Former PlayStation Execs Recreate Iconic Game-Sharing Video — With No Games in Sight

Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes reunited at Tokyo Game Show 2026 to recreate their legendary 2013 game-sharing moment — except this time, neither of them was holding anything. The callback landed very differently than the original.

Back in 2013, the pair starred in the "Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video," a 20-second clip that mocked Microsoft's then-controversial Xbox One disc-sharing restrictions. The video went viral and has since racked up 21.3 million YouTube views. At Tokyo Game Show on September 18, Yoshida posted a photo of the two together with the caption "Met with a best friend," clearly nodding to that iconic moment — but with empty hands where the physical games used to be. The timing is hard to ignore: Sony announced in July 2026 that it will stop producing physical discs for new games starting January 2028, citing shifting consumer preferences toward digital formats. Sid Shuman, Senior Director at Sony Interactive Entertainment, framed it as simply following the market.

The irony wasn't lost on anyone. In 2013, Sony's whole pitch was that PlayStation respected physical game ownership while Microsoft fumbled its messaging around disc restrictions. Now Sony is the one phasing out discs entirely — and the two faces of that original pro-consumer moment are posing together at a major gaming event with nothing in their hands. Analysts have told IGN that a reversal is unlikely, since going all-digital means Sony captures a larger cut of every sale at a time when hardware revenue is under pressure from rising console costs.

Fan reaction has been pointed. The physical game preservation account DoesItPlay1 called the photo out directly, saying the pair were "seemingly mocking current anti-consumer PlayStation for killing the philosophy behind their once famous pro-consumer mockery of Xbox." Others posted side-by-side comparisons of 2013 and 2026, with one fan captioning the new photo "This is how you share games with your friends in 2028." Whether Yoshida and Boyes intended the self-aware irony or just wanted a fun reunion photo, the internet has made up its mind.