It’s no secret that i physical media are sadly in decline, even if they die hard.
With a litany of streaming services, like Game Pass and PS Plus, there’s almost no need to collect Blu-rays and box sets anymore, including the presence of digital-only consoles, like the Series S (which you can find on Amazon).
Moreover, according to market expert Mat Piscatella, physical video games could become a distant memory in just a few generations.
That said, as reported by The Mainichi (via The Gamer), Sony is reportedly about to cut a significant portion of the workforce at its production base in Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture.
This establishment is responsible for Blu-ray production and the news paints a bleak picture for employees and physical media collectors.
In his report, The Mainichi notes that the production base of Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture, hosts approximately 670 employees.
Of these, Sony would intend to eliminate 250 jobs. This figure is close to 40% of the plant’s workforce.
Additionally, older employees will be offered an early retirement package, according to reports.
The expected cuts and deletions stem from declining demand for physical media, such as Blu-ray discs, with Netflix and Hulu dominating the streaming service sphere.
Furthermore, second The Mainichi, in the future Sony will stop producing Blu-rays altogether. There is no timeline given for this decision.
While it’s been clear for some time that movies, TV, and games are heading towards an all-digital future, there was still hope for a reality where physical media they will survive.
After all, just a few days ago Limited Run Games announced over 20 physical editions of video games.
Not to mention that at least for now several stores are continuing to sell physical games, despite some reports trying to claim otherwise.
