Sony To Pull PlayStation Digital Game Codes From Retailers

With physical game sales on the decline and streaming services being announced, digital gaming is becoming more of a dominant force in the industry. Unfortunately, gamers will now have one less way to get their hands on digital copies.

Sony will reportedly pull digital game codes from retail stores in April.

The Twitter account Wario64, which has 164,000 followers and touches on tech stories, had leaked a memo that said retailer GameStop would no longer be selling digital codes for full games. The account later revealed it would be affecting all brick and mortar stores.

A Sony spokesperson told the Verge that "we can confirm that as of April 1, 2019, Sony Interactive Entertainment will no longer offer full games through SIE’s Global Digital at Retail program."

The decision impacts consumers reluctant to use a credit card to purchase games from the PlayStation Store-front. It also adds greater pressure on retailers, most notably GameStop.

GameStop has struggled to find a buyer for its business, causing its stock to drop sharply. It also named a new CEO, George Sherman, replacing interim CEO Shane Kim, who had been in the position since May 2018.

Meanwhile, Sony will not make be removing all digital content from retailers. Add-on and DLC content, season passes, and monetary gift cards will still be available for purchase.

"This decision was made in order to continue to align key businesses globally. To support full games and premium editions, SIE will introduce increased denominations at select retailers. DLC, add-ons, virtual currency, and season passes will still be available," the company said.