports on Chinese social media suggest that Steam’s LGBTQ+ tag has been blocked for users in China. When trying to access it, an error message appears, stating the page cannot be viewed as it “violates local laws and regulations.”

A new report claims that Bungie could be preparing for a major round of layoffs this summer, with as much as 50% of the studio's workforce potentially affected.

While no official announcement has been made by Bungie or Sony, the report has sparked concerns about the future of the studio following the end of Destiny 2's active development and the underwhelming performance of Marathon.

A new report claims that Xbox showcased Ninja Theory's newly announced Senua project during its June Games Showcase in part to increase the studio's appeal to potential buyers amid ongoing closure concerns.

The European Commission has decided not to introduce new legislation that would require publishers to keep online-only games playable after commercial support ends. While the decision is a setback for the Stop Killing Games movement, campaign founder Ross Scott says efforts are already underway to pursue similar protections through the EU Parliament.

Ross says the movement is now focusing on amendments to the Digital Fairness Act.

"The Commission's decision doesn't really matter."

"We have made serious inroads in parliament. Just recently, we've even had an inquiry call on legislative action to the Commission signed by 45 members of European Parliament and collectively we have majority support on this issue. This means we're in a position to pass legislation on this even without the Commission's blessing," Scott SAID.