God of War creator says PlayStation lied to PS5 owners by killing physical game discs

David Jaffe was the mastermind behind the original God of War game. No longer an SIE employee, the podcaster shares his thoughts on industry news. He was earlier criticized for endorsing PlayStation’s shift away from physical games. However, Jaffe now sympathizes with consumers who expected new PS5 discs throughout the console’s lifecycle.

Finding middle ground

Protestors outnumber the defenders of Sony’s embrace of digital games. Yet, Jaffe initially argued that the move was necessary and made financial sense. He believes that since gamers demand pricey AAA projects, most third-party studios welcomed the announcement. PlayStation will increase profits through PS Store sales, but these developers also stand to earn more critical revenue.

In his latest YouTube video, the God of War creator explained that he overlooked a key aspect of the debate. He admitted he was “dead wrong” by not recognizing the position of many console owners. Jaffe still considers an all-digital future inevitable. Regardless, he says the “decision to no longer make new discs for the PS5 feels like a bait and switch.”

The podcast discusses how compatible titles will release after PS5 disc production declines in early 2028. Projects like The Witcher 4 and potential God of War remakes lurk in that timeframe. Even if the PS6 surfaces, a high price among other factors could lead to years more of support for its predecessor.

Buyers who purchased current-gen hardware with optical drives have reason to be angry. They assumed that Sony would ship physical games for the system at least until its successor arrived. The game designer concludes that these customers “were lied to.”

A failing PR strategy

Despite tweaking his stance, the Twisted Metal co-creator doesn’t anticipate PlayStation reversing course. Still, the fury on social media is unlikely to die down anytime soon, and ignoring the concerns of loyalists also isn’t wise. Instead, Jaffe suggests that Sony issues an apology to any gamers who felt misled.

Unfortunately, an apology wouldn’t satisfy many protestors. The latest video may suffer fewer downvotes, but consumer advocates plan to file new lawsuits. With digital games taking over, claims that the PS Store represents a monopoly will only multiply.