Sometimes it truly does feel like we're entering the darkest timeline for video games. From mass layoffs, huge hardware price hikes and more Triple-A flops than hits on our hands, it is not really a great time to be a fan of small-screen escapism. Add to that, PlayStation's relentless, misjudged quest to outlaw physical media, and it feels like a war is brewing between gamers and the gaming industry. Sadly, there's more bad news hitting us gamers. Let's get into it.
The PS store (specifically in North America) has started to delist some of our favorite games. With the future of physical media on the PlayStation platform very much coming to an end, this may make getting your hands on some beloved classics extremely difficult. As reported by TheGamer, Knack 2, God of War 3 Remastered and Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection have all disappeared from the PS store in select parts of the world.
While it's unlikely anyone is pining for Knack 2, both God of War 3 Remastered and Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection are absolute classics. These games could be considered the pillars that the previous PlayStation generation built its success on, and it boggles the mind that they would remove them from the store. If you already own (a touchy point these days) digital copies of these games, you will still have access to download and play them from your library, but any newcomers won't be able to purchase them.
Flash forward to next year, and if PlayStation goes through with their promise of no more physical discs being produced, then player choice is starting to feel like it's out of our hands. It's not all doom and gloom though, as updated reports show that the games have only been temporarily removed due to pricing errors across other regions. But the cynic in me believes the God of War 3 remaster was removed in order to pump more sales towards the upcoming God of War Trilogy Remake for PS5.
As for Knack 2, well it doesn't look good. Not only has PlayStation officially shut down the studio behind the game, but also neither Knack nor Knack 2 performed very well sales wise. Not many will be too fussed about not being able to purchase Knack 2, but if PlayStation is allowed to pick and choose what we buy through the PS Store and physical discs cease to exist, it's not looking great for player choice and freedom in 2027.
So what can us gamers do? Well, support physical media before it disappears. If you own the disc, you own the game. It should never be more complicated than that. With upcoming titles like Grand Theft Auto VI releasing with only a code in the box and no physical disc, it's a sure-fire sign of the way the game industry is leaning. So, if gamers want to keep physical media and own their games rather than renting access to them, it might be time to vote with your wallet and support physical media. Hopefully, PlayStation does a U-turn on this awful decision . . . fingers crossed.
