With the physical release of games becoming a hot-button topic in recent times, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi has said that he fought for a disc release for the game. In an interview with Radio Times, he spoke about his own love for physical copies of games and mentioned how the subject has become a “particularly sensitive” one in recent times.
“Personally, obviously, I bought lots of physical editions of games as a child. Sometimes I buy digital editions of games, but if I’m particularly attached to a title, I want to get the physical version. And you know, being in the industry, sometimes I want to get my friends or acquaintances who’ve worked on something to sign a copy of their own game.”
Hamaguchi went on to address gamers who have been taking to social media to demand games getting disc releases, and acknowledged that while he is a fan of physical media, there are limits to his authority when it comes to how the game he is directing is published.
“I do really like and appreciate physical media,” he said. “I see a lot of people on social media saying, ‘No disc, no purchase,’ and I understand where they’re coming from.”
“First of all, I’ve got people saying to me on social media, ‘Give us a full disc version!’ And so, from an overall perspective, let me first say that as the director, it’s my responsibility to look after the content of the game to make sure it’s fun, really exciting. The product line-up, the SKUs (stock keeping units), how it’s going on sale; that is the responsibility of the publishing team. So, my authority there is somewhat limited.”
Ultimately, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is being released on a single disc that will feature the opening sections of the game. However, players will still need to download the rest of the game’s files before being able to explore the world at its fullest. Hamaguchi noted that he “used my position to put forth an argument for the physical version as much as possible,” which resulted in negotiations happening “both internally and with first party”. This eventually led to the one-disc release of the upcoming title.
“I completely understand there are those out there who may not really agree with that direction or approve of that direction. But I would just say that I hope you understand that I completely see where you’re coming from, and that I did my best. It is a very tricky subject.”
Back in July, Hamaguchi had spoken about the potential physical release, and mentioned internal discussions about “the exact SKU product lineup” for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation. At the time, he also spoke about how the act of collecting physical copies of games is “a wonderful culture, and it would be a shame to lose that. I want that to remain.”
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is being developed for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, and is slated for release on April 8th.
