End of Physical Media Doesn’t Matter, Says GameStop CEO

Ryan Cohen, CEO of GameStop, spoke out following Sony's moves regarding the end of physical media. In the view of the executive, who leads the largest video game retailer in the United States, it does not matter to his company.

"It doesn't matter at all. Software used to be important in the past, but today it makes up less than 12% of the business, and collectibles account for more than half of revenue. So it's completely irrelevant," he stated in an interview with Bloomberg.

The report's findings present figures slightly different from those cited by Cohen — software represents 18% of revenue, and collectibles 41% — but they still support the CEO's narrative. Either way, it still feels a bit strange to hear that from a retail chain that made its name selling physical games.

In recent years, however, growing interest in items such as Pokémon TCG cards has opened up new horizons for GameStop, which now devotes only a small portion of its stores to shelves of discs. Action figures, peripherals, and other collectible items take up most of the physical space.

In any case, it should still take some time before the real effects of Sony's decision are felt. The company will stop producing physical media in 2028, but titles such as God of War: Laufey are still expected to get a disc version.