Physical game discs are increasingly becoming an obsolete format for consumers, according to Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick. During a recent investors' call, Zelnick stated that for large titles, particularly those from studios like Rockstar Games, discs "don't really make sense for the consumer."
Zelnick's comments come in the wake of Sony's announcement that it will end physical game production in 2028. He noted that Take-Two's business is already overwhelmingly digital, with more than 90 percent of its sales coming from digital downloads. "It is already a digital business," Zelnick said.
The executive further argued that in most cases, online registration is required to play games anyway, rendering the physical medium less relevant. "If you are already connected, like, who cares if you download digitally? It’s all the same, and it’s much more convenient," he explained. "So that’s where the world is going in our opinion."
While Zelnick believes the industry is moving firmly into the digital realm, he did not completely rule out the possibility of future physical releases. He drew a parallel to the music industry, suggesting that physical editions might still be produced occasionally, much like vinyl records. "That doesn’t mean we won’t have physical editions now and then; I’m sure we will in the same way there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business," Zelnick stated. "In other instances, it just won’t make sense."