Sony will delete 551 movies and series from its customers. Gabe Newell stated 15 years ago that this is a service problem and leads people to piracy. And Generation Z is likely to feel confirmed in this: young people are increasingly turning to physical media.
What exactly did Sony do? Sony announced that it intends to remove all movies and series from Studio Canal on PlayStation by September 1, 2026. This affects all individuals who purchased corresponding products in the UK. This was reported by the magazine TomsHardware.
Anyone who purchased one of these films will lose access from the deadline, even if they have paid for it. In total, this change affects 551 products.
This sudden announcement has caught many users off guard and has reignited the discussion about what digital ownership actually means in a modern world: Gen Z has long been turning away from digital things, and even Gabe Newell was right 15 years ago when he stated that the problem with digital products is not the prices, but the service behind it. The service that is now becoming a curse for many users.
Newell stated that piracy is a service problem
What exactly did Gabe Newell say? The Valve co-founder spoke on October 1, 2011, during his appearance at the Tech-NW conference of the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) on the topic with the following words (via gamesradar.com):
One insight we have gained is that piracy is not a price problem. It is a service problem. The easiest way to stop piracy is not to deploy anti-piracy technology. Rather, it is about providing these people with a service that is better than what they receive from the pirates.
Sony now shows with its decision to delete hundreds of movies that its service cannot be relied upon, as purchased movies can be deleted and removed at any time. This, in turn, leads users to call on Reddit to buy movies physically again or turn to piracy right away. Exactly what Newell had predicted. People have no problem with the prices, but with how service is offered to them.
Young people see it similarly when it comes to physical media: Generation Z has been increasingly relying on physical media again: books, DVDs, and Blu-rays. The reasons are mainly that many young people want to own their movies and books again and do not want to depend on streaming or a platform. Sony’s decision might also play into the hands of Gen Z.
While Gen Z is collecting Blu-rays and DVDs again and consciously focusing on physical media, another case shows how turbulent the market has been recently. Elsewhere, old DVD stocks were being sold off as of 2024: In the USA, people raided decommissioned Redbox machines and resold the discs
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!