“Sony hears a lot of customer feedback”: NIS America boss weighs in on PS5 disc debate

Behemoth publishers like SEGA and Capcom have indicated that they are not particularly concerned about Sony’s decision to stop making physical media in 2028.

But it’s interesting to hear from companies like NIS America, who have incorporated elaborate collector’s editions into their business model.

The company often sells them in its own store and they represent a significant part of its bottom line. It even recently moved away from controversial game keycards on Switch 2, reflecting its customers’ demand for proper physical releases.

At PAX West earlier this year, Kotaku spoke with boss Kenzo Saruhashi, who had some interesting information to share about his conversations with Sony.

While he admitted he doesn’t know much more than consumers like you and me, he said his company intends to “continue to make physical editions and deliver the exceptional quality our customers expect from us” above all else.

When asked if this could mean a transition to “codes in a box” beyond PlayStation’s January 2028 deadline, he admitted that could be the case.

But he optimistically added the following:

“In our discussions with Sony so far, I think they’re hearing a lot of feedback from customers and so while that may be a destination that we’re arriving at, it’s possible that the discussion could change in the future, so we’ll have to see what happens, what comes out of that.”

I think Saruhashi probably puts an optimistic spin on things here. Of course it is possible the platform holder’s plans may change – but this is unlikely.

However, I think it is important that the manufacturer finds an adequate solution to this situation for partners like NIS America.

To be fair, the company said it would continue to provide retailers with a solution, which would likely result in “codes in a box,” but let’s wait and see what it has in the hopper.

Given the company’s overall commitment to climate change and environmental protection, I sincerely hope that it is not is going to ship empty plastic boxes if it continues on its current trajectory, because that seems like a profound waste of plastic to me.

I hope, however, that publishers like NIS America may be able to show Sony another side to its decision, and reports from a recent survey sent to development partners suggest it should receive a fair amount of feedback from senior industry figures.