From Decrypt · By Ryan S. Gladwin
In brief
Ken Kutaragi, the founder of PlayStation, said that physical discs are a "metaphor" for owning games, and calls it a "mentality issue" if you're upset about physical discs not being produced.
It follows Sony's decision to discontinue the production of game discs as of 2028, which has received major backlash from fans.
Game veterans told Decrypt that the disc decision is usually pushed by publishers to boost profits, and that Sony miscalculated its community's reaction.
PlayStation founder Ken Kutaragi has pushed back against fans' anger over Sony's plan to discontinue physical game discs, calling it a "mentality issue." One game industry veteran claims that cutting discs is "only" ever pushed by publishers as they seek better profit margins.
It comes amid a storm of controversy surrounding Sony's decision to stop disc production in 2028. Former PlayStation exec Shawn Layden called it a "heavily spreadsheeted decision" and said it damaged the company's reputation. Meanwhile, fans have garnered more than 385,000 signatures on a "Don't Kill the Disc" petition.
"I understand that physical discs have become a metaphor for 'owning' games. I really understand that mentality," Kutaragi said at the Game Republic New Horizons event. "But nobody thinks [physical media] is necessary for a networked device like a smartphone, for example, because people feel that they will keep their content. So it's a mentality."
Kutaragi retired from PlayStation in 2007 and is best known for being the architect of the first three generations of the PlayStation console. Since leaving, two more generations of the console have been released. He is currently serving as CEO of Japanese companies Ascent Robotics and Cyber AI Entertainment.
“I really understand [why some people are upset]," he said, according to the Video Games Chronicle. "But I don’t think it’s economically reasonable. Maybe it’s a mentality issue.”
Former creative strategist for Infinity Ward Robert Bowling told Decrypt that publishers are the "only ones ever pushing" to cut physical game discs. He said that it is because cutting discs can increase profit margins by reducing the cost of production, as well as crushing the game reseller market led by the likes of GameStop.
"It speaks to the divide that has formed in our industry between those who see games as just a software product," Bowling, who is now studio head for game studio //18.bravo, told Decrypt, "And those who see them as something more like art, entertainment, collectibles, and a lifestyle."
Sony has argued in court that no reasonable consumer believes that they own digital games they buy on the PlayStation Store, according to court filings. Instead, Sony says that Store purchases equate to purchasing a revocable license.