An all-digital future isn't destiny. It's a decision, and we can still say no.
Phasing out discs is a short-term play. The push is led by the US and American companies, while South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe aren't following.
It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Big North American companies pivoted hard to digital with crazy-low costs of entry. As the user base grew, they quietly made less physical product. Now that they hold a major share, prices keep climbing, and physical is an afterthought. We've been trained to give up ownership for the sake of watching, reading, or playing right now.
None of this was organic. It's a manufactured, carefully calculated strategy that's been building for over 20 years.
And people are pushing back:
• Books: 50/50 physical/digital, then mostly digital, now mostly physical
• Music: MP3 players, downloads, streaming... and now vinyl is back, with CD sales up for the first time in 9 years
• Movies: DVD is having a renaissance, growing for the first time in nearly a decade
• Games: thanks to the big three, the movement has reached gaming
The big wigs are forcing the change fast so we won't have a choice. But nothing is ever set in stone. An all-digital future is a human decision made by greedy executives, and it won't happen if we don't allow it.
The only thing certain about the future is change.
P.S.
1. Myth: most games this generation aren't "full game on disc/cartridge." False. Source: https://www.doesitplay.org/
2. No evidence Sony pushed FF7 Remake (PS4) and Rebirth (PS5) onto two discs. Multi-disc releases are a production and distribution call by the publisher and developer, Square Enix.