Yoko Taro, the creator of Drakengard and Nier, has publicly commented on PlayStation’s decision to abandon physical media releases in 2028.
In an announcement earlier this month, PlayStation confirmed that it will be ending production of physical game discs. While Nintendo will continue to ship games in retail stores, PlayStation will not, and Xbox is likely abandoning discs as well.
In a discussion on social media, Taro lamented the loss of physical games. ‘Personally, I can’t help but feel sad about physical media disappearing, but I suppose it’s just the flow of the times,” the Nier creator said.
Recently, Taro picked up a special physical release of Hi-Fi Rush, telling fans to not “assume your parents and physical media will always be there”. While the iconic game developer isn’t against digital releases, they assumed that there would always be space for boutique releases of physical games. However, with PlayStation ending disc production entirely, that means the platform won’t be able to have special disc releases.
“Since controlling physical distribution channels is an inherent advantage — especially compared to platforms like Steam — I had actually envisioned a future where, even as digital downloads became the norm, high-priced limited editions would remain physical (much like the model for CD distribution),” he said. “It’s a shame my prediction was wrong.”
It’s worth noting that physical media has been integral in some ways to Yoko Taro’s games. The original Drakengard titles and the original Nier were not popular games. When they released, they were largely ignored until they made their way to the cheaper pre-owned market where they gained a cult following.
However, Drakengard 3 was one of the first titles to opt for a digital-only release, albeit only in Europe. In PAL territories, Square Enix decided to release the game’s physical discs only in Japan and the United States. Nevertheless, many fans—such as myself—opted to import physical copies just to own the game properly.
With a new NieR game likely years away, it seems that there definitely won’t be a physical disc release of the eventual sequel. However, with Nintendo still boasting a healthy physical game presence across retail, Taro’s next game might end up having some physical release. (Although, it would probably be a Game Key Card, if anything.)
