Ubisoft CEO Says Ending Disc Production Won't Disturb the Industry Much
Guillemot's remarks frame the end of physical game discs as an inevitable, low-impact evolution, but the Reddit backlash highlights a key difference between PC and console ecosystems that his PC-based analogy does not address.
Key Facts
- Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot made the statement during a Q&A session for the fiscal 2026-27 first-quarter earnings call.
- Guillemot said the shift to digital on PC helped drive market growth.
- He said going digital-only could help console makers offer more affordable hardware as costs face pressure.
- Guillemot acknowledged both pros and cons of digital-only but stated ending disc production won't disturb the industry much.
- The comments drew mixed reactions on Reddit, with some users arguing consoles lack alternative storefronts unlike PC.
Reporting from 2 sources: GameBusiness.jp, Game Spark.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said during a Q&A session for the company's fiscal 2026-27 first-quarter earnings call that ending disc production for new PlayStation games will not significantly disrupt the industry. He pointed to the PC market's digital transition, which he said helped drive market growth, as a precedent. A questioner had asked about the potential impact on demand from the loss of the used-game market, where players sell old discs to fund new purchases. Guillemot acknowledged both pros and cons of a digital-only model but argued that the shift would not disturb the industry much. He also noted that going digital-only could help console makers offer more affordable hardware as costs face pressure. The comments, reported by multiple outlets including GamesRadar+, drew mixed reactions on Reddit. Some users argued that consoles lack alternative storefronts unlike PC, making the comparison invalid, while others agreed with Guillemot, saying the impact will not be huge and times are changing.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot made the comments during a Q&A session at the company's fiscal 2026-27 first-quarter earnings call, as reported by multiple outlets including GamesRadar+. The questioner specifically asked about the potential direct or indirect impact on demand from the loss of the used-game market, which allows players to sell their existing discs to fund new purchases. Guillemot responded by citing the PC market, where the transition to digital distribution helped drive market growth. He added that in the future, as console hardware faces cost pressures, going digital-only could help offer machines at more affordable prices. He acknowledged both pros and cons of a digital-only model but stated that ending disc production won't disturb the industry that much. On Reddit, some users pushed back, arguing that consoles lack alternative storefronts unlike PC, making the comparison invalid. Others agreed with Guillemot, saying that despite pessimism, the impact won't be huge and times are changing.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.