No GTA 6 Disc Decision Will Make Some Gamers Angry, but Analysts Say 'Commercially It Just Makes Sense'

With Grand Theft Auto 6, arguably the biggest and most mass market game of the generation, skipping a disc-based launch — is physical media now dead? The rise of digital as the most common form of game ownership began long ago, but certain mass market titles — the Call of Dutys, the FIFAs of the world — have resisted that trend to some degree. These are games played by an enormous audience who still might look for a copy in their local entertainment outlet, or expect to pick it up at a superstore alongside their grocery shopping. These are games like GTA. Of course, GTA 6 will still have a physical version, but only a digital download code printed inside. This means that anyone who buys GTA 6 in a box will still need an internet connection, and won't be able to start playing early. It also means you won't be able to trade in the game or sell it on to someone else. Will Rockstar killing off disc-based copies of GTA 6 prompt other video game publishers to do the same? Or should we be thinking about this the other way around — that Rockstar is simply reacting to the existing state of the industry, where disc-based sales are in the minority when compared to digital downloads? IGN surve