Hideo Kojima Expresses Sadness Over Sony’s Move to Discontinue PlayStation Game Discs
Hideo Kojima, the mastermind behind Metal Gear and the recent Death Stranding series, is a prominent figure in the gaming world and has been quick to voice his thoughts on Sony’s announcement about discontinuing PlayStation game discs by 2028. During his appearance at the Il Cinema in Piazza film festival in Italy, he expressed his concerns about the future of physical media in an increasingly digital landscape.
“Since production is ending in 2028, this is about video games, but I grew up with physical media, so I find it really sad,” Kojima remarked, as translated by a gaming news source. “Currently, I’ve been buying up a lot of Blu-rays, such as various movies, and CDs too.”
He elaborated on the differences between games and movies in the context of digital ownership:
“Games are downloaded to your hard drive, meaning the data stays on your hardware. But if we move to streaming, that changes everything. With subscription services like Netflix or Amazon, the data is stored on a server, and you’re just paying for access. You don’t actually own the data; you’re merely renting it. This raises concerns about what happens if access is cut off due to political or corporate changes. If that occurs, you could lose the ability to enjoy your favorite games and movies. This is a real fear. What’s happening to video games in 2028 could also affect films. It’s something to think about.”
Sony’s decision to phase out physical media coincides with the anticipated launch of the PlayStation 6, sparking renewed discussions about ownership and the limitations of digital-only purchases. Recently, Sony removed movies from users’ digital libraries after license agreements expired, and there have been instances where games were taken out of users’ libraries, such as when Concord was “unlaunched” in 2024. Fans are even revisiting PlayStation’s terms of service, concerned about the potential deletion of inactive accounts.
Kojima’s earlier tweets about digital ownership resurfaced this week, where he stated, “Eventually, even digital data will no longer be owned by individuals on their own initiative. Whenever there is a major change or accident in the world, in a country, in a government, in an idea, in a trend, access to it may suddenly be cut off. We will not be able to freely access the movies, books, and music that we have loved. I would be a have-not. That’s what I’m afraid of. This is not greed.”
Different gaming companies are adapting to the digital shift in various ways. It remains uncertain whether the PS6 will include an optional optical drive to support PS4 and PS5 disc owners, assuming backward compatibility. Microsoft is reportedly exploring options for users to digitize their physical game purchases, allowing access to digital versions in the future, with many analysts predicting a move away from physical media. Nintendo has introduced game key cards, a controversial form of physical media that operates under DRM, functioning more like a transferable download code than a traditional cartridge. However, it still offers some advantages over digital-only purchases, such as the ability to resell or trade.
While some hope Sony might reconsider its decision, reports indicate that at least one factory that primarily produced PlayStation discs is already shifting to other products.
