Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki Sells Over Half His Stock as 246,586 Gamers Protest Digital-Only Shift
Updated
Updated · TechRadar · Jul 12
Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki Sells Over Half His Stock as 246,586 Gamers Protest Digital-Only Shift
3 articles · Updated · TechRadar · Jul 12
Summary
Two days after Sony's digital-only game move triggered online backlash, CEO Hiroki Totoki sold more than half his Sony shares, while the chief strategy officer also unloaded stock.
246,586 petition signatures and boycott threats have centered on three complaints: higher digital prices, no second-hand resale market, and weaker ownership after Sony recently removed more than 500 purchased movies.
UK pricing cited by critics shows the gap: Spider-Man 2 costs £69.99 on the PlayStation Store versus about £37 on disc, while Returnal can be found second-hand for about £20.
Sony has stayed publicly silent, unlike Sonos' more conciliatory response to its app crisis, and the company may judge the backlash manageable against its 125 million PlayStation Plus subscribers.
The dispute highlights a broader risk for platform owners pushing all-digital models: recurring revenue can rise, but trust can erode quickly when customers fear higher costs and less control over purchases.