Naoki Hamaguchi Fought for a Physical Edition of Final Fantasy VII Revelation
In an interview with RadioTimes, Naoki Hamaguchi explained his involvement in securing a physical release for the game and addressed the concerns surrounding its disc-based edition.
"I do really like and appreciate physical media. I see a lot of people on social media saying, 'No disc, no purchase,' and I understand where they're coming from."
The physical edition of Revelation will include the opening portion of the game on the disc, while the remainder will require a download.
"And for Final Fantasy VII Revelation, we've been able to preserve a physical edition. You can't play the entire game on that disc, but it's got the opening – a sort of key disc – and then after that, it will ask you to download the rest."
Hamaguchi also explained that the game's director does not have final control over its product lineup.
"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."
Despite that, he said he used his position to argue for keeping a physical version available. The final release format was decided through negotiations within the company and with first-party platform holders.
"In this day and age, as we've been talking about, there's a lot of pressure for disc-less editions, digital editions, and I used my position to put forth an argument for the physical version as much as possible."
Hamaguchi is also aware of the criticism surrounding the physical release and said he has been following the reactions on social media.
"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."
He also expects physical media to continue changing as digital distribution becomes more common, including the possibility of physical products eventually being sold without a game disc.
"I do think that physical media will remain in some form going forward. But the PC market, for example, is going from strength to strength, and lots of people already purchase digital copies of games and just download them.
"So, I can see a world in the not-too-distant future where physical media is essentially disc-less. You would have a copy of the code on a piece of paper inside the physical box or something like that."
Source:
If you enjoy my Final Fantasy content, be sure to follow xEzNaFF on Instagram, Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky, Reddit, TikTok, or YouTube so you never miss future updates!
-⚡Xe⚡
About FINAL FANTASY VII
First released in 1997 on the PlayStation® computer entertainment system, FINAL FANTASY VII will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2027. The game is universally regarded as a landmark title of the RPG genre. The original title received high praise for its epic storyline, unique characters, and movie sequences that utilized the most cutting-edge technology of the time. Since then, the game revolving around iconic hero Cloud Strife and his pursuit of the antagonist Sephiroth has sold over 15.7 million copies worldwide and continues to receive widespread acclaim from critics and fans around the world. The popular game has expanded into spin-offs, films and merchandise.
Now, Square Enix’s FINAL FANTASY VII Remake Series, created by a team of original and new developers, retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. The first game of the trilogy, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, is available for PS4® consoles. The expanded edition, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE, and the second entry, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, are now available for Nintendo Switch 2, XBOX Series X|S, XBOX PC, PS5® consoles and PC. FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION, the climactic conclusion of the series, will release for PS5 consoles, Nintendo Switch 2, XBOX Series X|S and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and XBOX PC, in Spring 2027.
Comments