Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden defends physical games as "super important"

Former PlayStation Worldwide Studios chairman Shawn Layden criticized the industry's shift away from physical games, warning that an all-digital future blurs the line between owning a game and merely accessing a digital asset. He said disc buyers, even if a minority, are the most loyal customers and that dropping physical media risks damaging brand reputation.

• Layden: the 20% who buy discs are "the most faithful of the faithful"
• He called Sony's disc decision a "heavily spreadsheeted" cost-and-profit call
• Main concern: ownership of a game is being replaced by access to a digital asset
• He warned dropping physical media brings a significant brand and reputation hit