The topic of physical games vs. digital media has resurfaced. On many occasions throughout the years that come and go, someone from or related to the games industry steps forth to address the “fate of physical media” and how it will die out in “X” years due to digital media. This year, we have David Braben claiming that physical games will die out in the “next two or three years.”
If you’re wondering, “Who even is this David Braben guy?” Well, you’ve likely played or heard of one of his games if you happen to fancy the PC platform.
Braben is the founder and CEO of Frontier Developments, and here is a snippet of the company’s portfolio of games:
- Planet Zoo (2019)
- Jurassic World Evolution (2018)
- Planet Coaster (2016)
- Elite Dangerous (2014)
- RollerCoaster Tycoon (2004)
With all of that said and laid out, website gamesindustry.biz held its GamesIndustry.biz Investment Summit online. One of the many topics that popped up revolved around player behavior during the ongoing pandemic in various nations and digital games.
Here’s what Braben had to say about digital media during these times:
“We’ve seen an acceleration in the transition from physical to digital. That is a good thing. It’s probably two to three years before physical more or less goes away, and it’s probably accelerated that timescale a bit.”
In other words, Braben believes that the current pandemic is a possible accelerant when it comes to the transition from physical to digital. He also believes that that notion is a “good thing.”
And due to this “accelerant,” gamers will likely see in the next two to three years physical games “more or less go away.”
Other higher-ups like Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick share a similar mentality as Braben and believe that in the next three or so years, physical games/copies will see a massive decline.
With that said, what do you think of all of this?
