The PlayStation Blackout protest had little impact.

It’s no secret that many PlayStation fans are frustrated with Sony’s heavy emphasis on digital media. Some even attempted to stage a digital boycott, pledging to avoid all digital content on their consoles for a week, including games, the PS Store, and PS Plus. Unfortunately, the effort fell flat, having little to no effect on active user numbers or player engagement.

While Nintendo celebrates its physical game sales and Xbox explores its disc-to-digital transition, Sony has announced plans to cease disc production, taken legal stances suggesting limited digital ownership, and is currently facing a lawsuit over allegations of attempting to create a digital game monopoly.

In response to the backlash from fans, Sony seemed unfazed, asserting that moving away from physical media wouldn’t impact its business. In retaliation, some PlayStation users initiated a digital boycott with the slogan “no disc, no buy.” Despite their good intentions and high hopes, the movement didn’t yield the expected results.

Mat Piscatella, a video game industry advisor at a market research firm, recently shared player engagement statistics on social media. When one user inquired about any noticeable changes during the week of the PlayStation Blackout, Mat replied, “No. There was no significant change at all in player count or engagement in our tracking.”

While many agree that the decline of physical media is detrimental to consumers, disc sales have not been strong.

This outcome likely won’t surprise many. The boycott didn’t gain the traction some had hoped for, as many gamers are either unaware of the industry’s inner workings or indifferent to the issue. Additionally, the boycott coincided with the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta, which certainly didn’t help in keeping players off their consoles.

For now, Sony appears fully committed to its all-digital gaming strategy, and the vocal opposition from fans doesn’t seem to have enough weight to make the company reconsider its direction.

What a poorly timed email, Sony.