- Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot says Sony’s plan to end production of physical game discs won’t have major impact on the industry
- Guillemot says there are pros and cons to this decision
- He says: “I think it won’t disrupt the industry too much”
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot doesn’t think Sony’s decision to stop producing physical game discs will have a huge impact on the industry.
Guillemot’s comment follows an earnings conference call following the release of its first quarter 2026-27 sales (via VGC), during which the CEO was asked whether Sony’s plan to end disc production from January 2028 could have a positive or negative effect on the future of the video game industry.
Although many disagree with Sony’s decision and some analysts predict it will endanger the $7.2 billion used games market, Guillemot doesn’t think it will have a major impact on the industry as a whole.
Latest videos fromTechRadar
Bold statements
“What we’ve seen on PC is that it’s helped the market grow,” Guillemot said. “There is also some pressure going forward on the cost of machines, and being able to be digital-only will help to have a more accessible machine, I think.
“As you said, there are pros and cons, but I think it won’t disrupt the industry too much.”
Sony announced its plan earlier this month and saw an overwhelming response from fans. Sony’s plan to phase out discs in two years now poses a threat to the used games market, according to Michael Pachter, managing director of strategic planning at Wedbush Securities.
“In reality, at least a third of the games were sold as-is, and the games sold also provided currency to the player who exchanged them for money to pay for new games,” Pachter said. “Physical game retailing is doomed to failure.”
Sega President Shuji Utsumi also addressed the controversy and said that while going digital is “crucial,” the company still understands the importance of physical media.
Similarly, former Nippon Ichi Software CEO Sohei Niikawa understands the decision “from a purely business perspective” but says physical editions remain “very important” to fans.
“If they’re going to go as far as eliminating the physical packages, they might as well eliminate the hardware,” Niikawa said. “A TV would be enough. Why would you need the console? If you’re going to get rid of physical games, you might as well go all the way.”
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
The best game consoles
