Frank Cifaldi, a video game historian, believes recent policy changes such as Sony's decision to abandon disc releases leave archivists with no option but to resort to piracy. Cifaldi is the founder and director of the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF), one of the largest non-profit organizations focused on game preservation, which has worked with many major names in the gaming industry, including Sony Interactive Entertainment.
On July 1, Sony announced that no new PlayStation games will include physical disc releases. The change will take effect in January 2028, though Sony has confirmed that support for currently released and in-production discs will not end. Cifaldi's comment does not directly target the Japanese company's decision, but it comes amid ongoing backlash and concerns over the future of physical video game hardware and ownership rights.
Sony's controversial decision to stop physical PlayStation game production after January 2028 comes with a notable asterisk allowing some leeway.
Recently, a user on BlueSky said, "Piracy is the only extant form of media preservation that exists in games right now." Reacting to this claim, Frank Cifaldi said, "As the director of a historical video game preservation institution, and someone who has dedicated his entire...
