Despite a very vocal backlash, Sony has no apparent plans to backtrack on its decision to end physical PlayStation discs in 2028. But maybe things aren’t quite as set in stone as they seem – at least, that’s what I want to tell myself as I read recent quotes from Kenzo Saruhashi, president of Nippon Ichi Software, who offers a bit of hope that Sony’s decision isn’t final.
“In our discussions with Sony so far,” Saruhashi tells Kotaku, “I think that they’re hearing a lot of the feedback from customers and so while that may be one destination that we arrive at, it’s possible that the discussion may change in the future, so we’ll have to see what happens, what comes of it.”
Saruhashi made these comments earlier this month at PAX West, and they’re now being published amid other rumors about Sony’s disc plans. As Eurogamer reports, YouTube channel Moore’s Law is Dead recently suggested that Sony is now surveying its developers about the decision to end discs. This report is unsubstantiated, but combined with Saruhashi’s comments, it’s starting to feel at least possible that Sony might be having second thoughts about discs.
NIS is known for the tactical RPG series Disgaea and other niche favorites with devoted followings among the most hardcore JRPG fans. Its subsidiary, NIS America handles global publishing duties for a wide array of notable JRPGs, including beloved series like Ys and Trails. NISA often puts these games out in deluxe collector’s editions that might be a lot more difficult to sell without an actual game included.
“Speaking for myself, I know that a big part of our business model, particularly with NISA, is producing our physical limited editions,” Saruhashi says, “and that’s an important part of our business and we, for our part, intend to continue making those physical editions and delivering the exceptional quality that our customers are expecting of us.”
The benefits to Sony’s business for dropping physical games are immense. It no longer has to bear the expense of manufacturing discs or share revenue with retailers. It can work with third-party publishers to control prices on the PlayStation store. And it no longer has to stare sadly out the window as it fails to draw a penny from the sale of used games.
Some reports suggest that Sony’s biggest first-party games are still making a substantial amount of their revenue on disc, but clearly the publisher feels that market control is worth the loss of however many physical game holdouts are still hanging on.
Still, even that’s not the whole story. Sony’s decision to end discs almost certainly presages plans for an all-digital PS6 – and with threats of $1,000 consoles limiting the next-gen audience, the publisher certainly wants to maximize its profit margins. But if the next couple of years continue to be full of former fans rallying against PlayStation’s decision to end physical media, it’s going to be even tougher to convince them to spend big bucks on a new console. Certainly, it’s pushing me away from the platform after a decade as a PlayStation-first player.