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Shawn Layden, former head of PlayStation in the United States, shared his perspective on the industry's digital future during an appearance on The Expansion Pass podcast. He expressed concern that transitioning away from physical media could ultimately damage the reputation and brand image of PlayStation.
While acknowledging that digital downloading offers undeniable convenience compared to using physical discs, Layden emphasized that the remaining minority of players who buy physical copies are critically important to the ecosystem.
According to Layden, physical format supporters represent the most loyal customers, often acting as dedicated collectors who desire to display their items. Furthermore, he noted that purchasing digital licenses rather than physical media means players own nothing since those assets cannot be resold.
Although he noted he was absent from financial planning discussions and spreadsheet calculations driving these corporate choices, Layden believes moving entirely toward renting digital licenses will negatively impact brand perception.
