Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive has commented on PlayStation’s decision to end production of physical game discs in January 2028.
As the team works on their next game behind-the-scenes on their next game, it will likely be years until we see a new game from Sandfall Interactive, As PlayStation is cutting physical media by January 2028, Sandfall’s second game likely won’t release on a disc.
“Personally, I find it super sad because I really like video game stores,” game director Guillaume Broche told Automaton. While the Expedition 33 lead plays more on PC than console, they believe having the option of a physical copy is not only important for customers, but for the state of art itself.
“I think it’s part of the beauty of art too – that it’s something tangible that you can touch,” he continued. “I completely appreciate that people want to have their rows of DVDs and games and just feel that they own them. So I think it’s a shame. I mean, business-wise, I can understand why it may make sense, but I think in terms of the artistry of video games, it’s a sad decision.”
For a small game like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, creating a physical release wasn’t an easy sell. Lead programmer Tom Guillermin explained that the “physical release adds more constraints because you have to account for the production time for physical items, and you also earn less money per copy.” Nevertheless, having a physical copy on shelves was important for the team.
“For us, physical was something special,” the programmer continued. “We also felt that the game could be special to players, and that they would want to, as Guillaume said, hold it in their hands. So even though it made things harder and meant less money per unit, it was important for us to provide players who want to have the physical game in their hands with an option. Because that’s what we value as players too.
Broche explained that, even being a PC player where physical media is largely non-existent, being able to go into a store and buy their own game made them “feel like a kid”. That’s not just true for Broche, but every member of Sandfall, and likely for the majority of active game developers. (Hell, I feel the same way when I write a piece for a magazine!)
“Even now when I’m going to the supermarket or something, if I see our game in a store, it always makes my day,” added lead character and concept artist Alan Reynaud… “Knowing that may not be possible again makes me a bit sad. And maybe it’s the child in me, but I like to go outside, buy a game, and come back home with it. It’s a nice feeling.”
That tangibility of physical releases is something that fans really do want. With Nintendo is still sticking with its guns for physical releases, despite the massive gulf in costs, there us hope that physical media will continue into the future for video games, although that does require more games to come to Nintendo’s admittedly lower-power platform.
