GitHub will offer limited CD-ROM copies of public repos as Sony drops physical games

In an ironic and unusual move, GitHub has announced a new limited initiative that lets developers request a CD-ROM copy of one public GitHub repository. Eligible users can apply in this link for one disc between July 2 and July 6, with only 1,000 CD-ROMs available worldwide and availability varying by country or region.

Why is that? Well, the initiative is clearly motivated by the recent announcement and backlash around Sony’s plan to stop producing and distributing physical PlayStation games by 2028. With this, GitHub is emphasizing the concept of physical ownership in an era dominated by digital distribution, while framing the discs as a tangible copy of a developer’s code, encouraging users to keep it, lend it, or pass it on, while making clear that this is a limited run rather than a new platform-wide product, so its main purpose is pretty much mostly marketing.

Beyond the fact that the campaign will only be available to the few users who manage to get one of these copies, the point raises broader concerns about digital-only distribution, including the loss of resale, lending, preservation, and long-term ownership options, not only for gamers or collectors, but for any kind of user. For example, not long ago, Sony itself announced that it would remove up to 500+ Studio Canal movies from user libraries due to licensing agreements.