PlayStation founder Ken Kutaragi argues that optical discs became a metaphor for game ownership, and that frustration over their discontinuation is a mentality problem
Ken Kutaragi frames disc discontinuation as economic, calls discs ownership symbols, and suggests AI cloud could reduce console need.
Background: A PlayStation Founder Outside the Company
Ken Kutaragi is the founder of PlayStation and the architect of the first three PlayStation consoles. He retired from PlayStation in June 2007, shortly after the PlayStation 3's European release. Since then, two generations of consoles have passed, though the source notes he has close ties to Sony and people working there still.
He is currently the CEO of Ascent Robotics and the owner of Cyber AI Entertainment. In an interview with Video Games Chronicle at the Game Republic New Horizons event, he said he was “not the CEO at PlayStation any more,” but added that “we still have some common viewpoints.”
Development: Discs, Ownership, and Economics
The interview centered on people being upset about Sony's discontinuation of game discs. Kutaragi said he understands why some people feel that way, but he suggested the reaction is probably a “mentality issue” and does not make disc production “economically reasonable” for Sony.
He said physical discs have become a metaphor for “owning” games. He compared that feeling with how people treat a networked device like a smartphone: nobody thinks physical media is necessary there, because people feel they will keep their content.
From that point, Kutaragi said he understands the mentality, but he did not think it was “economically reasonable” for Sony to keep printing game discs. He also suggested that Sony may be pushing toward an all-digital device, in a way similar to smartphones and other devices. “Maybe that's how those people are thinking,” he said, while noting that the move has caused some friction with game enthusiasts.
The article also referenced a Eurogamer feature titled “A brief history of console reveals,” in which Kutaragi appears in the PlayStation 3 section. That video is available to watch on YouTube.
Latest: Hardware Costs, AI, and Cloud
Beyond discs, Kutaragi expressed concern about hardware prices in today's component shortage-ridden market. He said machines are “super expensive” and that “that's not a healthy situation.” His comment was backed up by news from the weekend that PlayStation 6's memory and storage alone reportedly cost more than $680.
His advice was to harness AI and cloud computing to their full potential. He said that approach would mean “we won't need any console.” The article's own reaction was that this advice may not go down terribly well.
Current Stage
At this stage, the timeline points to a former PlayStation leader speaking from outside the company while still maintaining ties with Sony. He left PlayStation in June 2007, after the PlayStation 3's European release, and his remarks at Game Republic New Horizons linked disc discontinuation, disc ownership metaphor, and economics. The newest cost signal is the weekend report that PlayStation 6's memory and storage alone reportedly cost more than $680. For readers, the key takeaway is that Kutaragi's position frames Sony's disc discontinuation as economically reasonable, while his broader advice points toward AI and cloud computing as the path that could reduce the need for a console.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Ken Kutaragi speaking about the end of PlayStation game discs?
Ken Kutaragi is the PlayStation founder and the architect of the first three PlayStation consoles. He retired from PlayStation in June 2007, and the article says he is currently the CEO of Ascent Robotics and the owner of Cyber AI Entertainment. He discussed the issue in an interview with Video Games Chronicle at the Game Republic New Horizons event.
Does Kutaragi think Sony should keep printing physical game discs?
No. He said he understands why some people are upset about Sony discontinuing game discs, but he suggested the reaction is probably a “mentality issue” and that keeping disc production “economically reasonable” for Sony is not something he supports.
Why do people feel strongly about losing game discs, according to Kutaragi?
He said physical discs have become a metaphor for “owning” games. He compared that feeling with devices like smartphones, where people do not think physical media is necessary because they feel they will keep their content.
What hardware cost concerns did Kutaragi raise?
He said machines are “super expensive” in today’s component shortage-ridden market and that this is “not a healthy situation.” The article also referenced a report that PlayStation 6’s memory and storage alone reportedly cost more than $680.
What did Kutaragi suggest could reduce or replace the need for a console?
He advised harnessing AI and cloud computing to their full potential, saying that approach could mean “we won't need any console.”
Comments (0)