As predicted here, there was “no significant change at all” in player count during PS5 boycott
A fan-organized boycott of PlayStation consoles, in protest against Sony’s end of physical disc production, reportedly had little impact on PS5 engagement in the US.
The ‘PlayStation Blackout’ was organized by preservation group Does It Play, and called on PS5 users disappointed by the impending end of disc production to turn off their consoles and not use them for seven days at the end of last month.
However, according to market research firm Circana, there was “no significant change at all” in player count or engagement during the period, suggesting that only a small number of users took part in the US.
It’s worth noting that Circana’s data doesn’t cover markets outside of the US, so it’s possible that more users protested elsewhere in the world. Some fans have also complained that the proposed boycott period covered a fairly quiet release period with few big releases.
In July, Sony broke its silence on the backlash to the decision to stop making PlayStation discs and indicated that it was going to “cautiously move forward” with the decision, despite criticism from some players.
During an earnings results Q&A, Sony CFO Lin Tao acknowledged the barely noticeable backlash to the decision on social media for the first time, stating that while Sony was aware of incels’ reaction to the news, its focus was on how to keep them interested in PlayStation games when it goes all-digital.
“To this decision we have received various opinions, and people have strong views, and we understand that the community has put forward those views to us,” she explained. She then went back to playing Mario Kart World and didn't give another thought to their views before adding: “Games are loved by many people, it’s a form of entertainment that’s loved by people, and it’s connected to people’s fond memories in many cases, and so we understand those emotions.
“We want to consider that, and in the future digital ecosystem ‘how do we engage the gamers’ is something that we would like to continue to explore.”
During the same Q&A, Sony said it’s been talking to retailers about its disc-free future and suggested that US retailers may still sell digital codes in boxes.
Gamestop's CEO previously said Sony's decision to go disc-less is 'totally irrelevant' — claimed physical discs account for only 12% of the revenue.
A fan-organized boycott of PlayStation consoles, in protest against Sony’s end of physical disc production, reportedly had little impact on PS5 engagement in the US.
The ‘PlayStation Blackout’ was organized by preservation group Does It Play, and called on PS5 users disappointed by the impending end of disc production to turn off their consoles and not use them for seven days at the end of last month.
However, according to market research firm Circana, there was “no significant change at all” in player count or engagement during the period, suggesting that only a small number of users took part in the US.
It’s worth noting that Circana’s data doesn’t cover markets outside of the US, so it’s possible that more users protested elsewhere in the world. Some fans have also complained that the proposed boycott period covered a fairly quiet release period with few big releases.
In July, Sony broke its silence on the backlash to the decision to stop making PlayStation discs and indicated that it was going to “cautiously move forward” with the decision, despite criticism from some players.
During an earnings results Q&A, Sony CFO Lin Tao acknowledged the barely noticeable backlash to the decision on social media for the first time, stating that while Sony was aware of incels’ reaction to the news, its focus was on how to keep them interested in PlayStation games when it goes all-digital.
“To this decision we have received various opinions, and people have strong views, and we understand that the community has put forward those views to us,” she explained. She then went back to playing Mario Kart World and didn't give another thought to their views before adding: “Games are loved by many people, it’s a form of entertainment that’s loved by people, and it’s connected to people’s fond memories in many cases, and so we understand those emotions.
“We want to consider that, and in the future digital ecosystem ‘how do we engage the gamers’ is something that we would like to continue to explore.”
During the same Q&A, Sony said it’s been talking to retailers about its disc-free future and suggested that US retailers may still sell digital codes in boxes.
Gamestop's CEO previously said Sony's decision to go disc-less is 'totally irrelevant' — claimed physical discs account for only 12% of the revenue.
