Summary
In recent years, we’ve seen an undeniable shift away from physical game releases, as the industry pushes for a digital-only future. Even the 2023 Game of the Year winner,Baldur’s Gate 3,didn’t get a physical release until long after launch, showing that this isn’t always a guarantee.
Similarly,Black Myth: Wukongdidn’t release physically until after its digital launch. However, according to its physical publisher, PM Studios, it’s a good thing that it did, because this release has performed incredibly well.
PM Studios Stresses The Importance Of Physical Game Releases In Certain Regions
This comes from PM Studios CEO Mike Yum, who spoke with our own Eric Switzer at LVL UP Expo in Las Vegas.
“I wish I could reveal the number, but those guys [Game Science] are very private and I respect that. But it’s shown me and all the distributors and partners and retailers out there that it’s very healthy still,” he says.
“I got a lot of calls like during Christmas and after the New Year’s thanking me and saying that it saved their business.”
He continues, highlighting the importance of physical releases in many regions. “It was a huge hit in certain countries like Spain and Italy and I didn’t know why. In places where they still don’t have advanced internet technology, they won’t download a 100-gigabyte disk because they’re paying per data. In places like that, where the bandwidth is low or slower, they were very much waiting for a physical copy of the game.”
As for the benefits of a physical release, Yum points out that it can get more eyes on a game, since anyone walking into a store could see it. On the other hand, digital marketplaces are flooded, making it hard to rise to the top.
We rarely hear of a success story like this in the physical media market. Or, if not a success story, news of stores able to stay afloat. In the UK, GAME has startedauctioning off warehouse items, adding to its ailing fortunes. GameStop has also suffered throughout the years,downsizing and cutting jobs.
