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PS5 user reports being locked out of Ghost of Yotei digital copy for 'half an hour' due to license verification

License verification isn't new, but this case is important amid Sony's plans to axe physical game copies

Once physical game copies are gone, access to games on PlayStation will be at Sony's disposal

Sony's plans to push for an all-digital future for games on PlayStation have come under major scrutiny since the announcement, and one case highlights just how dangerous those plans are to game access and ownership.

A Reddit user (in a now-removed post) reported being locked out of the digital copy of Ghost of Yotei on PS5 for half an hour, even after refreshing licenses. When attempting to open the game, the message reads: "Can't use this content. Your licenses are being verified. Try again later."

It's important to note that this type of scenario isn't exactly new; license refresh prompts can occur after a long period, especially when sharing a game with another user. However, this Ghost of Yotei license check example comes amid Sony's ongoing, controversial decision to end the production of physical game discs from January 2028.

Once the supposed digital-only PS6 arrives, this very example of a consumer being locked out of a game can happen at any time. Unlike physical game discs, access to digital PlayStation game copies is at Sony's discretion, and the same will soon apply to all game copies, which essentially means game ownership will be non-existent.

(Image credit: Sucker Punch) Comment from r/gaming

Comment from r/gaming

Since there has been no follow-up statement since the disc axe announcement, it seems Sony is waiting for the storm to subside so it can ultimately commit to its digital-only plans, despite pressure from consumers online.

Unlike Microsoft's decision to walk back on its 'always-online' Xbox One plans after backlash in 2013, it may take a tumultuous effort from consumers, game studios, and video game retail stores to make an impact.

It's also quite ironic that Sony, which previously mocked Microsoft for the ability to share physical game copies, is now responsible for eliminating physical game copies. In the same vein as the subscription-based PlayStation Plus, which is a requirement to play games online, if consumers don't continue to push back against digital-only plans, there will be no going back once the PS6 arrives.

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Several upgrades have been made to the original turbo-diesel of this Defender.

The exterior has also been transformed and is painted in Oak Green Metallic.

A Texan rancher originally commissioned this Defender and is now selling it.

This is Lange, a thoroughly re-engineered classic Land Rover Defender from Heldeburg, and it costs well over twice as much as a brand-new Defender OCTA that opens at $158,800 in the States. So what does all that money buy?

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Read: Helderburg’s Defender Costs As Much As A Used Ferrari SF90 And Still Runs A Diesel

Plenty of shops will restore and upgrade an old Defenders , usually swapping in a modern V8 and a fresh gearbox along the way. Heldeburg took the harder road with this one. Rather than tearing out the original 300Tdi turbo-diesel , the company kept it and reworked it for 42 percent more power, holding onto the mechanical character that makes an old Defender worth wanting in the first place.

According to the company, a Texas rancher first commissioned Lange as something to cover his land in. He ran it for a couple of years before stepping up to a larger Defender 130 from Helderburg, which is why the original is now up for grabs. The asking price is $348,720.

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What Else Is New?

Beyond upgrading the Land Rover’s engine, the company added a new performance brake system, modern power-assisted steering, a locking 4×4 differential, new suspension with upgraded shocks, sway bars, and stabilizers, promising to boost stability on the highway while still ensuring it has all the off-road chops you’d expect from a Defender.

The exterior is finished in Oak Green Metallic and is said to be in immaculate condition. Helderburg also added a full matte-black roll cage to the exterior. This isn’t just for aesthetics either. The cage runs through the bodywork and mounts up to the frame, so occupants should be kept safe if the Defender ever rolls while out on the open road or while off-roading. Similarly, there’s a strong steel bumper with red tow hooks, new headlights, and a black grille.

The cabin is also far removed from this Defender’s former self . In addition to featuring a modern infotainment system, it includes a new three-spoke, wood-rimmed steering wheel and has been trimmed in a stunning combination of black and brown quilted leather. With bench seats in the third row, it can carry up to eight people.

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It all started with an email. Someone was reminding me about the fast-approaching National AI Day. I never finished the email but quickly wondered, "National AI Day, is that really a thing?" It is, and I found the man responsible for it.

"We have about 30,000 applications a year for new national days. From that, we have a committee of people look at them," said National Day Calendar.com founder Marlo Anderson when I reached him by phone just two days before the big July 16th event .

National AI Day, though, did not follow that traditional route when it was designated a day on their calendar in 2025. Anderson told me he does a lot of AI work with the business and has been using AI for 20 years, so he did something slightly unusual.

"We just figured having an AI day would be appropriate," he said and admitted he did the designating.

It is not the normal process, though Anderson believes, but could not specifically recall, that people had suggested the day in the past.

You made this list

It is a big deal to get added. After all, National Day Calendar only adds a handful each year and, as Anderson admitted, some already believe they have too many "National Days" (he noted that he might be among that cohort, too).

Still, Anderson, who founded National Calendar Day in 2013, believes AI warranted it. He explained that it's already responsible for much of the "mundane process" work they do, including uploading the National Day Calendar's daily videos to a platform called Video Elephant. They were uploading 100 clips as he spoke to me. Doing it by hand would take two weeks. With AI, "just one day or two."

If we have an agentic AI that can handle that workload for us, we should probably do it.

National Day Calendar Founder Marlo Anderson

As for which AI platforms Anderson uses, he seems to spread it around, telling me that Claude is used for app development and website maintenance, ChatGPT Voice for brainstorming projects, and Gemini in National Day Calendar offices in North Dakota.

Anderson is a firm believer in the power and potential of AI for both his own work and as an agent for good in the world. Locally, he told me, "If we have an agentic AI that can handle that workload for us, we should probably do it."

National Anti-AI Day

National Day Calendar Founder Marlo Anderson (Image credit: National Day Calendar / Marlo Anderson) When I asked abotu the AI backlash — a recent study found 40% of surveyed peopel are limiting use of AI — Anderson told me, "We talk about it all the time," but added, "We get backlash on National Cheese Sandwich Day and French Fry Day," which is to say, he's not sure if the backlash is any greater than for other oddball National Days.

More seriously, Anderson is well aware of the debate about AI's impact on the environment but is also convinced the positives far outweigh the negatives.

"I also understand there’s a lot of benefit," like the ability to find medical cures. They're making, he told me, "remarkable progress right now" in medicine.

He then spun out an analogy about horses and cars. A million hours ago (in 1912), most people were still riding horses and, it turns out, they were pretty dangerous, too. Early cars, with the lack of traffic infrastructure, weren't much better, but "most people would agree a car is a better way to travel," he said, adding that we're currently "at the same crossroads with Artificial Intelligence."

Ultimately, Anderson's decision to create National AI Day was rooted in its current impact.

20 years from now, no one will know or talk about goat yoga, but 20 years from now, they will be talking about AI.

Marlo Anderson

In 2025, "the conversation had heightened to a point where probably everyone knows about AI, at least in the US. Everyone is probably using it, whether they know it or not," he told me.

It's also about AI's long-term prospects.

When goat yoga was a big thing, Anderson explained, they had a lot of requests to make it a day. "There's no day because we assumed it would be a fad [he was quick to add he’s sure it’s wonderful]. 20 years from now, no one will know or talk about goat yoga, but 20 years from now, they will be talking about AI."

So happy National AI Day. Feel free to celebrate on July 16 by using it, deriding it, or ignoring it altogether.