Discs won't disappear anytime soon. Unlike PC gaming, console retail discs have survived much better due to many reasons:
- You can trade it in to a store
- You can buy used
- You can sell it to someone
- You can lend it to a buddy
- Stores sell just about all new releases. Although depending on the store, older games will disappear from the shelf over time
- Console gamers not used to downloading full games like PC gamers have been doing for probably 10 years
- Console games mostly dominated by big publishers who can handle all the marketing, distribution and packaging. PC gaming is a mish mash of big companies and a million small fry studios who would have zero chance getting something on a shelf nowadays
PC gaming always had a disadvantage at stores due to having zero policy for trading in. Out of all the old game stores back then, there was only ONE store I knew that accepted PC games as trades. And something bad must have happened, because the PC trade in policy only lasted 1-2 years tops and then they stopped doing it. Also, the offers were lousy. I did some trade ins and got $20 max. On the other hand, decent PS1 games were worth $35-40.
Console games is harder to skew to digital downloading... though it's getting easier and more accepted.All of those bullet points are true about music CD's too, but we know now that digital music is > physical.
Digital music used to take ages to download in the early days before the internet speeds went crazy fast.Console games is harder to skew to digital downloading... though it's getting easier and more accepted.
Songs can be $1 (or pirated), small meg size and can be played on any media player on a PC, laptop or portable MP3 player. People want to cherry pick songs they like too and not want to pay $15 for a whole CD where half the songs stink. The music industry had a tough fight.
Console gaming is harder to replicate as pirating is harder, games are priced similar to retail, games can be gigs of data.... now BR sized at 30, 40, 50 gbs which can take forever to download and install. Quickly downloading a song from a shady site is quick, free and that song can be played on various devices too. Console digital takes longer, costs similar and there is no way to play on multiple devices.... although that cross play thing is coming more and more.