In a move that has enraged customers and emboldened advocates of digital piracy in one fell swoop, PlayStation has started to send out emails to players informing them that some digital content they have purchased – and therefore thought they actually owned – will be removed from their libraries from the end of the year. The issue centers around content published by Discovery, and now, according to the email that has been sent out “due to content licensing arrangements” Discovery content will be removed, seemingly for good. It goes on to state that it affects only Discovery content for now. However, it makes no apology but does thank players for their continued support.
A piece in Eurogamer says some are speculating it has to do with the network’s recent merger with Warner Brothers last year but the issue for players is how safe are their digital purchases on any format and whether it is worth purchasing something to lose access to it further down the line.
Disgruntled customers have taken to X and Reddit to vent their concerns, asking why there are both Purchase and Rent options, if all you are ever really doing is ‘renting’ the content with no ownership rights.
Which major shows have been removed from PlayStation?
A document on the PlayStation Store now lists the hundreds of shows and seasons affected by the move.
Some of the most popular ones include
- Deadliest Catch
- Gold Rush
- How it’s Made
- Shark Week
- UFOs the Lost Evidence
It is unclear just how many PlayStation customers are affected by this move, but even if you have not been, it will be unsettling if you have built up your own digital collection of anything else.
This event may just start a backlash against the lack of rights when it comes to digital ownership.
This comes at a time when Microsoft is set to overtake PlayStation for the first time in terms of revenue and Sony has faced a backlash over a price hike of the PlayStation Network.
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