Sony: Expect game discs for at least 10 years

Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai, a person who is definitely in the position to decide the fate of physical media, says he expects game discs to be around for quite a while.

Hirai told game industry site MCV that Sony still operates in areas across the globe that do not offer the "network infrastructure" necessary to handle downloadable games. And due to Sony's size and reach, Hirai said, "there's always going to be requirement" for physical discs.

This doesn't mean that Sony doesn't see physical discs eventually giving way to downloadable titles. Hirai just doesn't see it happening anytime soon.

"To think everything will be downloaded in 2 years, 3 years or even 10 years from now is taking it a little bit to the extreme," Hirai told MCV.

That said, downloadable content is continuing to spread. There are several titles on Sony's PlayStation Network that can be downloaded, and Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade has become a successful platform for the company.

Still, the prospect of every full-fledged title being made available as a download in the next few years, at least according to Hirai, just isn't in the cards.