{"rewrite":{"id":"r_94d072793e126890bc65eb51","clusterId":"c_213c0278502a921151ed01af","slug":"analysts-warn-sony-disc-end-could-kill-used-game-market","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Analysts Warn Sony Disc End Could Kill Used Game Market","summary":"Sony will stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games in January 2028. Analysts warn the used game market, valued at $7.2 billion in 2025, could eventually disappear. Ubisoft disagrees, saying digitalization will not cause major disruption. Views are divided across the industry.","whyItMatters":"The used game market is a $7.2 billion business, and Sony's disc phase-out could eliminate it, while Ubisoft argues digital-only will not disrupt the industry.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eSony\u0026#39;s decision to end physical disc production for new PlayStation games in January 2028 has split the industry. Market research firm Dataintelo values the global used game market at $7.2 billion for 2025, with projections reaching $13.8 billion by 2034. In the US, over 38% of video game transactions in 2025 involved used games.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMorningstar analyst Kazunori Ito predicts the market will shrink and eventually vanish as new games stop circulating. F-Squared co-founder Michael Futter warns retailers will suffer, since used game sales funded new purchases. Ubisoft, in its July 24 earnings call, said digitalization helped PC market growth and could lower hardware prices, predicting no major disruption.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Sony's disc phase-out in 2028 puts a $7.2 billion used market at risk. Ubisoft's 'no major disruption' forecast assumes digital sales replace physical, but it ignores the resale revenue that never transfers to publishers.","twitterPost":"Sony's 2028 disc end could erase a $7.2B used market. Ubisoft's 'no disruption' view ignores that resale revenue never reaches publishers.","threadsPost":"Sony stops making discs for new PlayStation games in January 2028. Analysts say the $7.2 billion used game market could vanish. Ubisoft predicts no major disruption. The split is about who counts the resale dollar: publishers never see it, so Ubisoft's calm may be self-serving.","newsletterBlurb":"Sony's plan to stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games in January 2028 has analysts warning the $7.2 billion used game market could eventually disappear. Ubisoft disagrees, saying digitalization will not cause major disruption. The industry is split.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260724-456575/\",\"title\":\"Analysts Warn That the '100-Billion-Yen' Used Game Market Will Eventually Disappear After PlayStation Stops Producing Physical Discs; Ubisoft Predicts 'No Major Disruption,' Views Divided\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4611,"outputTokens":557,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1786063807,"createdAt":"2026-08-07T00:34:27.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-07T00:34:59.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-07T00:34:27.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_213c0278502a921151ed01af","canonicalTitle":"PlayStationの物理ディスク生産終了後には、“1兆円規模”中古ゲーム市場がいずれ消滅するとアナリストが警鐘。一方Ubisoftは「大きな混乱なし」と予測、割れる見立て","representativeArticleId":"a_365835987eb79ab8f55b3d64","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[\"Ubisoft\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-24T10:48:26.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-24T10:48:26.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-07T00:34:59.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260724-456575/","title":"PlayStationの物理ディスク生産終了後には、“1兆円規模”中古ゲーム市場がいずれ消滅するとアナリストが警鐘。一方Ubisoftは「大きな混乱なし」と予測、割れる見立て"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":["Ubisoft"],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}