Hideki Kamiya — the creator of Devil May Cry, Bayonetta and Okami — says the industry should focus less on the physical-versus-digital debate and more on making sure games survive and remain playable for future generations.
Kamiya, who now buys nearly all his games digitally and rarely purchases discs, told reporters that the possible disappearance of physical media does not worry him personally. His greater concern is that many older titles cannot be run on current hardware. He argued that rights holders have a responsibility to keep their games accessible as consoles and storefronts evolve, regardless of whether those titles are distributed on discs or through digital channels.
As an example of how to do this right, Kamiya pointed to Hamster Corporation’s Arcade Archives series, which ports classic arcade games to modern platforms. Despite owning more than 200 arcade boards, he said he sometimes prefers the convenience of digital releases because they spare him the trouble of unpacking and reconnecting vintage equipment.
Kento Koyama, co-founder of Clovers, said he would be sorry to see physical collections vanish entirely. Koyama keeps a dedicated game room at home with older consoles — including an original Xbox and a Dreamcast — and shelves stocked with boxed games.
Kamiya also recounted a personal memento: he once brought several NES cartridges to Satoru Iwata — titles Iwata had worked on as a programmer — and had them signed. Those copies remain in Kamiya’s collection, which informs his view that physical games carry historical as well as practical value.
Ultimately, Kamiya said his priority is unchanged: preventing old games from disappearing and ensuring they remain playable decades from now.