The Best Games Ever podcast is a game show where three regular panellists have to find the best game in a weirdly specific category such as “Best game with a named horse”, or “Best game with a terrible British accent”. They have to pitch their pick to our host, Jim, who then decides the winner. But there’s a lot of office politics, backstabbing, and meta-gaming going on which makes this mild-mannered panel game fraught with real danger.
Physical game releases have been in danger of disappearing for a long time, what with Steam all but killing the PC optical drive, a cheaper discless PS5, and the rumoured incoming Xbox Series refresh which will do away with bluray even on the premium model. They’re not likely to die off entirely: there will always be holdouts in the die-hard enthusiast sector, there are still people releasing Mega Drive carts now in 2024.
But there will come a time when, for all intents and purposes, the era of major game releases on disc will come to an end. It makes sense for publishers. It makes sense for the environment. It makes sense for people trying to live in a small flat (hello). But it will be a shame when it finally succumbs to the inevitable, because there’s nothing quite like the tactile appeal of holding a new game box. Reading the manual on the bus home. Slipping it in amongst its new shelf siblings in the correct alphabetical order, its colourful spine adding to the cacophony of Cool Logos that adorn your living space. Digital libraries try to simulate this, but they just don’t scratch that particular itch.
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