Sony 'may as well eliminate the hardware', says Japanese developer

Companies like Sony and Microsoft are businesses, so they must prioritize profit. But when it comes to games and gamers, there are a lot of sentiments and emotions involved. Those sentiments were deeply hurt when Sony decided to kill physical game discs. A Japanese developer has spoken freely about the decision, stating that the company does not understand the feelings of the fans.

Speaking with Noisy Pixel at Anime Expo 2026, Disgaea creator Sohei Niikawa shared his feelings on Sony’s controversial decision. While acknowledging that it makes sense from a purely business perspective, Niikawa said it completely disregards the sentimental and emotional attachment that gamers have with physical discs.

He added that fans value physical discs as a keepsake, as it reminds them of the great times they had. They can even carry the game cases to events like Anime Expo and get them signed to add value, and use them as decorations in their homes. This is something that the executives at Sony who made the decision have never experienced, said Niikawa.

He went on to say that if they’ve decided to eliminate physical games, why stop there? Why not eliminate the hardware itself? 

A television would be enough. Why would you need the console? If you’re going to get rid of physical games, you may as well go all the way.

Niikawa is talking about cloud streaming and the fact that you only need a TV (and a controller) to play games. As capable as Sony’s cloud streaming platform has become, it does have its limitations and is not accessible to everyone. And of course, selling consoles makes Sony a lot of money, so it would want to keep that revenue stream.

The sentiment that Niikawa wants to get across is one that a lot of fans share. They value physical games despite the dwindling sales, and it shows from the outrage online and the Don’t Kill the Disc petition now crossing 335,000 signatures.