Reactions are growing against Sony's decision to cease production of physical PlayStation game discs as of January 2028. Now, the hacker group Anonymous has targeted the company in a statement, asserting that digital games are not products truly owned by users.
"Digital Games are Merely Licenses"
In a post on the X platform, Anonymous stated, "The end of owning games is coming," arguing that the complete removal of physical games would lead to significant loss of rights for players. According to the group, physical game discs can be played without an internet connection or user account. Furthermore, even if a game is removed from a digital store, it can still be used, lent to others, or sold second-hand.
Anonymous stated that if Sony transitions solely to digital distribution, users would effectively acquire a usage license rather than purchasing the game itself. According to the group, terms like "buy," "own," or "sell" in Sony's software usage agreement do not imply that ownership of the product transfers to the user.
The group also emphasized that the agreement contains clauses stating that if a user account or license terminates, content must cease to be used and existing copies must be deleted. Anonymous cited Ubisoft's game The Crew, which was playable online but became inaccessible after its servers were shut down, as an example in the digital game ownership debate.
The group argued that this clearly demonstrates the risks posed by the digital game licensing model for users. In its statement, Anonymous also referred to a new regulation enacted in California, USA. This law mandates that digital stores must clearly state to consumers that they are acquiring only a usage license, not ownership, of the digital content they purchase.
0 Comments: