At the time of press, there is a well-publicised protest taking place in the video games community. PlayStation 5 owners are being encouraged to log off from their consoles between 23 and 30 August – no playing games, no downloading new titles. The motivating factor is Sony’s decision to cease physical game disc production from January 2028.
After that, games will only be released as digital products. In an act of poor timing or wilful defiance, Sony chose this week to send out a mass email reminding customers of their PS5 terms and conditions: “The software is licensed to you, not sold,” states the relevant clause. There has always been a tension between game players and game publishers – an underlying sense of mutual mistrust.
Players are wary of their favourite franchises being canned, or games being delayed or released with bugs. Publishers and manufacturers are wary of piracy and the capricious tastes of consumers. But now the atmosphere among many game players feels more starkly political than ever.
Microsoft has been targeted by the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement for its ties to the Israeli military; the consumer advocacy group Stop Killing Games is gaining support; players have protested over the purchase of Electronic Arts by a Saudi-led consortium – boycotts have been proposed in part due to the possible ramifications regarding LGBTQ+ content in titles such as The Sims. As the games industry has grown and globalised, its impact on culture, society and politics has increased. Yet, on an individual level, gamers and consumers are feeling increasingly powerless.
Is it possible to divest from the mainstream games industrial complex as a player? Yes, but with obvious sacrifices. Your PS5 still runs physical discs (if it has an optical drive) and will also play almost all PS4 games, so you have enough single-player titles to see you out for several decades.
You could buy a secondhand Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo machine from any era and find games that are still wildly pleasurable. Instead of playing online, you could rediscover couch co-op via evergreen titles such as Micro Machines and Worms. Alternatively, it’s possible to build a functional gaming PC for about £500, especially if you source secondhand components, that will let you play most current titles on lower graphics settings, while Steam, Itch.io or GOG all give you access to the vast, rich independent gaming scene.
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