Bayonetta and Devil May Cry Creator Embraces Digital Games, but Warns of Preservation Risks as Physical Media Fades

As the video game industry steadily marches toward an all-digital future, PlayStation has become the first major platform holder to publicly signal that shift, raising questions about whether Xbox and other companies will continue to support physical releases. Hideki Kamiya doesn’t really care about that as he only has one wish: that all games are available for all players, regardless of the format.

In a recent interview with VGC, the developer revealed that he now purchases all of his games digitally, but said that game companies and IP holders must make sure that titles do not become lost or inaccessible over time.

Hideki Kamiya, All-Digital Consumer

PlayStation’s surprise announcement that it will phase out physical media by 2028 has sparked widespread backlash from gamers and even some developers, despite Sony’s justification that the move simply aligns with evolving consumer behavior.

Statistics from the United States and other markets do confirm a steady decline in disc-based sales, although physical formats continue to hold strong in certain regions. Still, the growing preference for digital storefronts like the PS Store is undeniable.

Hideki Kamiya, creator of Bayonetta and Devil May Cry and who falls firmly within the digital-first demographic, stated that he understands why PlayStation chose this strategy in an interview with VGC, which also featured Kento Koyama.

“I don’t buy a single physical game these days – every single game I buy is 100% digital so I look at that decision and think, ‘Yeah, I guess this is where things were heading,” the developer, who is currently working on a new game in the Okami series for Clovers Studio, said.

Despite his current embrace of digital purchases, Kamiya is a passionate collector of retro games and consoles. This is why he is aware of the preservation challenges posed by a format shift. As such, he believes that preserving games must become a priority.

“That’s the big thing for me, is whether or not the IP holders are going to take responsibility for ensuring that all of these games will continue to be available to future generations in order for them to be played. Whether that’s physically or digitally is less important to me, just so long as these games will be available to people in the future,” he said.

Hideki Kamiya Is Concerned Games Will Disappear Due to the Digital Format

His concerns echo the mission of initiatives like Stop Killing Games, which advocates for continued accessibility even after official support ends.

“There are already so many of these older classic games that are not playable on modern hardware at all, and I hope that the IP holders will recognize that and continue to make those games available to future people not just from a gameplay perspective, but also from a game culture perspective, and to continue to foster and grow that that culture of gaming,” he stated.

An avid collector with over 200 arcade boards in his personal archive, Kamiya nevertheless admits that he frequently turns to services like Arcade Archives when he wants to revisit retro titles on contemporary devices without the hassle of setting up original hardware.

“So to me it’s less important whether the games are made available physically or digitally, but that they’re made available at all,” he explained.

Kento Koyama, co-founder of Clovers Studio, joined the conversation and confessed that the idea of physical video game collections disappearing due to the rise of the digital format saddens him, although he acknowledged that PlayStation’s decision makes some sense.

“Speaking for myself, I’ve been buying a higher proportion of games digitally lately,” he said. “But at the same time, whenever I feel like there’s a really special game that I want to hold onto for the long haul, I always make sure to buy a physical copy of it.

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