- NIS America president Kenzo Saruhashi says Sony is "hearing a lot of feedback from customers" on the company's decision to kill PlayStation discs in 2028.
- According to the president, "it's possible that the discussion may change in the future," implying that Sony may reverse course.
- He admits he knows as much as the general public but says that NIS America “intends to continue making physical editions” of their tactical JRPGs.
NIS America president Kenzo Saruhashi says Sony is listening to customer feedback on its plan to end PlayStation physical discs in 2028 and could potentially change course. Saruhashi said he hopes for a compromise, as physical releases and elaborate collector’s editions remain an important part of NIS America’s business.
Speaking to Kotaku at PAX West, the Nippon Ichi Software CEO said that “In our discussions with Sony so far, 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 acknowledged that a PlayStation code-in-the-box could be an alternative to physical discs starting January 2028. However, he believes the alternatives could go beyond simply putting a code in the box.
Since NIS America’s core business model is selling physical releases and packed limited editions of their tactical JRPGs like Disgaea, Sony’s decision to kill PS discs would greatly impact their business.
The president admitted he has no more information than the general public, but said, “We, for our part, intend to continue making those physical editions and delivering the exceptional quality that our customers are expecting of us.”
Last week, leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead claimed Sony surveyed developers on ending PlayStation discs and sought feedback about the decision. Taken together, these developments could suggest that Sony is reconsidering its all-digital approach for 2028.
However, earlier this year, Sony’s CFO doubled down on killing discs, saying the company would cautiously move forward with the decision after the immense backlash it triggered, which birthed boycott movements like the PlayStation Blackout.
PS5 boxes now also ship with a warning label about physical disc support ending in 2028, so it might just be the optimism talking in the NIS America president. That said, do you think Sony will reverse the decision? Let us know in the comments section below.
