Fans of physical releases have cause for concern. The situation with this method of game distribution is getting worse every year.
The British network GAME informed employees about possible layoffs in the company. The decision is due to weak results caused by declining interest in boxed games. Gamers increasingly prefer digital versions.
GAME also announced a change in the type of contracts it enters into with employees. The company will switch to zero-hour contracts. This type of contract is characterized by the fact that the employee does not have many rights (for example, he cannot go on vacation), the scope of responsibilities is also not precisely defined, as are the hours of work. The employer can call the employee when he needs him.
Journalist Christopher Dring from GamesIndustry.biz reported that these are tough times for game stores. Sales of boxed games in the UK are down 45% compared to 2019.
Each country has its own laws, and the situation may be different in other regions. But this does not change the fact that the trend is unfavorable. Some developers are abandoning the physical version, making the game available only in digital form. This is what Remedy (Alan Wake 2) and Microsoft (Hellblade 2) did. Capcom recently reported that their game sales are more than 90% digital.