Sony recently announced that it would cease game disc production in 2028, and while there were petitions and lawsuits in the weeks following, there hasn't been a truly organized effort from the community to protest the move — only comment sections filled with outrage and directionless boycotts. That is until last week, when Does it play?, a group that has long championed physical media, proposed a coordinated blackout: "No logins, no play sessions, no purchases."

It's an inspiring call to action, but not everyone is convinced it will work. If the scrambled attempts at a PS Plus boycott have proven anything, the online outrage is a drop in the ocean compared to the over 95 million PS5 users. "If you actually want leverage, you have to walk away and mean it," Reddit user fdrodreeguez20 said, voicing their doubts on the protest - a sentiment many in the comments, and across social media, share. "It's no different than a toddler throwing a temporary tantrum for a toy just to see if they can wear their parents down. Here's the cold, hard truth: Sony isn't going to change a thing until their metrics drop."

It's a little harsher than I'd put it, but the point is that a week-long boycott isn't going to do anything that the angry comments haven't done already. Sony is keenly aware of the backlash — it made that clear in its most recent earnings call. But Sony made it equally clear that it has no plans to walk back the decision.

Boycotts Are Well-Intentioned, But PlayStation Users Should Look To Stop Killing Games For Inspiration Instead

A boycott only works when a company fears it'll become the new normal. Announcing in advance that you'll all be back next Monday removes all the uncertainty. The timing also misses the release of Marvel's Wolverine and GTA 6, which would have a much bigger impact on PlayStation's bottom line if boycotted. Realistically, though, even if 20,000 people agreed to take part, it wouldn't make a dent on their momentum. Just look at the Black Ops ports, which still came out on top during the PS Plus cancellations.

fdrodreeguez20's suggestion, to vote with your wallet, is also well-intentioned, but I'd argue it's just as flimsy as the blackout. If everyone calling for a boycott walked away right now and bought a PC instead, that would be a significant number of players, but still nothing compared to the overall PS5 userbase. You'd need to convince tens of millions to swear off GTA 6, and that's a battle I'm not sure the internet could ever win.

I sympathize with the outrage. Sony killing discs has huge ramifications for the industry, and moves PlayStation closer to a monopoly. Gamers should absolutely voice their frustration, but a week-long blackout is like trying to stop the tide with a bucket. The community should instead be looking to movements like Stop Killing Games for inspiration, and directing their efforts towards legislation. The EU said it cannot mandate Sony to continue producing game discs, but as we saw with the Apple case, a closed digital ecosystem can be challenged. There are avenues that have impacted some of the biggest tech companies on the planet already. It's just whether the community chooses to rally behind them.