Game Save #13 | The Death of Physical Games, State of Star Wars Eclipse by Quantic Dream, Collaborative Article, Community Spotlight, and More!
Taking a look at news about Grand Theft Auto VI and Sony, tracking down Star Wars Eclipse, two amazing creators for the Community Spotlight, collaborative article announcement, and more!
Welcome
Welcome to this Game Save!
It’s been a minute since my last Game Save article, but I hope that you all have been doing good!
We’ve got two big topics to go over today in the world of gaming news. First up, it’s hard to ignore the growing controversy over Grand Theft Auto VI with its upcoming physical edition that doesn’t have a disc, as well as Sony’s announcement regarding the end of production for physical discs. I have some thoughts to share with that massive and disheartening topic.
I also want to dive into some recent updates on Quantic Dream’s upcoming and ever-mysterious game: Star Wars Eclipse!
Afterwards, there are two community spotlights I have for some incredible creators from the past few weeks that I want to highlight. To wrap things up, I’ll have an announcement for my upcoming collaborative article that I invite my subscribers to take part in!
Let’s go!
Welcome to The Saved Game
First off though, I want to extend my warmest welcome!
My name is Joe, and Game Save articles go over some of the latest gaming news you may have missed along with some thoughts I have on them, reviews of games or accessories, as well as a Community Spotlight for articles that I loved! Read more here about my Substack page and content!
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My Thoughts from Recent Gaming News
First up, let’s jump into the recent news and controversy surrounding Grand Theft Auto VI and Sony — with what could be the complete death of physical media for games!
Afterwards, we’ll try to figure out where the hell Star Wars Eclipse is currently at from Quantic Dream!
The Final Death of the Disc?
As it stands, Grand Theft Auto VI is slated to be one of the biggest games released of all time.
The first trailer currently has over a quarter of a billion views just on YouTube, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive admitted how the high expectations for this game have him terrified, and analyst projections for the estimated sales stagger into the billions.
Last week, Rockstar announced the pricing details for Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders ($79.99 for the standard and $99.99 for the ultimate edition). The price for the base game was lower than I was personally expecting, but it came as a bit of surprise to me when they announced the physical edition would contain a “download code inside the box,” seemingly dashing away the hopes for people that figured a physical version of the game would actually include a physical version of the game.
Just recently then on July 1st, Sony announced that they will cease production of discs in January of 2028. While that seems far away, it signals a major shift in the way that major brands perceive players and how people use their hardware — especially so soon after the announcement about Grand Theft Auto VI.
As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028. Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format.
PlayStation Blog — Physical disc production ending in January 2028
Ironically, on the same day, Sony put out another statement that let people know the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita Stores would be shuttering in the near future.
Plus, as I talked about in a previous Game Save article, Sony was reported to be testing around with dynamic pricing on the PlayStation Store earlier this year. With there being just one storefront to buy digital games for the console, Sony definitely has a lot of control over the prices they set for games and other media. As Polygon reported earlier this year, Sony was even hit by lawsuits ranging in the billions of dollars for allegedly monopolizing the PlayStation Store due to “excessive and unfair” charges on their “closed eco-system.”
All of that news comes after yet another announcement from Sony just last week, noting how they’ll be removing hundreds of TV shows and movies from people’s PlayStation accounts — content that people paid for — due to license agreements with the studio, as reported by Game Informer. Did people know about those license agreements when they purchased the digital media? I know that I never heard of anything like that for the few shows I purchased years ago on my PlayStation account.
The lack of an actual disc with the game on it is a big deal, at least for me. I’ve collected games for years now, and I just prefer having physical media in general. There are games that are way older than I am in my collection or even newer games, all of which I love to play and am glad I can still play without having to worry about servers being online for code checks or having to download forced patches.
As I mentioned in my first Game Save article, I try to only purchase digital goods if I actually end up owning them, or if the sale is so great that I can part with the money.
Based on the harsh feedback I’ve seen online regarding the recent Grand Theft Auto VI and Sony announcements, I started to wonder more about the history of games being released only in a digital format or requiring users to perform an online check before they can play — especially concerning larger AAA games. A number of indie games have released in the past two decades as digital-only versions, but I want to focus more on the larger games.
We’ll take a quick look at three of them. The first one for Half-Life 2 took place over 20 years ago, and while it did have a physical release, it was one of the first large games that required an online check before it could be played.
Half-Life 2 and Steam
Ars Technica wrote an article about two years ago that went over the mixed launch for Half-Life 2 back in 2004. While some people had no issues, others had a nightmarish time to play this new title many years ago — even if they bought the physical game at a retail store.
In this article, they wrote about the impact that this game had on the industry, as it was one of the first major games to require an online check with Valve’s relatively new distribution platform: Steam.
Steam wasn’t just necessary to download a copy of Half-Life 2. Those who purchased a boxed retail copy quickly found it was useless unless they installed Steam and registered the Steam key included in the box with their account. That led many early customers to see Steam not as a bold new way to deliver games directly to consumers but as an intrusive and unwelcome form of DRM.
— Ars Technica, Half-Life 2 pushed Steam on the gaming masses (2024)
More so, many users reported major issues with their connections, and found that Steam’s servers seemed to be down.
Going back, I found old forum posts where people were complaining that they couldn’t even play their new game because they couldn’t get a connection to Steam working. One from a forum called Rage3D — posted one day after the launch of Half-Life 2 — showed players vehemently complaining and arguing about not being able to play this game. Steam even posted an update on the authentication issues when it first came out in 2004.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
The Video Game Chronicles reported on Hellblade II back in 2024, and how it would release as a digital-only game.
There were some reports I found that said it would be released with Limited Run Games on a disc (an American video game publisher/distributor that focuses on physically released games), but according to the official website, it’s still listed as digital-only. Despite being published and having the backing by Xbox Game Studios, I could not find where it has ever made it to a physical release, and it looks to remain locked away in the digital void.
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 also received controversy when it was released due to its digital-only format. According to the FAQ section of its official website from 2023, they had listed off three reasons as to why they made this choice.
There are many reasons for this. For one, a large number of players have shifted to digital only. You can buy a Sony PlayStation 5 without a disc drive and Microsoft’s Xbox Series S is a digital only console. It is not uncommon to release modern games as digital-only.
Secondly, not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game at $59.99 / €59.99 and the PC version at $49.99 / €49.99.
Finally, we did not want to ship a disc product and have it require a download for the game — we do not think this would make for a great experience either.
Almost a year after this game came out though, they did decide to release it as a physical disc, as well as a Collector’s Edition — distributed by Limited Run Games.
What Can be Done?
Beyond just those games, there are others that have focused on being digital titles or forcing users to perform online checks before they can be played. Because the general direction seems to be heading towards a disc-less gaming society, is there anything that the consumer can do?
At the very least, it’s a good idea to look at the DoesItPlay website and see a list of games that can be played without a required download or online digital rights management (DRM) checks. They test all sorts of games to ensure they can play without issues after being purchased. This will help guide your choice for games that are strictly yours after you purchase it, and not reliant on anything else.
Likewise — at least in my opinion — it’s worth getting physical media when you’re able to. While some games require patches and downloads, you’ll be able to find plenty of media, movies, shows, and more out there that you’ll own and not have to worry about losing. Just a month or so ago, CBS reported on a Brooklyn video store that brought back VHS tapes and DVDs, with many customers looking happy to purchase something they can actually hold. After the announcement from Sony regarding them stopping production of discs in 2028, I think it’s doubly worth the effort to invest in local brick-and-mortar stores for physical games and media.
I think that Take-Two and Rockstar will do whatever they want with a game as massive as Grand Theft Auto VI is forecasted to be. There’s a host of reasons they’re just having a code in a box — including the game being too big, preventing leaks, or perhaps to just maximize profits. I hope that they will release an actual physical copy in the future, possibly on multiple discs like Red Dead Redemption II had. If not though, people that care for physical media can vote with their wallets if they choose to do so.
Sony will undoubtedly do what they want with how big they’ve become. I hope that the feedback they continue to get will push them to change positions, especially given what their stance on physical media used to be back 10 – 15 years ago. I also hope that their competition takes note of the backlash and responds in a way that favors consumers.
In my opinion, I think that Sony wouldn’t have received so much backlash if their online services were beyond stellar and they proved to support digital games for the long term. After all of the issues they’ve had in the past, including the infamous 2011 hack that brought the PlayStation Network down for nearly a month and other outages, I can’t imagine trusting them fully to host all of my digital games in the future. Likewise, after ditching online stores for their consoles — such as the PSP Store and the upcoming PS3/Vita Stores — they’ve proved that there is a time limit to digital gaming from their services.
Unfortunately, later in the future, I have the feeling that streaming digital games will only rise in popularity due to higher costs of hardware and growing number of digital-only games. Why spend $650 for a console and $80 for a digital code when you could just spend $24 per month to stream a plethora of games through a smart TV? Meanwhile, will other console makers in the future simply plan their platforms around a disc-less gaming environment?
Time will tell what happens, but I think that this issue is worth being vocal and pissed off about, so that other game/console creators and publishers know that people prefer to have physical copies to keep, to trade, or to share with friends.
Where the Hell is Star Wars Eclipse?
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been in a craze regarding Detroit: Become Human, as well as purchasing both Beyond Two Souls and Heavy Rain to play at some point in the near future, all games that were created by Quantic Dream — a Paris-based video game developer and publisher known for their story-driven, single-player games.
While I was busying myself with these other games, I realized that I hadn’t heard anything about the current status of Quantic Dream in quite some time — especially regarding their latest announced single-player game: Star Wars Eclipse. With the reveal trailer nearing five-years old at this point, I’d hope to find some good news.
What I found out though is damn near alarming.
According to various reports, there have seemingly been major problems brewing at Quantic Dream, though the company itself repeatedly stated that development for their latest Star Wars game is still on track.
Before we see the current status of where things are at now in 2026, it’s worth taking a quick look at a couple of big happenings with Quantic Dream from the past five or so years:
Acquisition by NetEase Games (2019 & 2022 – Current)
About one year after Detroit: Become Human was released in 2019, NetEase Games — a Chinese global developer and publisher — made an announcement that they will acquire a minority stake in Quantic Dream “…to further the development and distribution of global online games.”
A few years later in 2022, NetEase Games then made an announcement that they had fully acquired Quantic Dream, thus establishing it as the first studio in Europe under NetEase Games. David Cage — Quantic Dream’s founder, CEO, and Writer/Director — said in part: “We have highly differentiated games in the making and I truly believe that the best is yet to come from Quantic Dream. I am particularly proud that our employees, who were offered a significant share of our capital over the past years, will fully benefit from this acquisition.” This announcement did contain multiple references to the continuing development of Star Wars Eclipse.
MOBA Game Launch and Collapse (2025? – 2026)
Though I couldn’t find an exact date when development began, Quantic Dream had started work on a new MOBA game that was officially revealed in late 2025:
The name of that game was Spellcasters Chronicles.
Per the description on the reveal teaser, this game featured 3V3 action-strategy battles, summons for hundreds of creatures, the ability to cast devastating spells, and more.
However, just within the past few weeks on June 19th of 2026, Quantic Dream announced that Spellcasters Chronicles would be shut down permanently, and users who had made purchases in early-access would receive refunds. In part, they said that “…the game has not reached the audience needed to ensure its long-term sustainability.” Likewise, they mentioned that the studio would go through an “internal reorganization” because of the shutdown.
Where Are We at Now?
All of that leads us to where we’re at now in 2026 with Quantic Dream.
After the shutdown of Spellcasters Chronicles, reports from a French website called Gamekult described problems from the employees that are potentially getting let go from Quantic Dream. On the day that Lucasfilm was at the premises of Quantic Dream to review the progress of Star Wars Eclipse, the at-risk employees were out on strike, and talked with Gamekult on the challenges for the studio’s upcoming game.
Using Brave Translate, that report from Gamekult notes how several employees were heavily concerned about the development of Star Wars Eclipse, especially if the workforce gets cut. Some had concerns about NetEase Games’ involvement and confusion surrounding who exactly is making the decisions. Likewise, there was sentiment that the management at the top has resulted in severe disorganization.
According to one of the impacted employees, they said, “We consider that as it stands, the game [Star Wars Eclipse] literally cannot be finished if the PSE as planned is executed.”
On the flip side, the announcement for the shuttering of Spellcasters Chronicles included a specific note about Star Wars Eclipse and said, “The development of Star Wars Eclipse is not affected by this decision and continues as planned.” Plus, the fact that the Gamekult article confirmed that Lucasfilm is reviewing the progress of this upcoming game makes it seem like it’s fairly deep within development.
Regardless of what happens, it’s disappointing to me that people’s livelihoods are at risk. I would’ve hoped that Quantic Dream — assuming they’re the ones still able to call the shots — focused their efforts on what they do best with story-driven, single-players games.
What Are Your Thoughts on These Topics?
What do you think about the release of Grand Theft Auto VI being digital only? How about Sony stopping production of discs starting in 2028?
How do you feel about Star Wars Eclipse? When do you think we’ll see it get released (if it even does)?
Community Spotlight
The two articles I have for this Game Save’s community spotlight are amazing, and absolutely worth checking out! They’re ones that gave me deeper insights into the topics the authors wrote about, which is something I always look for. I’m certain you’ll find them to be educational, as well as engaging!
Deep Dive into a Fictional Victorian London
Chrysa Deliou posted up a wonderful article on a forgotten game (at least to me):
The Order: 1886!
I honestly never thought much of this game when it first came out. While I ended up with a collector’s edition of it that I found on sale years ago, I never played it and eventually lost track of where my copy of it ended up at.
However, after reading this article, I wish I kept it — because I really want to play it now! Chrysa goes over so much into the history of the world this game takes place in, using the background in archaeology they have to discuss the details of this adaptation of Victorian London. Chrysa did such a good job at expanding the depth of this game, and explaining how amazing it is to play. It doesn’t just sound like a good game, but an incredibly immersive experience set in a world that was caringly built by its designers and developers!
At the conclusion, Chrysa ends with a question, asking readers if they would play this game. My answer is a resounding “Yes” and I can’t wait to dive into the fictional Victorian world of The Order: 1886 in the near future!
Thank you, Chrysa, for this amazing read, and I urge others to check it out as well!
Steam Machine Woes
Harrison Polites routinely shares incredible insights and reporting on gaming news and opinions. What I love about Harrison’s work is his high quality and ethical reporting, with him fact-checking all of his work and delivering words that are absolutely worth reading!
Harrison’s attention to details and factual reporting are why I loved his take on the Steam Machine’s recent pricing announcement! Not only did he go into the announced pricing structure, but he paid attention to the impacts the now-expensive Steam Machine will have for indie gaming — especially noting the thoughts of those in the Australian indie developer community. Likewise, Harrison touched on some enhanced details behind the impacts that AI is making around the globe regarding the higher prices for consoles, leaving the Steam Machine in a tough spot for those that had hoped it would offer a cheaper entry into gaming in a market that has seen explosive rises in costs.
The work Harrison does inspires me to be a better writer, and this latest piece was just another example of his excellence in gaming journalism. If you haven’t checked this article out yet, then I implore you to go read it as soon as you can!
Thank you, Harrison, for the work you do!
Upcoming Collaborative Article
I had hoped to get my next collab article started up in June, but due to a slew of unforeseen events in my life, I couldn’t find the time.
However, the time to announce it has finally arrived!
For my next collaborative article, I invite my subscribers to join me in writing a piece about immersion in gaming!
I’ve talked about immersion a lot before, and how important it is to me in video games. To me, an immersive game is all about the well-written characters that draw you into the world, or the beautiful atmosphere that refuses to let you go, or the impactful and emotional storytelling that makes you grip the controller even tighter! Many aspects in a game can make you forget about the real world for a few hours, and make it feel like you’re in the shoes of that game’s character!
Like with a good book I can’t possibly put down, I find that immersion in video games keeps me locked in and engaged with that game’s world!
And now, I want to hear your story about the most immersive experience you’ve ever had in a video game!
So, as before with my last collaborative article, there are some quick guidelines to follow.
Here’s What You Need to Know:
The topic is this: What is the most immersive experience you’ve ever had in a video game?
Only subscribers can participate!
Try to keep it around 200 – 300 words, though a little over or under is completely fine though!
Your Substack name will be tagged in the article, as well as your publication (with its description) if you have one!
DM me your submission, as well as one photo if you want! The photo is optional!
I will be collecting submissions until July 23rd from subscribers, and will tentatively get the finished piece posted on Thursday, July 30th!
I will be capping it at the first 20 subscribers who DM me! There was plenty of room last time, so don’t hesitate to reach out!
Remember to have fun with it, and to keep in mind that you’ll have until the 23rd of July to submit your piece! Feel free to use the button below to send me a message and get started!
Closing
This was a longer article, but I thank you for reading!
Life’s been busy on my side, but I hope to be back to a normal schedule coming up soon with my articles and blogs. I’m still planning out my next article, but you should expect it on Thursday, the 16th — as well as some new blogs too!
Until then, I thank you again for your time and for reading today!
If this article meant something to you and you enjoyed it, then please drop some love on it down below, share it with some friends or foes, and let me know your thoughts! I always appreciate the feedback 🙌
See you all next time,
Joe
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