Video Games Plus, a gaming retailer based out of Canada, and an independent gaming retailer known as Loot Box Gaming have both stated that they won’t be selling GTA 6.
Not huge retailers in the grand scheme of things, but interesting to see at least some taking a stand especially when they are almost certainly losing out on money by doing so.
Retailers should know that selling this is a poison pill. If no disc launches become the norm, then retailers will no longer serve a purpose in the industry.
They’ve been trying to kill the second hand market for decades and this release is the biggest threat to it yet.
Yep. Nevermind the fact that the second hand market is fantastic advertising for the companies and the quality of their games, and a surefire way to manufacture future customers.
I cant tell you how many brand new games I bought over the years, because I picked up a previous release used.
Hell, Final Fantasy is a fine example… I got FF4 used from a garage sale… which lead to me buying 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15… some of those games multiple times for new platforms.
One used game, translated into additional sales of almost every game that followed.
Video Game Plus pointed to its policy of not selling games that only offer digital codes, and as a result, it will not sell the biggest game of 2026. The retailer noted that this isn’t a reflection of Rockstar Games or the game itself, but argued that it’s part of their goal of preserving physical media.
Based
“The biggest game of 2026”
Is it a terabyte or something?
300GB apparently. So not far off. Especially with SSD prices these days.
Man, they should offer disc anyway so gen-z can experience the “please insert disc 2 and press continue” while installing.
Rockstar can shove that code in the box where the sun doesn’t shine.
Not selling the most hotly anticipated game of the decade is certainly a choice. I guess they hate money.
Edit for the fuckwits downvoting: Do you think a piece of plastic means you own the game? You own half a cent’s worth of plastic. The data on it is merely licenced to you to use until the company sees fit to change that. This has been true for decades. Read the EULA on your ‘physical copy’.
Lol, haven’t bought physical in years. Means nothing to me. Digital for life
Digital until they take it away from you having already got your money.
I remember buying GTA V on disc and then having to wait an entire day for the day 1 patch to download on my slow ass rural bumfuck ADSL connection. Disc or no, if it has online activation it ain’t yours.
Sorry, I don’t see an issue here. Everyone is perfectly happy giving Steam loads of money for games they’ll never physically own, but when it comes to consoles, suddenly we’re supposed to make a stand?
No. The overwhelming majority of game sales are digital downloads.
If you think having a disc somehow solves this, try playing Gran Turismo on the PlayStation 4. Sure, you get a disc, but you still have to sit through roughly six hours of downloads and installation before the game is actually playable.
The lack of a disc isn’t the issue.
You indeed failed to see the issue.
It is not really wise to compare Steam with the console ecosystem, especially when there exists several alternatives to obtain games on PC.
Physical discs matter more on consoles than on PCs, given that there is not a whole lot one can do if their account gets banned for the silliest of reasons, or if one wants to share a game.
Also, have you thought that you might be referring to two different sets of customers: one that is fine with digital purchases on Steam/PSN, and the other that strongly supports physical purchases?
Using a single example of GT is insufficient to make a broad statement like the one you made.