Rumours of the death of physical videogames have been greatly exaggerated

FILE- In this Nov. 20, 2018, file photo Leslie Hatch of Rusk shops with Rylan Hatch, 7, and Bailey Hatch, 6, at GameStop at Broadway Square Mall in Tyler, Texas. The video game industry is entering new frontiers. In the past, you plunked down $60 at GameStop for a copy of Grand Theft Auto or Madden NFL and played it out. Now, you'll increasingly have the choice of subscribing to games, playing for free or possibly just streaming them over the internet to your phone or TV. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph via AP, File)

LOS ANGELES: “The record labels still make CDs and the movie studios still make DVDs, so yes, I’d say it’s too soon to abandon discs for consoles,” writes Michael Pachter, managing director at Wedbush Securities when asked about Microsoft’s plans to drop a physical disc drive from their latest Xbox One model. The all-digital Xbox One is the first major console not to include an option for physical media.  

“I suppose it’s up to the console manufacturers, but my guess is that the video game publishers would push back if discs were dropped. The majority of sales are still on disc, so it’s not even a close call,” Pachter continues.