Sony's recent shadow drop of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 for PlayStation 4 and 5 has seemingly fractured the "no disc, no buy" protest movement that emerged in response to the company's plans to end physical game support in 2028. The ports, released on July 10, have been met with significant player engagement, a stark contrast to recent PlayStation social media posts that have been overwhelmingly criticized.
The official PlayStation X account announced the availability of the Black Ops titles, receiving 34,000 likes against only 9,000 comments. This engagement metric signifies a departure from the trend of Sony's posts being heavily ratioed by negative comments regarding the planned discontinuation of physical media. This shift has led many to question the true commitment and impact of the online boycott.
Players have expressed dismay at the perceived hypocrisy of those who previously advocated for physical media, only to purchase decade-old games at premium prices. "Y’all are farmed cattle GG," one user commented, referencing the $40 cost per game, with additional charges for DLC, and the requirement for PS Plus to play online. "Nothing these companies can do is too far for y’all if you people are ACTUALLY buying two SIXTEEN year old video games with NO UPDATES for $40 DOLLARS EACH with a separate purchase of DLC for $30. EACH. $70 PORTS."
Others have noted the rapid dissipation of the protest. "Some of the people who claimed no disc no buy have already folded. It aint been A WEEK BRO! LMAOOO," observed podcaster BrokenGamezHDR. This sentiment is echoed by social media users who pointed out that the positive reception to the Black Ops ports contrasts sharply with previous criticism leveled at Sony.
The ports themselves offer minimal enhancements over their original PS3 releases, raising further questions about their value proposition. Despite this, the shadow drop has led to a significant uptake, with some suggesting that "casuals definitely vastly out number the core audience."
Not all players have abandoned the boycott. Some have publicly declared their departure from the PlayStation ecosystem, with one user sharing a receipt of trading in their PlayStation 5 and games for a move to Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. Others have posted evidence of canceling their PS Plus subscriptions or purchasing physical copies of other titles.
Industry analysts suggest that while Sony was aware of the online backlash, the financial incentives of digital distribution are too significant to deter their strategy. Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, stated, "Sony has over 120 million active PlayStation users. Around 50 million people subscribe to PlayStation Plus. As a thought experiment, let’s say 500,000 cancel in protest, that would be just 1 percent of that business gone—of course not enough to Sony to start rethinking. Digital is just too lucrative."
This perspective has fueled conspiracy theories among some players, who allege that analysts are being paid by Sony to downplay the boycott's impact. Daniel Ahmad, research and insights director at Niko Partners, commented on these theories, noting the progression to "QAnon stage of the backlash." The debate also highlights a misunderstanding among some players, who conflate support for physical media with an opposition to digital-only releases entirely.
The long-term impact of this particular incident on the broader discourse surrounding physical versus digital media remains to be seen, with nuance often lost in online discussions.