Bloober Team Vows to Keep Physical Games Alive

Bloober Team, the studio behind the Silent Hill 2 remake, wants to continue releasing physical editions of its games for as long as production remains possible, despite the gaming industry's growing shift toward digital distribution.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno discussed the importance of physical game ownership alongside Tymon Smektała, executive director of the company's Broken Mirror Games publishing division.

Babieno acknowledged that digital distribution offers significant financial advantages, including lower production costs and potentially higher profit margins.

However, he believes physical copies provide something digital purchases cannot fully replace: an emotional connection between players, developers, and the games they collect.

Smektała expressed similar views, explaining that collecting physical games was an important part of his gaming experience growing up.

Both executives want that tradition to continue, although they recognize that future physical releases will depend on production opportunities and decisions made by major platform holders.

The discussion took place while the developers were promoting Onyx: The Dark Grip, an upcoming psychological horror game designed exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2.

Babieno also questioned whether increasingly realistic graphics and audio necessarily make modern games more engaging.

He suggested that developers should explore other ways to improve immersion, including physical interaction and touch.

Onyx: The Dark Grip reflects that philosophy by incorporating Nintendo Switch 2's handheld features directly into its gameplay.

While Bloober Team has not guaranteed physical editions for every future release, its leadership remains committed to preserving boxed games wherever commercially and technically possible.