Hardly; I buy 99% of my games digital already so it wouldn't make any difference to me.

I'm really confused by people.

Even if we lived in an alternative Universe where you could only rent a game for a 7 year periods; my gaming habits would be mostly unchanged. I don't buy new games, put them on the shelf and then salivate at the thought of playing them in 2035. 99% of my enjoyment for the vast majority games comes from my experience of it in the first handful of years of purchase.

I lost my Ocarina of Time Cartridge in the early 2000s, it didn't suddenly make me regret my purchase and wish I'd never bought the game in the first place. My first play through of that game was worth the £50 it cost and more, all play through's which followed were just the icing on the cake.

Granted not many games are as great as OOT, but the principle still stands. You're essentially saying the experience a game offers you is not worth its asking price unless you have access to it for eternity? Something physical media doesn't guarantee either.

And those are valid reasons.  I'm not sure the situation is as bad as you indicate, though.  I've gotten games digitally (on Steam and PSN) that was considerably less than the retail copy. It works both ways. But even as valid as those reasons are, I can't imagine just giving up gaming because of it. 

And let's be real. There are a lot of game shelf builders out there that are using that as a major factor in their love for physical and their disdain for digital. They're not selling their games.  They're padding shelves.  Which is cool, I guess.  I just don't understand placing more importance on a game being physical, than the actual act of playing a game.

I definitely wouldn't. I've already gone all digital for my Vita and I'm thinking this might be my last gen going physical on home consoles.

Depends on the case, person or game. I mean Dragon Age Inquisition, currently on PSN for £30. GOTY Edition is £55. Go into a highstreet and internet store and get the GOYT Edition for £25 or less at the moment, which is the price of the included DLC alone on PSN without the full game as well. Inquisition isn't even available on Steam because EA. This would have hurt their PC sales, they seem to not care however.

If it means you can't afford it because pricing isn't competitive, it's not a choice to give up gaming. And most people have said they would stop modern gaming. Meaning going back to older games they've not played. 

Those last set of people you mention are collectors. Kind of like me and comics. I recently gave up collecting comics not only because they are currently dire beyond words but because they are getting expensive for me (even if I only got one or 2 a month by the end) and the 'discounted' digital version are just not the same. I prefer to actually hold and read it and, if need be, sell it one day. I can't do that with a digital copy.

 Cool story bro, but you miss the point if you think that people that doesn't want the digital-only  is just for a "look at a box on my shelf" purpose.

I collect games since the 80s too, still not a problem for me, but I can understand your point about the space occupied.

I wish you to never have problem with the society of the man on your avatar.

In your 500 physical games, lets say there are  only 20 that are unplayable without their day one patch ? Still better to have 480 games playable than none if your Steam account is closed, isn't it ?

Exactly.

But it's more a DRM problem than a digital problem.

on console? yeah at that point you might as well just play on PC yes i know i would miss exclusives but screw it. I dont trust any of these HW makers enough with an all digital machine, the gmaes WONT be cheaper, ill be limited by the amoutn i can get unless i spring for a bigger HD, Not to mention i like to sell borrow and trade in some of my games.

A great example of one of the downsides from physical only: Panzer Dragoon Saga was only released in something like 50000 copies worldwide. Sadly the source code was lost and the game will likely never be remastered. Had it been digital, it would be available to all and more people could've enjoyed it.

I'm a gamer and collector so the luster would be lost. Some people don't understand why I care about physical copies. It is a hobby of mine. I already don't like how pretty much all games no longer come with manuals. I have tons of digital games but I usually delete them for hd space and because they just don't give me the same feeling of popping that cartridge or disc into the console. I hate to say it but I might as well go PC if we loose physical. I guarantee I wouldn't buy 10% of what I buy now. There is even a company called limited run games that makes low run physical copies of digital only games. I love that. Maybe I'm crazy but then again so are many like me.

It was more like 150,000 copies for the western world (minus an unusal number damaged in shipping). I bought it years ago and absolutely fell in love, it's a real pity that so few will experience its greatness.