Sony "hearing feedback" on disc plans, JRPG exec suggests future reversal possible
Nippon Ichi Software president says Sony is open to reconsidering its 2028 plan to end physical PlayStation discs.
What to know
- Sony's 2028 plan to discontinue physical PlayStation discs may not be final; JRPG publisher exec says Sony is "hearing" customer feedback and reconsideration is possible.
- Publishers like NIS America have built their business models around physical limited editions, making the disc discontinuation a significant threat to niche studios.
- Customer backlash has been vocal and persistent, with concerns about ownership, resale rights, and long-term access to digital games driving the resistance.
The dispute Whether Sony's stated openness to feedback signals a genuine possibility of reversal, or is merely corporate damage control with no intention to change course. · positions read across 24 posts and comments
Sony won't actually reverse course; talk of hearing feedback is corporate messaging to manage anger.
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“Hearing feedback is a nice phrase for "we'll wait until the next shareholder meeting."”
TechnicianBetter7936 · Reddit ↗
Discless future is inevitable and logical; PC went digital decades ago without major backlash.
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“We're headed towards a discless future and thats only logical from a consumer but also a business perspective. PC has been discless for decades and nobody gave a damn.”
MikkelR1 · Reddit ↗
Digital ownership removes consumer rights to resell, lend, or retain access; physical media is essential.
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“I don't want to get robbed of my purchases. I'm definitely not giving money to a known robber. Why do you think people collect games? To hold on to those experiences.”
RisingPhil · Reddit ↗
Reddit consumers overestimate their power; Sony has strong incentives to go digital regardless of vocal opposition.
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“People in reddit really overestimate their power. The same people who were bashing Denuvo are now watching pikachu faced when a game without denuvo released”
Ragnarok_619 · Reddit ↗
Kenzo Saruhashi President of Nippon Ichi SoftwareSony Gaming platform manufacturerNIS America Game publisher subsidiary of NIS
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlespostscomments
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Publishers like NIS America built business model around physical editions
Saruhashi emphasized that NIS America's business depends significantly on producing physical limited editions of games like Disgaea, Ys, and Trails series, making the disc discontinuation a concern for niche JRPG publishers.
“Speaking for myself, I know that a big part of our business model, particularly with NISA, is producing our physical limited editions, and that's an important part of our business…”
— Kenzo Saruhashi -
first by GamesRadar+, 1d ago
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I've changed my minds on the game key carts once I realized you can backup and restore their game data offline. (microSD image). And you can locally transfer game key cart game data from one switch 2 to another without an internet connection. You can't do the latter with a pure digital version. That means you can still buy/sell game key carts…
2 more of the top 3 · 24 posts in this stretch
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Yes, PC has DRM. You spent half your comment explaining something nobody disputed. The point was never “PC has no DRM” or “PC gives you absolute ownership.” It's that if you're removing the physical option anyway, PC gives you substantially more freedom in exchange for that loss, multiple storefronts, competing prices, mods, free online, community…
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It's simple. I don't want to get robbed of my purchases. I'm definitely not giving money to a known robber. Why do you think people collect games? To hold on to those experiences. What's the point of a game collection/library if you don't own them? I'm voting with my wallet.
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background
JRPG exec signals Sony may reconsider disc discontinuation — Kenzo Saruhashi, president of Nippon Ichi Software, told Kotaku that Sony is listening to customer feedback on discs and that "it's possible that the discussion may change in the future." Saruhashi made the comments at PAX West earlier in the month.
What people are saying 21 voices from 1 site · best of 24 · verbatim
- Yesterday
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I'm against Denuvo precisely because people will pirate the game. The pirates get a better experience than the paying customers. That's an absurd scenario.
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In other words the sudden rapid spike in progress on PS5 emulation scared the shit out them. They still won't reverse course, let's be real. They're hoping this appeases the masses.
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Yes, I’m spending $100 on a game I’ve been waiting on for a decade. Keep subscribing to ps plus and keep purchasing on your ps5. Let’s see how well that goes for yall. At least I admit to supporting them once or twice a year, if at that.
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I think because the creator of Disgaea was very much against the decision to kill disc production.
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The Destiny 2 news I think was inevitable with how Marathon performed, which was also inevitable. If they didn't respond that way, it would be the shuttering of the studio for Sony.
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This is oddly normative towards forced poverty, literally what the fuck is wrong with you
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it's so weird how intensely people are taking your singular anecdote as meaning more than you obviously ever intended it to
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I would have a much higher price for physical. The difference has to be enough to force people into buying digital.
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oh source of claim has walk its back. even second source has walk it back to.....
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Steverambo everyone, out here with the best comments and most useful insights around!
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Hearing feedback is a nice phrase for "we'll wait until the next shareholder meeting." I still have my PS5 disc drive, mostly to prove I wasn't a full digital convert.
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The few and far between games are the biggest and most popular ones and also the games most likely to actual get disc releases.
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You realize it’s going to be over $1000? Sony is expecting low sales. Personally part of the motivation to go discless in the first place. They will need to maximize revenue everywhere they can due to ever increasing component costs.
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Well the plant has shifted they are still producing discs. They have manufacturing ability to sell discs. Not enough has changed to not be able to reverse it.
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The vast majority of people buy games digitally. This isnt going to hurt Sony nearly as much as Reddit thinks. We can all name off personal antecodes but the cold hard data doesn't lie.
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People in reddit really overestimate their power. The same people who were bashing Denuvo are now watching pikachu faced when a game without denuvo released, and got pirated straight out, decimating its business. Proper leopards ate your face moment
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I really don't get people like you. We're headed towards a discless future and thats only logical from a consumer but also a business perspective. Why hold on to that for dear life as if its going to change anything. PC has been discless for decades and nobody gave a damn.
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The trust is already broken. Disc was one of the last ways of reselling and lending out to friends. It’s outrageous that we can’t sell digital licenses or force Sony to let other digital stores to compete.
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Maybe, if sticking to physical attracts more customers, maybe they won't. For now I'm picking them. If they also go this route then I'll consider my next move then.
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Nintendo will eventually do this too. A lot of things in gaming people complain about were already done by Nintendo, people just forgot about it.
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Id imagine any whispers of hope would just be to quell the ongoing anger. Won’t believe it until I see it. No disc, no buy.