It seems like Sony has been in the news a lot lately, and rarely for good reasons. The latest controversy is their announcement that they’ll no longer offer physical games; everything is going digital from now on. A lot of people are upset because they value the ability to collect physical copies. In the past, you had cartridges and discs that you could proudly display on your shelf, just like movies. Many companies are now shifting entirely to digital, and on paper it makes sense.
It’s far more cost-efficient, no printing discs and covers, no manufacturing, and no middlemen. They can sell straight to customers and keep more of the profit. Investors seem to love the idea. But the backlash has been intense. Other companies started mocking Sony, with pizza chains joking that they’d go fully digital too, which of course is ridiculous for physical products like food. This raises an interesting question: even if going fully digital saves money, is there a point where a company should accept higher costs to keep its customers happy?
Businesses exist to make money, but they also need satisfied customers. When a large portion of your fanbase clearly values physical media, should you ignore that? Physical items carry a different kind of value. Collectors treat sports cards, Pokémon cards, or game discs as tangible treasures. A digital version just doesn’t feel the same. If a trading card company suddenly announced they were dropping physical cards to save costs, their entire collector base would revolt.
So for a healthy company that’s not struggling financially, chasing a few extra dollars at the expense of deeply disappointing your customers doesn’t seem wise. Sometimes the smart business move isn’t the cheapest one.