Disgaea Creator and GTA Writer Pile On as Sony Promotes Vinyl While Killing Game Discs

Sony's decision to stop producing physical disc releases for new PlayStation games from January 2028 has drawn sharp criticism from multiple corners of the industry, and the backlash isn't letting up. Disgaea creator and former Nippon Ichi Software CEO Sohei Niikawa went on record at Anime Expo 2026, and Rockstar Games cofounder and GTA 5 lead writer Dan Houser weighed in at San Diego Comic Con — both responding to the same policy, from very different angles.

Niikawa was the blunter of the two. Speaking to Noisy Pixel, he said he understood the business logic but argued the executives who made the call have "probably never experienced" a fan approaching them at an event with a physical game to sign. "I don't think they understand the feelings of those fans," he said. "If they're going to go as far as eliminating physical packages, they may as well eliminate the hardware too. A television would be enough. Why would you need the console?" Houser, now co-founder of Absurd Ventures, was more measured: "I don't know that I care, but if people want that, I think companies should provide it." He also noted that the ability to patch and update games digitally has genuinely improved game quality. His former colleague Lazlow Jones, who also worked on GTA, admitted nostalgia for physical media but said he appreciates being able to grab games on his Steam Deck at the airport.

The timing of Sony's own messaging made things worse. While the disc debate was raging, a Sony Electronics social media account promoted its LX3 Turntable with the line "Drop the needle, press play, and enjoy music the way it was meant to be heard" — a pitch for physical vinyl at the exact moment Sony is phasing out physical games. The irony was not lost on anyone. Sony has framed the disc phase-out as following consumer trends, noting that digital sales have far outpaced physical for years — only seven PlayStation games sold more than 100,000 physical copies in the US so far this year. Other prominent developers have also spoken out: Hideo Kojima said "I grew up with physical media, so I find it really sad," and Nier creator Yoko Taro urged fans to buy physical games while they still can.

The backlash shows no sign of cooling. Fans have been venting frustration even in comment sections of trailers for unrelated third-party games, and GTA 6's own digital-only launch this fall has already drawn criticism from players who wanted a disc version. With the PS6 expected to be an expensive purchase due to component costs, the question of what players actually own — and for how long — is only going to get louder.