Capcom has announced that it has no plans to discontinue the availability of its games via physical media.
During the Q&A session at its 45th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, Capcom was asked about its outlook and policy on the decreasing ratio of physical game sales as end user needs for digital are increasing.
In its response, Capcom stated that, given how a significant number of end users demand physical games, it currently does not
expect to eliminate physical media from its future plans. Though, given the use of the term “currently”, the publisher is likely evaluating the market situation on a constant basis and may alter plans accordingly when it sees very limited potential in sales of its games via physical media. Fpr now, there is value in selling both regular and pricier editions of its popular titles, as the demand for it continues to exist.
Meanwhile, Mat Piscatella, the Executive Director and Video Game Industry Advisor at Circana (NPD), tends to have a different opinion regarding the future of physical media. He recently took to Twitter/X to remind fans of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered that the game’s Xbox version is not planned for release at traditional retail, and the Collector’s Edition is their only chance to get a physical version for the platform. Piscatella stated that gaming audiences should probably get used to there being no physical Xbox versions of games across the market sooner rather than later.
The analyst gave PlayStation another console generation and Nintendo two before they go all-digital like Xbox is already beginning to do. A Twitter/X user responded to him by saying that Nintendo’s audience includes casual players who pick up games in the store at a whim. As a result, its games tend to be “evergreen” long-term sellers, which is why the console maker may never abandon physical games. Piscatella didn’t agree with these views, however.
