Inside the last factory that still presses game discs
Physical sales shrink every year. We visited the plant that keeps the format alive and met the people who run it.
Console prices used to fall as a generation aged. For the last several years they have not, and the reasons say a lot about where the business is heading.
The component story
Memory and storage costs rose just as manufacturers expected them to drop. A console is sold on thin margins at the best of times, and those margins disappeared quickly.
The strategy story
The larger change is deliberate. Platform holders now earn most of their profit from software and subscriptions, and they have decided that hardware no longer needs to be sold at a loss to win customers.
The box under your television is no longer the product. Your account is.
What it means for players
Expect fewer price cuts and more bundles. If you are waiting for a discount, the best window is still late November. Our buying guide tracks every confirmed offer.
Tomas Reedwell
Tomas Reedwell writes about all gaming topics, including news, guides, reviews, games, and gear. He is curious about how games work and what they make people think. He explains the basics before asking bigger questions. His views come with reasons that readers can weigh for themselves. He welcomes people who see things another way. Tomas enjoys plays, old tales, and drawing rooms from worlds he has made up. These hobbies feed his love of stories and small details. His writing aims to spark thought without becoming hard to follow. He wants readers to learn, explore, and enjoy talking about games.
