Ken Kutaragi, the father of the PlayStation, believes that physical discs are no longer viable for Sony
, by Thibaut
Although he has since stepped back from the video game industry, Ken Kutaragi remains a highly influential and respected figure in the sector. The man who designed the first three PlayStation consoles recently gave an interview to the website VGC as part of the Game Republic New Horizons event.
The former CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (until 2007) was asked about his employer’s decision to phase out physical discs by 2028. While he says he understands why gamers are upset by this announcement, Kutaragi also explains that continuing to support physical media is no longer economically viable for Sony.
"I understand that physical discs have become a metaphor for ‘owning’ games. I really understand that mentality… 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.
I really understand [why some people are upset], but I don’t think it’s economically reasonable. Maybe it’s a mentality issue.
I’m not the CEO at PlayStation anymore, but we still have some common [viewpoints]. Right now, Sony Interactive Entertainment has many people who have come from outside, like from Gaikai or streaming companies.
So it’s understandable that by utilizing network connectivity [they may see] PlayStation as not just a game console, but also a content terminal. Maybe that’s how those people are thinking. But this has caused some friction with game enthusiasts."
Finally, given the extremely high price of consoles, Kutaragi believes they may well end up disappearing. Thanks to AI and cloud computing, "we won't need any console", is what he said.
Source: videogameschronicle.com