In a recent interview, veteran video game designer Hideo Kojima explained: playstation's digital-only future is a “really sad” situation, summing up several other concerns about the newly confirmed end of the physical gaming era. His comments about Sony moving away from physical discs echo what many fans and industry observers have said recently, but they carry special weight because they come from one of PlayStation's most famous past and present collaborators.
A July 1 PlayStation blog article announced the end of physical disc production for both PS4 and PS5. The decision, which applies to games released starting in January 2028, sparked a huge backlash online, which lasted for five consecutive days and was counted until July 5.
Official PlayStation disc petitions are exploding
Gamers upset over Sony's decision to stop producing physical PlayStation discs have started a petition that is quickly gaining momentum.
Kojima calls the end of the physical gaming era 'sad' and 'scary'
A veteran game designer sees the future of digital-only games as a warning to the film industry.
During a recent appearance at the Il Cinema in Piazza film festival in Rome, Kojima was questioned about Sony's controversial decision to stop producing new physical PlayStation game discs in 2028. “I think it’s really sad because I grew up with physical media,” said industry veteran Kojima, adding that he has recently been expanding his physical media collection, according to a translation by Genki_JPN. Kojima acknowledged that the situation is not the same for games, as downloaded titles may still remain on the player's own hardware. But he suggested that the widespread shift to streaming would be even more problematic because it would leave countless players and viewers dependent on remote servers controlled by subscription providers.
If cloud service companies, or even the political and regulatory environment surrounding them, change direction, distribution of media people care about could be disrupted, Kojima said. “That’s scary.” The head of Kojima Productions concluded this line of thought with a warning that what's happening in games in 2028 could eventually happen in movies as well.
Why Kojima's New PlayStation Problem Hits Harder Than Most
Kojima's comments are especially significant considering his long history as one of PlayStation's most important third-party creative partners. his many metal gear solid Although the game spent quite a bit of time as a Sony console exclusive. P.T.Playable teaser for canceled PS4 exclusive Silent Hills The project became a horror touchstone and helped influence a generation of horror games. Kojima's PlayStation legacy continued with releases by Kojima Productions after he left Konami in 2015. death stranding and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach A critically acclaimed PlayStation exclusive. The next collaboration with Sony doesn't seem that significant, as it has been teased as Sony's spiritual successor. metal gearTactical espionage behavior formula called picint.
Kojima is thus more than an outside observer criticizing Sony's recent business decisions. His concerns about the demise of physical PlayStation discs are particularly noteworthy, as few third-party creators are as closely tied to PlayStation's past, present, and future. For someone with such a track record to describe Sony's controversial digital-only trajectory as “sad” and “scary” amounts to one of the most striking public criticisms Sony can receive over its expanded creative trajectory.
