Hideo Kojima ‘Really Sad’ PlayStation Is Killing Discs, Fears for Ownership
▼ Summary
– Hideo Kojima expressed sadness over PlayStation discontinuing disc games in 2028, noting he grew up with physical media.
– Kojima is more concerned about cloud gaming dominance, warning that users won’t possess data if streaming replaces downloads.
– With digital downloads, game data remains on the user’s hardware, but streaming only grants access rights, not ownership.
– He fears that changes in politics or company policies could cut off access to streamed content, making movies and games unavailable.
– Sony will stop manufacturing physical game discs by 2028 but allow reprints of pre-2028 games and offer digital codes in boxes.
Hideo Kojima has voiced his disappointment over PlayStation’s plan to phase out physical game discs, stating he’s “really sad” about the shift but even more alarmed about what a future dominated by cloud gaming could mean for consumer ownership. Speaking at the “Il Cinema in Piazza” Film Festival in Italy, the celebrated director behind Death Stranding and Metal Gear Solid argued that while digital downloads still give users local data, streaming services strip away that control entirely.
“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 said. “Currently, I’ve been buying up a lot of Blu-rays, such as various movies, and CDs too.” He explained that games are different from films because they are downloaded to a hard drive, meaning the data stays on your own hardware. “However, if things shift to streaming in the future, that won’t be the case anymore.”
Kojima drew a direct comparison to subscription platforms like Netflix and Amazon. “With streaming subscription services, there is a server somewhere, and you essentially just have the right to turn the tap, and when you do, the data flows out,” he said. “You don’t download the data, you access it directly through a subscription. And the consequence of that is that you don’t actually possess the data yourself.”
He warned that companies controlling these servers could cut access at any time. “There are companies that own these servers and let you ‘turn the tap’ for a monthly fee. However, with nations, politics and various ways of thinking, one naturally has to consider the possibility that if there is a change, the data inside will stop being distributed. And if that happens you won’t be able to watch or play the movies and games you like. That is what is frightening. So, what is happening to video games in 2028, might also happen to movies. I’d like everyone to keep that in mind.”
His remarks echo a 2021 tweet that has resurfaced this week, where Kojima expressed fears about losing access to personal content libraries. “Eventually, even digital data will no longer be owned by individuals on their own initiative,” he wrote. “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.”
Earlier this week, Sony Interactive Entertainment publicly confirmed it will stop manufacturing physical game discs starting January 2028. Reports later clarified that the company has told partners they can still reprint discs for games released before that cutoff. Sony also indicated it will “provide publishers with the opportunity to release new games at retail using digital codes,” with more details to follow. This could mean physical boxes containing download codes, similar to the upcoming physical version of GTA 6.
(Source: Video Games Chronicle)
