I think that we're going to need to move past the mental segregation of games with a retail release and games with a digital only release. Digital is going to be a large part of the future. Expect to see it pushed because the margins are much better.
We've already seen a lot of flow in that direction. Journey was a big hit when it was digital only. PC gamers are already thoroughly used to digital as a primary means of purchasing. The last PC game I bought new from retail was Mass Effect 2.
What I hope this means is the return of a more robust "middle". Small developers who are successful will have the capital for better and better games and they won't have to deal with retail distribution, which requires a big publisher and/or a lot of money. That means a bigger slice of the pie for the developer and more room for growth. Some people bad mouth small developers a lot but I see a ton of potential, as I believe the cream of the crop will rise to fill the void in that middle tier of games.
