Hideo Kojima, the director behind the Death Stranding series, has become one of the most prominent industry figures to speak out against the shift away from physical media. Following the news that Sony plans to end the production of PlayStation game discs by 2028, Kojima shared his perspective at the Il Cinema in Piazza film festival in Italy.
“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. He noted that he has personally been purchasing a large collection of physical Blu-rays and CDs to ensure he retains access to those works.
The Risks of a Streaming-Only Future
Kojima highlighted a key distinction between owning a game on a hard drive and relying on streaming services. While digital downloads currently reside on local hardware, he warned that a future shift to pure streaming models—similar to Netflix or Amazon for movies—removes actual ownership from the consumer.
The situation is different for games, as they are downloaded to the hard drive, that means the game data remains on your own hardware. However, if things shift to streaming in the future, that won’t be the case anymore... You don’t download the data, you access it directly through a subscription.
Kojima emphasized the vulnerability this creates for players. “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,” he explained. “And if that happens you won’t be able to watch or play the movies and games you like. That is what is frightening.”
Industry Shifts and Ownership Concerns
The announcement regarding the end of physical media has triggered widespread debate regarding digital ownership, especially after Sony previously removed purchased movies from user libraries due to expired licensing agreements. The developer's comments echo sentiments he expressed as far back as 2021, when he warned that digital data might no longer be owned by individuals on their own initiative.
Other companies are navigating this transition differently. Microsoft is reportedly testing methods to allow users to digitize their physical game purchases, while Nintendo has introduced game key cards—a form of physical media that uses DRM but still allows for physical trading and resale. Meanwhile, reports indicate that at least one factory previously responsible for printing PlayStation discs has already begun pivoting to other products in anticipation of Sony's 2028 deadline.