TL;DR: Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes reenacted their 2013 PlayStation disc-sharing gag at Tokyo Game Show, this time miming an empty hand as Sony phases out physical game production by 2028. Yoshida, now a digital-only advocate, left Sony in 2025; Boyes departed in 2016.
Voice: Hassam NasirSpeed
0:00 / 3:10
Use left and right arrow keys to seek audio.
Thirteen years ago, PlayStation scored one of gaming’s most memorable PR wins with a 22-second video mocking Microsoft’s restrictive Xbox One DRM plans. Now, the two executives behind that moment have recreated it at Tokyo Game Show, and this time they appear to have nothing to share.
The original “Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video” showed then-president of first-party studios Shuhei Yoshida handing a physical copy of Killzone: Shadow Fall to head of third-party relations Adam Boyes. That was the entire video. Step one, hand over the disc. Step two, there was no step two. It was a simple, spur-of-the-moment jab at Xbox One’s planned DRM checks for used games, and it’s racked up more than 21 million views since, becoming one of the defining moments of the PS4’s launch.
Popular Now: Only 19,000 people have successfully reserved Valve’s Steam Frame, with many still on the waitlist
At Tokyo Game Show 2026, Yoshida shared that he’d reunited with Boyes and posted a photo of the pair recreating their famous pose. “Met with a best friend,” he wrote. This time, though, they’re swapping nothing but air. “This is how you share games with your friends in 2028,” one user replied, referencing the year Sony’s physical game production winds down.
- Read more: Killing physical discs will make digital games cheaper, according to a former Square Enix exec
- Read more: Your physical PS5 and PS4 game collection might not last as long as you think
- Read more: Half of Xbox Series discs need downloads to work properly, and PlayStation is not far behind, report shows
Yoshida and Boyes don’t appear to be taking a deliberate shot at their former employer. Yoshida has previously defended the shift away from discs, arguing earlier this year that physical media feels less essential given how many games already require substantial downloads regardless of whether you own a disc. “Personally, I’m a totally digital consumer,” Yoshida said at the time. “I don’t want to manage discs or swap discs. I want all my games on my dashboard, and I just select a game and play it.”
Boyes left PlayStation in 2016, while Yoshida departed in early 2025 after 31 years with Sony, having led the company’s Independent Developer Initiative in his final years. Not every former PlayStation executive shares Yoshida’s enthusiasm for the shift, though. Former Sony Interactive <a href="https://comicvibe.com/music-festivals-committed-to-entertainment-and-culture-in-mexico/” title=”Music festivals committed to entertainment and culture in Mexico”>Entertainment president Shawn Layden has said he doesn’t “necessarily agree” with ending physical releases, while acknowledging it’s no longer his call to make.
How has Shuhei Yoshida explained the move away from physical PlayStation games?
What did Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes do at Tokyo Game Show 2026 to recreate the meme?
How did players react to Sony’s 2028 PlayStation disc manufacturing shutdown?
Have a question that isn’t listed here? Ask below, and TweakBot will answer it.
Sony announced earlier this year that it would stop manufacturing discs for new PlayStation games starting in 2028, a decision that has drawn sustained backlash from players and led to failed attempts at organizing boycotts. The company has continued to insist it’s sticking with the plan regardless. By comparison, Microsoft’s approach has drawn more favorable reactions, letting Xbox owners convert eligible physical discs into digital licenses, though not every publisher has opted into that program.
