Just this July, Sony unexpectedly announced that it would fully cease production of physical versions of new PlayStation games in 2028, immediately sparking strong backlash among players who love collecting physical game discs, who argued that this would completely kill players’ right to “own a game” and affect future preservation. But surprisingly, Sony officially confirmed in a recent email that these concerns “are all valid.”
In a recent “PlayStation Services Terms Update” email sent to players in the EU, Sony officially reminded players once again of the terms in their “End User License Agreement” (EULA), specifically stressing that when purchasing digital versions, players receive a “license to play” rather than “ownership” of a game. Unsurprisingly, with the dispute over PlayStation’s digitalization still unresolved, such a statement only adds fuel to the fire for frustrated players.
Below are two EULA-related points that Sony emphasized in this email.
1.4 License Granted to You: This software is licensed to you, not sold. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, personal license to play or use the software solely on the originally designated system or device, for private, non-commercial purposes. This license takes effect only from the official release date, early access date, or beta release date indicated for the software. All rights related to the software not expressly granted to you under this license are reserved by us, including all intellectual property rights in the software.
4.2 Access Restrictions; Availability Limitations. Virtual content is provided under a license, not owned by you. If you violate these software terms, any account associated with the software is closed, terminated, banned, or suspended, or modifications to the software under Section 3.2 cause the virtual content to cease being provided, then Sony Interactive Entertainment may terminate your access to the virtual content.
You understand and agree that, apart from the virtual content license itself being subject to the purchase and cancellation terms and conditions of the store or supplier, the supply of virtual content is not guaranteed, prices may change at any time, and order quantities may also be limited without prior notice. Purchases of virtual content licenses may not be refundable; please be sure to carefully review the relevant terms and conditions of the virtual content store or supplier.
Simply put, Sony seems to want to remind players through these EULAs that after purchasing a digital game, they never actually truly “own” the game—they only acquire a license to use it. As for the subsequent handling of that license, whether it’s destruction, modification, or revocation, it all remains firmly in Sony’s hands.
Currently, many players have already launched boycott actions against PlayStation’s decision to go fully digital, but Sony seems to have firmly made up its mind on this matter, and it appears unlikely to change its stance in the short term.
Source: KOCPC Chinese