Only 50 floppy disks of this prototype Japanese visual novel were ever produced, and one just got destroyed in transit: 'Today, an important piece of history has been lost forever'

As Tom's Hardware reported, X user Keripo posted an image and video of a physical game they had bought online on Feb. 26—more accurately, a rare pre-release trial version of the visual novel Tsukihime by Type-Moon. Only 50 copies of this particular trial version were ever produced, and as you can see in Keripo's picture, this one has been utterly destroyed.

Strangely, it doesn't look like the package was merely dropped or improperly packaged. Keripo followed up the original post with images of the package before shipment, and it looks extremely snug. More than that, the destroyed floppy disk looks like it was manually disassembled and pried apart.

"US Customs had removed all the bubble wrap and physically destroyed the floppy disk. Will file a report but literally crying right now," Keripo wrote on X."Today, an important piece of history has been lost forever... (╥_╥)"

It's not exactly clear who was responsible as Keripo continued in a different follow-up comment, but it seems safe to conclude that someone got into the box and took the floppy apart⁠—Occam's Razor would suggest the package was flagged for a search.

"While nothing can be done to undo the destruction of this historical cultural relic, as a hardcore TYPE-MOON collector, I wish to raise understanding and awareness so such tragedies will never happen again to others," Keripo wrote on February 28. "I have submitted a formal letter of inquiry to the US Customs and hope to get some answers in the coming weeks."

Whatever happened, it's a gruesome sight for anyone with an interest in games preservation. Movements like Stop Killing Games have led to all sorts of buzz about the gaps left by digital storefronts and distribution, but physical games are uniquely vulnerable to vandalism and destruction.