Death Stranding director Hideo Kojima “really sad” about Sony ending physical disc production, and says lack of media ownership has “frightening” possibilities
Renowned video game director Hideo Kojima has expressed deep concern over Sony’s decision to cease physical PlayStation disc production by 2028, calling the news “really sad” and warning of “frightening possibilities” for consumers.
Speaking at Italy’s Il Cinema in Piazza festival, Kojima outlined the fundamental shift occurring in gaming distribution. While physical game discs allow players to own their data locally on their hardware, a transition to cloud streaming would eliminate consumer ownership entirely. Without physical media, players would depend wholly on streaming services remaining available—a situation Kojima characterizes as posing significant long-term risks to consumer rights and media access.
Kojima’s concerns reflect growing anxiety within the gaming community about media preservation and player autonomy. The physical game market has been declining for years, driven by rising production costs, digital-only console releases, and publisher pushes toward streaming models. Kojima’s long-standing focus on industry trends positions him as a vocal critic of these developments, which he has warned about for years.
His comments resonate with game conservationists and player’s rights advocates increasingly concerned about the implications of losing physical ownership. As the industry shifts toward streaming-first models, critical questions persist about game availability, archival, and consumer control if companies discontinue services or infrastructure shuts down.