Entertainment was once something to own. From old VHS tapes and DVDs to game cartridges and CDs, collectors grew their tangible pieces of history at their disposal. Then came digital. It moved slowly; streaming replaced rental, laptops stopped including DVD drives, and gaming consoles started doing the same. Most users are now torn between the old ways of collecting and the convenience of digital. Companies, however, see the second option as the clear winner, being more profitable. Now, another bastion of physical media falls, with the announcement that Sony won’t make more writable Blu-rays.
Don’t panic, for now
The decision to end Blu-ray production is not isolated. Others, like Panasonic and LG, have halted manufacturing in recent years. Sony had already begun phasing out such productions, so the announcement was predictable. What is different is that Sony is also a major player in movie sales and gaming with the PlayStation. Only the writable format, which the public can buy and write on, is officially being retired. Still, statistics do not encourage the future of physical collectors.
Following Sony’s example, according to Statista, up to 80% of PlayStation videogame sales were digital in the past few years. This trend extends far past videogame discs; the convenience of buying something with a click has taken over the masses. Even if someone prefers a physical copy like a Blu-ray, they’d likely still buy the digital one if it was the only option.
What if it happens?
The end production of Blu-rays is not all about the tactile experience of holding a physical copy of media nor having a pleasing-to-look shelf with every copy organized. A valid concern raised in the advent of the digital media age is licenses. Entertainment was once something to own. Now, it’s become something that we buy a license to. Licenses may be revoked or changed, running on services and servers that might be terminated.
The debate about the shift to digital media is here to stay. What isn’t up for debate is whether the change is happening. Sony’s decision not to make writable Blu-rays anymore is the latest piece in a puzzle where we can easily predict the final image. We can focus on making this shift fair to the customer.
YouTube: Is Sony No Longer Putting Out Blu-rays? Plus Some Thoughts On The Future Of Physical Media
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Photo credit: The feature image is symbolic and has been taken by Mati Mango.
Source: Sony / Statista
