Devil May Cry Creator Reveals His Biggest Fear Beyond the Death of Physical Discs

Game preservation matters far more than whether titles are sold on discs or through digital storefronts, according to Hideki Kamiya, who is urging copyright holders to guarantee that older games remain accessible to future generations.

The creator of Okami, Devil May Cry, and Bayonetta stated in an interview that he now buys games “100% digitally,” meaning the decline of physical discs does not trouble him much.

I don’t buy physical games—every game I buy is 100% digital.

At the same time, Kamiya worries about game preservation as consoles and distribution platforms change.

The main thing for me is whether rights holders will take responsibility for ensuring that all these games continue to be accessible for future generations to play. It doesn’t matter if it’s physical or digital, as long as these games are available to people in the future.

He noted that many older classic games can no longer run on modern hardware, pointing to Hamster Corporation’s Arcade Archives series as an example.

Part of Hideki Kamiya's collection of over 200 arcade boards. — Part of Hideki Kamiya’s collection of over 200 arcade boards.

Image source: VGC

Kamiya also owns a collection of more than 200 arcade boards, though he uses modern versions of classics whenever he does not want to deal with original hardware.

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