Ahead of the release of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, Square Enix’s much-anticipated final chapter of its remake trilogy, director Naoki Hamaguchi has come forward to speak on its physical edition, stating that while the game might not launch with an actual disc version, he is actively working to avoid a digital-only release.
Speaking with GamesRadar on the topic of physical games and whether Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will ship with a physical edition, Hamaguchi admitted that while the team wasn’t able to make any guarantees, having the game launch with an actual disc version was something that was important to him.
“We’re still having internal discussions on what the exact SKU product lineup is going to be for Revelation,” he explained, “so I can’t say anything particularly definitive at this point in time. But I am working to make the arrangements to allow us to have some kind of physical edition.”
Still, Hamaguchi notes that there are many challenges facing physical media in recent times, especially following Sony’s controversial move to end production of all PlayStation game discs from 2028, sparking not just massive fan backlash, but also setting a concerning precedent for other companies to follow suit.
“I do feel, as a developer and as a fan, that the general trend is for things to shift away from physical towards downloadable games,” he added, noting that despite this, he still wants there to be some sort of physical edition for games, even if it’s just a box with a code inside, as fans can still continue the culture of bringing such game boxes to conventions for autographs.
He also admits that having physical game discs comes with its own set of regulations, citing platforms like Nintendo, which has strict rules on storage limits with its game cartridges that can make the push for physical releases even more challenging.
“Each platform and first-party have their own specific rules and regulations that we need to take into account, and think about what format is actually going to be best for the game. These are the discussions that we’re having at this point in time. I do hope that we’ll be able to come up with something that is as close as possible as to what players and fans are going to want.”
Even though Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is set to release in 2027, one year before Sony’s digital-only strategy kicks into effect, this hasn’t stopped other companies from dropping physical disc’s before-hand, such as Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI. Meanwhile, Nintendo has already begun this trend earlier on with the release of the Switch 2 and the introduction of game-key cards, a physical card that contains a digital license rather than full game data, so things aren’t looking too good for the Square Enix title, although it’s heartening to see that its development team is actively pushing back against the worrying trend, and fighting for the preservation of physical media.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Yonk
