Hideo Kojima warned of a “frightening” digital future at the Il Cinema in Piazza film festival in Rome, just days after Sony said it will end production of physical PlayStation discs in January 2028. The Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator said the shift away from tangible media — games, movies and music on discs and physical formats — is deeply worrying. (His comments were shared via a translation by Genki.)
Kojima said he grew up with physical media and finds the move “really sad,” adding that he has been buying Blu-rays and CDs to preserve ownership. He linked his concern about PlayStation discs to a broader fear of losing access to cultural works if distribution moves entirely online.
He flagged streaming as the core issue. Kojima explained that while downloaded games remain on a user’s hardware, streaming relies on servers controlled by companies. “You essentially just have the right to turn the tap, and when you do, the data flows out,” he said, arguing that subscription services for movies, music and games mean users do not truly possess the data they access.
Kojima pointed to political or commercial changes that could interrupt distribution, warning that if servers stop delivering content, people “won’t be able to watch or play the movies and games you like.” He called that prospect “frightening” and urged audiences to consider how the end of physical production for games in 2028 could foreshadow similar losses for films and other media.
The remarks follow recent industry moves that have fuelled debate about ownership. In late June, Rockstar said the physical edition of GTA 6 would ship in a box with no disc, containing only a download code. Sony’s plan to end disc production has provoked widespread criticism from corporations, public figures and gamers, and reports have also suggested some digital buyers could lose access to large numbers of purchased films.
Kojima Productions recently completed Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and Kojima is now developing a horror title called OD, which has reportedly been secured by Xbox amid industry studio closures and cancellations. Kojima’s comments underline a growing industry conversation about digital ownership, streaming control and what consumers may lose as gaming and entertainment increasingly shift away from physical media.
Original Source: https://in.ign.com/metal-gear-solid/265473/hideo-kojima-warns-of-frightening-digital-future-after-playstation-reveals-plan-to-end-physical-disc
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Publish Date: 2026-07-05 23:30:00
