Following the announcement that Grand Theft Auto VI would receive a physical edition, but would not include a disc with the purchase of it, and instead contain a code in the box, several developers have found themselves on the receiving end of questions attempting to sort out if this will become some new standard. One of these developers, Insomniac Games, recently answered fan questions concerning Marvel’s Wolverine potentially shipping the same way.
Grand Theft Auto VI is currently expected to be one of the biggest entertainment releases of all time. Suggested to be developed on a budget of $1-1.5 billion dollars, pre-orders for the title opened today, with analysts expecting the game to surpass said budget just on these initial sales. Given these facts, many were shocked to see Rockstar decide on this release strategy when, of all the developers on this planet, they could get away with releasing the game however they want. Given that even companies like Nintendo have adopted a sales model that favors digital, following the current industry trend, such a juggernaut going this route has invoked the question: Is physical media finally dead?
Sony-owned Insomniac Games responded to fan questions with a simple response. “The physical version will include a disc in box,” the studio stated. Of course, we have a host of games releasing in September, which has become crowded because of Grand Theft Auto VI‘s November date, which announced physical editions that were never in question right up until this moment. This Insomniac Tweet has been viewed nearly 2M times, with comments on it being mainly positive. It almost makes you forget the Collector’s Editions for Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, both of which included digital codes. Most likely, we will not experience the full effect of this until later, though.
Rockstar has yet to speak publicly about the decision to forgo a physical disc. Analysts have suggested a few reasons for this, though, suggesting that not featuring a disc will cut down on and avoid damaging leaks. Not producing a disc also cuts down on manufacturing costs and allows Rockstar to record more profit in sales, as well as control the price of the product. All this said, though, both of these would be true without the company needing to produce a physical version at all.
Marvel’s Wolverine is set to release on September 15, 2026, as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. Grand Theft Auto VI will release on September 19th for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.
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