July 23rd 2023.
It's been almost twenty years since the debate between digital and physical gaming began, when Steam launched with Half-Life 2 in 2004. Back then, the majority of games were physical, meaning you owned the disc and the game indefinitely. However, the reality was slightly different; when a new version of Windows rolled out, many of your games wouldn't work. This was the same for each console generation too, which made it difficult for diehard collectors.
Steam changed the game and its aim was to have your game collection move with you from PC to PC. When you upgraded, you got the benefits from access to more power. Over the years, gamers have accepted this concept, with many not buying games that don't have a Steam release. Other companies such as EA, Ubisoft, and Epic have their own launchers, but having all your games in one place is more convenient.
Digital gaming has been mainstream and accepted on PC for quite a while, but consoles have lagged behind. Although, this is now changing, with many games that have come out recently only requiring you to have a code or a license. This has caused quite a lot of controversy, but the truth is, most people just don't care. With decent broadband speeds in the UK, physical gaming is becoming less and less relevant.
It would be nice to see some improvements, such as the ability to trade in used games digitally and lower prices for digital games, as they don't have manufacturing costs. However, it's looking more and more like physical gaming will become obsolete in the future. For instance, Remedy has announced that Alan Wake 2 will be released digitally-only.
It's the end of an era for diehard collectors, but the majority of gamers are happy with the transition to digital. Even Nintendo, which has traditionally relied on physical gaming, is starting to move away from this. It's clear that in the near future, digital gaming will be the norm.
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