Disgaea series creator Sohei Niikawa criticized Sony's plans to abandon physical game releases for PlayStation. According to him, if the company fully transitions to a digital model, it should also consider the necessity of consoles themselves.
In an interview with Noisy Pixel, the veteran of the gaming industry stated that discs remain an important part of gaming culture.
I think physical game releases are very important.
Niikawa noted that the ability to store a favorite game as a physical item holds great value for players — it becomes a memorable object associated with important moments.
The developer acknowledged that he understands the business side of digital sales, but believes that Sony underestimates players' emotional connection to physical copies, including the ability to get autographs on boxed editions.
If they are going to go that far and abandon physical releases, they should also abandon the hardware itself. A TV would be enough. Why would you need a console then?
According to Niikawa, if the company wants to get rid of physical games, it should go all the way and completely change its approach to consoles.