One of the benefits of owning a digital Wii U or 3DS game is the ability to play the game without inserting a disc/cart into the system. But why should digital games only benefit from this? Why can't we optionally decide to install our games when we already have the physical format? To my knowledge, the Wii U and 3DS doesn't let you do this nor does it let you download a digital file of the game from the eShop for free. 

If given the option, would you like to be able to install or download a digital file of your game for free if you own the disc/cart for it? Also, do the other gaming systems restrict you from installing your games from their discs?

Because if you did that, you could have unlimited copies of a game. Just lend the DVD to others, and you make infinite games. And if they limited the discs to one per machine, they would receive as many problems as the original XBone policies about used games.

I like steam's method of where they give you both the physical disc and a steam key but yes, I wouldn't mind the option

That make sense. I knew there was a reason why they didn't let us do this. However, one way they can prevent loss of sales is forcing us to register the serial (or PIN number of its first party) for our game online if we want to dl the digital file and restricting the code to be registered once. 

Agreed. I thought this was more than obvious. And if they gave you a digital code, then you have 2 copies of the game as happens with dad+ blu Ray + digital movies which usually result in the owner handing out at least one of the copies to a friend. 

Then the owner has 2 copies of the game unless the disc needs to be in the drive when using the code. This is over complicated and wouldn't be worth the investment. If they have 2 copies, the 2nd digital copy can be handed off to a friend. If the digital and disc versions are jointed, then as I mentioned, the investment on nintendos part wouldn't be worth it. Not to mention that once installed, the owner could hand off the disc to a friend. This just can't work. 

Damn, well I'm out of ideas in making free installs work then. Thanks for clarifying it for me.

I switch back and forth between Kart and 3D World. Not to mention old Wii games.

Woops, you're asking about other people. I'm sure their swapping disc for Kart, Smash, and Mario though. How often they do that is guesswork though.

i was thinking about a new kind of "physical media"
i was about to make a thread to discuss this, but considering that you already open this discussion, ill talk here.

the "physical media" should be just a physical device (a portrait of the game, or even a figure), that comunicate with the console by distance.
the console, once on while, communicate with nearby devices, and identify all games that are less than 5 meters from it.
then the console allow you to play the digital copy of the game.

so, as long you keep your games in the room, you dont need to trade disks
if you lend the game, you wont be able to play the game. you can sell used games.
so, all advantages of digital and physical are there, except that you have to download the game.

Lol, isn't that the whole reason the XBO fiasco happened? That's not happening. If you want a digital game, buy it digitally. Otherwise, deal with the inferior features of the alternative physical option.