JULY 7, 2011 • The Nikkei newspaper has reported in Japan that Sony Electronics will cease production of MiniDisc Walkmans in September due to shrinking demand. The company will still publish content in MiniDisc format, however.
Impact: So much of Sony’s recent history has been wrapped up in establishing dominating media formats – Blu-ray being the most recent example. What the demise of MiniDisc Walkmans shows is all of those format fights were pyrrhic at best, moot at worst. Digital delivery is making all physical media endangered. Just ask Netflix subscribers who still want to receive DVDs.
