PM Studios has been a mainstay in the world of physical game publishing for roughly two decades. Starting out in Las Vegas, the company first made a splash by bringing the Korean rhythm‑action franchise DJMax to North America, and since then it has built a solid business model around pressing a wide variety of titles onto discs and cartridges. "We typically back up a hundred or more games on a physical format each year," explains CEO Michael Yum to GamesIndustry.biz. "We also handle a lot of the physical logistics for other publishers.
When you sign one of those partners, you can end up with ten titles a year just from that single relationship." Over the years, PM Studios has acted as a bridge for developers seeking to reach new territories. "I had many friends in Korea who couldn't get their games out here," Yum recalls. "So I started importing titles from Korea and China into the U.S.
and European markets." One of those imports turned out to be a game that would dwarf everything else in the company's catalogue – Black Myth: Wukong. Yum admits that taking on the physical publishing of Black Myth was "one of our biggest risks," but the payoff far exceeded his expectations.
"I had no idea it would become that massive. When it blew up, it was a completely new experience for us – I’ve never seen anything like it.
That one title ended up covering all of our other releases," he says. Ironically, just as PM Studios is riding the wave of that unprecedented success, Sony has announced that it will cease production of PlayStation discs in January 2028, effectively pulling the rug out from under the physical‑disc market. "It’s sad and devastating," Yum says, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "My first games were on PlayStation, and I’m a lifelong PlayStation fan, so I’ve always bought a lot of physical copies.
But the truth is, the new generation is moving toward digital. My own kids, who grew up with streaming, get confused when I ask them to insert a disc." Nevertheless, PM Studios is determined to keep physical publishing alive in whatever form it can.
"We’re exploring new ways to get games out there. It may end up being a code in a box, but we want to highlight the collectibility of the IPs and give fans something special. We’ll likely produce premium bundles and think up unique packaging solutions to keep the physical experience alive," he explains. Even though digital sales now dominate the global market, Yum points out that there remains a robust demand for physical copies, especially among younger audiences.
The studio’s recent release of the children’s title Bluey’s Quest For The Gold Pen sold roughly 80 % of its copies in physical form. He also notes that established IPs continue to perform strongly in brick‑and‑mortar stores, and that there is a healthy niche for physical editions of indie games that have already proven themselves digitally. "Animal Well, for example, had a limited Run edition, but when we released a mass‑retail version of Lost in Cult it sold extremely well. Collectors keep coming back for the physical product," Yum says.
A practical advantage of physical media is the ability to share a single copy among multiple users. "I have twins, so I don’t want to buy two digital licences.
One disc lets them share the game and even lend it to friends," he adds. Beyond economics, Yum believes the backlash against the end of disc production stems from a sense of loss.
"People are upset because you’re taking away a choice," he says. "Even if most sales are digital, the physical disc still represents ownership, tangibility, and a hobby for many gamers." With the PlayStation disc era winding down, PM Studios is adapting its strategy. "We’re handling more digital‑only titles now," Yum admits, but the company is still championing physical releases.
It is currently preparing a physical edition of AdHoc Studio’s hit Dispatch and has taken on full publishing responsibilities for My Time at Evershine. The studio is also collaborating with Telltale on the long‑awaited sequel The Wolf Among Us 2. "I met the CEO, learned about the challenges they faced, and offered to help with funding, marketing, and production support," Yum says. He stresses that the biggest hurdle was financing, and PM Studios stepped in to provide investment and operational assistance.
PM Studios isn’t alone in navigating the shift away from discs. Singapore‑based GCL Global Holdings, which built its business around physical distribution, is now betting on AA publishing through its subsidiary 4Divinity, a move that attracted attention at Gamescom. The success of Black Myth has convinced Yum that AA games hold great promise. He observes that the sheer volume of titles in digital storefronts makes it hard for developers to stand out, but AA games, with their higher production values, tend to generate more excitement.
"People are a bit more drawn to AA titles because of the graphical polish," he notes. Nonetheless, Yum remains a staunch supporter of indie developers. "We’re still a big champion for indie games. We’re helping them finish their projects and get them onto Switch 2.
In fact, we were among the first to release full games on Switch 2 cards," he says. The plan is to leverage the revenue from larger hits to fund and promote promising indie experiments. He is also cautious about the higher risk associated with AA projects, which require larger upfront investments.
"We mitigate risk by attaching a known IP, working on sequels, partnering with credible developers, or ensuring there’s a solid wishlist base," Yum explains. Yum has been especially impressed by the rapid development cycles of Chinese studios. "The Chinese developers I’ve worked with are incredibly fast, hungry, and talented. They can produce amazing games at a fraction of the time and cost of Western studios," he says.
He warns that if the global industry does not keep pace, Chinese companies like Tencent and NetEase could dominate the market. Despite that observation, PM Studios’ upcoming slate is still heavily weighted toward Western developers. The company also continues to nurture the physical‑collector community through its recently launched platform Panax, which aims to bring together fans of physical games and merchandise.
"We’ve been building Panax for years. It went viral after we posted a trophy‑tracking feature, and we’re excited to roll out more tools that benefit both collectors and publishers," Yum says.
In summary, while the era of PlayStation discs may be drawing to a close, PM Studios is committed to preserving the tactile joy of owning a game. Whether through premium boxed editions, collector‑focused bundles, or innovative hybrid solutions, the publisher plans to keep physical media alive for as long as there is demand, even as the industry increasingly embraces digital distribution.