‘It’s Part of the Beauty of Art’: Why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Devs Fought for Physical Discs

“I think it’s a shame,” Broche said. “Business-wise, I can understand why it may make sense, but I think in terms of the medium, it’s still sad” .

Physical Media as Art: ‘It’s Part of the Beauty of Art’

The strongest argument Broche made was that physical editions are inseparable from the artistic experience of a game. “I think it’s part of the beauty of art too — that it’s something tangible that you can touch,” he told AUTOMATON . He elaborated that holding a boxed copy, the artwork, and the disc in your hands is an intrinsic part of how a game is experienced and valued as art .

Technical director Tom Guillermin echoed this sentiment, noting that the team pursued a physical release despite knowing it would mean higher costs and lower profit per copy . “Although everything became more difficult and meant less profit per copy, we still took this step because we believe in it,” he explained .

Team Morale and the Developer Passion for Collecting

Broche revealed that the push for a physical release of Expedition 33 came directly from the development team itself. “We have a lot of people on the team who play on PS5 and love to collect physical discs,” he said . That internal enthusiasm became a driving force.

In fact, the studio’s own publisher had initially discussed skipping a physical release entirely. The team pushed back because they believed players — and they themselves — wanted to “hold it in their hands” . Broche described buying boxed copies of their own game as “something special” for the team .

Tangible Ownership: What Players Lose in an All-Digital Future

Beyond artistry and morale, Broche argued that physical ownership creates a fundamentally different relationship between a player and a game. “I completely appreciate that people want to have their rows of DVDs and games and just feel that they own them,” he said .

He emphasized that being able to collect a game, display it on a shelf, and feel its presence is something a digital license cannot replicate. “That’s what we value as players,” Broche stated . “I think it’s part of the beauty of art — being able to own something tangible” .

The Loss of Game Store Culture

Broche also expressed a personal sadness about the decline of video game stores, which he tied to the broader loss of disc production . “I really like video game stores,” he said repeatedly across interviews . The disappearance of physical discs, he implied, accelerates the demise of a retail culture that many developers and players still cherish.

A Broader Industry Backlash

The Sandfall team was far from alone in its disappointment. Multiple game companies and developers expressed dismay in the days following Sony’s announcement, highlighting concerns about game preservation, consumer choice, and the cultural value of physical media .

But what made the Expedition 33 developers’ response stand out was that they had already acted on their principles — choosing to produce boxed copies of a record-breaking RPG despite the logistical and financial challenges . For them, the fight for physical media wasn’t theoretical; it was a decision they had already made.