Father of PlayStation backs Sony’s decision to go disc-less, thinks gamers’ fury isn’t entirely logical
The feud is a mentality issue, says former Sony boss.
Image by Cybernews. Source Wikipedia
Follow us
- Former Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi says disc-less shift was inevitable because most gamers now buy digitally.
- Many gamers fear digital purchases give companies too much control over access.
- Sony plans to end physical game releases and move fully digital by 2028.
- The proposed Power to the Players Act would protect consumers' ability to own and play purchased games.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Ken Kutaragi, the former CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment and lead architect of the first 3 consoles, has provided insights into changes that have gamers furious.
The “Father of PlayStation” discussed Sony’s decision to stop producing physical games. While he says this move was inevitable, the uproar surrounding the decision is something of a “mentality issue.”
Sony announced the discontinuation of physical games, intending to digitize all releases by 2028.
While gamers weren’t happy, Kutaragi was unsurprised by the decision, considering he’d predicted this would happen eventually.
As the majority of gamers now have network connectivity, Kutargi believes it's not “economically reasonable” for Sony to continue allocating resources to disc production, given that most people buy games digitally nowadays, according to Video Games Chronicle.
Tensions between gamers and distributors remain high, as users continue to criticize Sony’s move.
Despite acknowledging this strained relationship, Kutargi implies that this may be due to a “mentality issue” on the part of game enthusiasts.
Physical discs have become emblematic of game ownership, a metaphor that Kutargi claims to understand.
However, it's assumed that users own digital media on network-connected devices such as smartphones, since these devices have cloud storage capabilities and are linked to specific accounts. In theory, users can redownload this media at any time once purchased.
Kutargi essentially puts this outrage down to a “mentality issue.” Users believe that physical discs are the only way to ensure ownership, and gamers have become increasingly distrustful of big corporations like Sony.
Power to the Players Act
Democratic Representative Richie Torres recently announced the Power to the Players Act, which aims to protect gamers from potential exploitation by corporations.
The act would require the Federal Trade Commission to establish regulations to protect consumers' ability to own and play the video games they purchase.
This comes after gaming companies began delisting games from their digital storefronts and shutting down servers for certain titles, with recent examples including NBA 2K25 and the All-Star Edition, which were sold to users for $69.99 and $99.99, respectively.
“No consumer should have a game they paid for pulled out from under them on a company’s arbitrary timeline,” Representative Torres said.
