In an era where everything is moving to the cloud, streaming, and digital downloads, one game director is speaking up for the folks who still love cracking open a brand-new disc. Guillaume Broche, the creative mind behind the stunning RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has gone on record calling the industry’s shift away from physical media ‘super sad’ — and a whole lot of gamers are nodding their heads in agreement.
Broche’s comments come amid a broader conversation about what it means to truly own your games in 2025. As major platforms increasingly push digital-only purchases and subscription models, the tangible experience of holding a game case, flipping through a manual, or lining up a collection on a shelf is slowly becoming a relic of the past. For many players, that loss feels deeply personal.
But the director’s candid thoughts on discs aren’t the only thing making waves. In a series of wide-ranging interviews, Broche and the team at Sandfall Interactive have been refreshingly open about their entire development philosophy. One standout point? The studio firmly believes that removing all limitations during game development is actually a recipe for disaster. Constraints, they argue, spark creativity — a philosophy that clearly paid off given the massive critical reception Expedition 33 has received.
The small but mighty studio has also been fielding questions about a potential Nintendo Switch 2 port, something they’ve confirmed interest in but aren’t ready to officially announce just yet. Given the technical challenges of bringing such a visually rich game to a handheld platform, it’s clear the team wants to get it right rather than rush it out the door.
Perhaps most exciting for fans is a tease about what comes next. Broche hinted that Sandfall Interactive plans to ‘go a bit crazy’ with their follow-up project, expressing a desire to dream bigger and push creative boundaries even further. After the breakout success of Expedition 33, it’s hard not to be completely on board with wherever that vision leads.
Whether you’re a die-hard physical media collector or a full digital convert, there’s something deeply relatable about Broche’s sentiments. The gaming world is changing fast — and not everyone is ready to let go of the old ways just yet.
