Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)'s announcement to cease physical PlayStation game production by 2028 and close the PS3 and PS Vita stores has ignited a firestorm of player backlash, making the original post one of PlayStation's most-viewed social media updates in recent years.
According to external media reports, the announcement on X (formerly Twitter) had garnered 142.5 million views at the time of writing, with an additional million views accumulating in a short period.
In comparison, Rockstar Games' previous post revealing the "Grand Theft Auto VI" cover art and announcing pre-order details currently stands at approximately 83.1 million views. This means PlayStation's highly controversial declaration to end physical games has not only surpassed the "GTA 6" cover reveal but is also approaching nearly double its viewership.
External media outlets noted that while social media criticism often represents a concentrated echo chamber of core players rather than broader public opinion, the current situation is markedly different. The nearly 150 million views indicate that the news has broken beyond typical gaming circles, prompting discussions among not just hardcore enthusiasts but also casual players about digital game ownership, the disappearance of physical collections, and the preservation of content after older platform stores close.
The backlash has also impacted other Sony promotions. After the announcement, the official PlayStation account went silent for a period, and posts from Sony Pictures promoting "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" were inundated with comments from players demanding that Sony preserve physical games or address its publishing policy post-2028.
In the past, PlayStation temporarily halted the closure of the PS3 and PS Vita stores due to player opposition, leading observers to question whether the current wave of outrage will be enough to force Sony to change course. However, reports indicate that one of PlayStation's game disc production facilities appears to have shifted to new products as early as 2024, suggesting that the move away from physical games may have been a multi-year plan, possibly reaching a point of no return.
via： TheGamer