Bitget App
Trade smarter
Buy cryptoMarketsTradeFuturesEarnAISquareMore
How to Anger 166,000 Fans and Please Wall Street in One Post: Ask Sony

How to Anger 166,000 Fans and Please Wall Street in One Post: Ask Sony

BeInCryptoBeInCrypto2026/07/07 14:57
By:BeInCrypto
Sony shares have gained about 8.6% since July 1, even as the PlayStation disc backlash stretches into a sixth day without any response from the company. The Dont Kill the Disc movement now spans a six-figure petition, protest posts that rival GTA 6 trailer views, and eight Community Notes accusing Sony of misleading sales data. Investors Reward the All-Digital Pivot Sony confirmed on July 1 that it will stop making physical discs for new PlayStation games from January 2028. Investors welcomed the plan almost immediately. Sonys Tokyo-listed shares have risen around 8.6% since the announcement. The US-listed stock added almost 6% across the same five sessions on the NYSE. Sony Stock Price Chart. Source: TradingView The market logic looks simple. Every digital sale runs through the PlayStation Store, where Sony sets prices and keeps higher margins. Sony says digital formats already made up close to 80% of its full-game sales last year. In contrast, Take-Two stock fell in June after GTA 6 pre-orders arrived with a disc-free box. Meanwhile, Microsoft announced plans to cut 3,200 Xbox roles, a sign of cost pressure across the console business. PlayStation Disc Backlash Tops 166,000 Signatures Consumers read the same plan very differently. A Change.org petition urging Sony to keep disc-based games alive counts more than 166,000 verified signatures. The campaign launched on July 1, within hours of Sonys announcement. Retailers and distributors back it as well, since an all-digital future threatens trade-in and second-hand businesses. Signers also recall Sonys E3 2013 marketing, which promoted disc sharing and permanent ownership. Protest slogans such as Stop the Digital Monopoly keep spreading across X. Sonys July 1 post alone has passed 162 million views, drawing even more views than the official post for the first GTA 6 trailer. Timing feeds the anger. GTA 6 launches on November 19 without a disc, and the earlier GTA 6 pricing debate had already left players questioning value and ownership. Eight Community Notes Challenge Sonys Sales Data PlayStations announcement post now carries eight Community Notes, and X users currently rate all of them as helpful. Several notes argue that Sonys 78/22 digital-to-physical split overstates the shift away from discs. According to the notes, that figure counts DLC, live-service titles, and digital-only releases. One note cites leaked Insomniac data suggesting far higher physical shares for Sonys single-player titles. Other notes cite EU competition law and warn that digital purchases remain revocable licenses rather than owned goods. Sony strengthened that fear in June when it announced plans to delete purchased StudioCanal movies from PlayStation accounts in September. So far, Sony has answered the protest with silence while the pressure compounds daily. The coming weeks may reveal whether the company defends its data before GTA 6 arrives disc-free in November.
0
0

Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.

Understand the market, then trade.
Bitget offers one-stop trading for cryptocurrencies, stocks, and gold.
Trade now!

You may also like

As AI controversies escalate, hedge funds buy tech stocks at the fastest pace in 15 months

Hedge funds have recorded net purchases of US TMT stocks on 10 out of the past 11 trading days, rebuilding tech long positions at the fastest pace in 15 months. However, an AI policy storm has struck at the "worst possible time"—calls by AI giants to slow down development have been rejected, and regulatory uncertainty has directly hit Asian tech stocks such as Softbank. As the tech sector's bullish run coincides with Super Central Bank Week, the sector now faces a severe test.

华尔街见闻2026/09/14 07:03

Apple Pre-sale Tracker: iPhone 18 Pro Series Shows Weak Overseas Demand Signals, Duo Review Positive but Hardware Lags Behind

According to a survey by Jefferies, after the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro, delivery wait times in the four major markets—the US, UK, Germany, and Japan—have shortened by 5 to 11 days compared to last year, with no wait time in the US. Given stable production capacity, this is a clear sign of weak demand. Although the China and Hong Kong markets have performed better against the trend, there are still suspicions of speculative stockpiling. The new foldable Duo has been praised for its software experience, but its $2,000 price tag comes with a 254-gram body and dual-camera setup, leaving its hardware lagging significantly behind Android competitors. Jefferies maintains an "underperform" rating, with a target price implying a 21% downside from the current level.

华尔街见闻2026/09/14 06:42

UBS Health Benefit Survey: Elevance Health (ELV.US) Leads, U.S. Employers Prepare for Rising Medical Costs

In the annual survey by UBS for employee benefits management institutions, Elevance Health (ELV.US) emerged as the highest-rated US health insurance company.

智通财经2026/09/14 06:36
UBS Health Benefit Survey: Elevance Health (ELV.US) Leads, U.S. Employers Prepare for Rising Medical Costs