Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes have recreated one of the most recognisable PlayStation moments from E3 2013. The pair met at the PlayStation booth during Tokyo Game Show 2026, this time posing without a physical game disc.
The small detail gives the new photo an unexpected significance. Their original appearance mocked Xbox One’s proposed restrictions on second-hand game discs, while Sony now plans to move away from physical games in 2028.
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Met with a best friend 😀 @amboyes @PlayStation_jp #TGS2026 pic.twitter.com/2ZjsrLMNaP
— Shuhei Yoshida, September 18, 2026
A familiar image with a different meaning
The original 22-second video, released on YouTube during E3 2013, showed Boyes handing Yoshida a physical game as a simple response to Microsoft’s unpopular Xbox One policy. Under the proposed system, used game discs would have required digital rights checks before they could be played.
That brief demonstration became highly effective guerrilla marketing for PlayStation. More than a decade later, however, the symbolism has reversed. Sony is preparing to leave discs behind for the PS6 generation, while Microsoft is using the DRM approach it once abandoned to provide digital licences for some physical games.
The original clip can still be viewed as the Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video.
From public PlayStation figures to industry consultants
The reunion also recalls a period when PlayStation executives communicated more directly and playfully with its community. Today, Sony is more reserved, with fewer of its most visible representatives publicly explaining or defending changes to its wider ecosystem.
Boyes left PlayStation in 2016, followed by Yoshida’s departure in 2024. Both now work as consultants across the broader video game industry, although many dedicated PlayStation fans would welcome their return to Sony.
The shift from discs to downloads is part of a wider conversation about ownership, access and how players use modern hardware. Those considering a dedicated physical gaming setup can explore RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide, browse arcade cabinets, or compare space-saving bartop arcade machines.
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