There have been reports of more layoffs at Sony, and while the gaming industry is not directly affected by the latest layoffs, it is a problematic case if true.

According to one rumor, around 250 people have been laid off in the company’s “recordable media” business. This is not directly related to PlayStation, but it could affect it in the long run. In 2023 we heard the word “layoffs” a lot, and Microsoft led the way with about 10,000 (!!!) layoffs, which they upped by another 1,900 earlier this year. Sony announced a few months ago that it would lay off about 900 people in its PlayStation division, but one could list the others that have followed suit: Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Ubisoft, SEGA, Square Enix, Embracer Group…

Mainichi, a major Japanese publication, has reported that Sony Group Crop. is planning to lay off about 250 of the 670 employees of its recordable media division, or 37% of the workforce, at its manufacturing center in northeastern Japan. That means physical media could be on the chopping block, and not just for TV shows or movies, but for games as well. The reasoning? “The planned job cuts come amid a decline in demand for traditional storage formats such as Blu-ray discs, with streaming services now the norm.”

According to Mainichi, Sony will gradually start cutting back on disc production, including Blu-ray discs, and although the publication doesn’t mention that games will be affected, don’t forget that they come on Blu-ray discs too! So it would be a logistical nightmare if only the movie and TV market were to be cut back.

Which brings us to what was in the news this week: rumors are that the next generation Xbox will be digital only, so Microsoft may drop the Blu-ray drive, and Sony may follow with the PlayStation 7. If Sony is gradually cutting back on production, these could line up…

Source: GameRant, The Mainichi