I am curious if digital distribution will forced increased replayability in games. If you want to discuss that concept, please pop in on the thread here:
http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=76235&page=1

In regards to concerns here, I think digital downloads can be fine if you have the following things involved with them:
1. Provide download stations in stores, so people can bring either a portable, or a device to get downloads. You could have a way to keep a large number of games still in stock this way. Stores wouldn't have to guess to what to stock or not. These stations provide a way for people without broadband to get games.
2. Provide a way to download a game again, for no charge, if it had to be deleted to clear out space, or the storage medium fails, or whatever else is happening. How about a situation where you want to try a game at a friend's place so they get hooked? The license enables this. Also, allow people to carry their games from an older generation platform to a new generation one.
3. Provide sufficient online documentation, so that players don't necessarily miss the manuals.
4. Make sure that there is an inexpensive and legal way to do download rentals for games, for titles with limited replayability. The rental revenues get split so the developers get a cut, along with the publishers, and the console makers who run distribution channels.
5. Allow people to gift their licensed title to someone else, when they are done with it, particularly if they repurchase the title as part of a bundle with other games.
6. Since people actually are stuck with the games, make sure the game acts as a platform to enable replayability, so you can keep returning to the game.

My take here is, so long as consumer needs are addressed, do we really have to have games on physical storage medium? I don't see it is needed. I DO see that consumer concerns do need to be addressed though.

i agree hdd never last long

In the case of all of that, I would be secure purchasing games for download...I'd still prefer a disc, but wouldn't be as frustrated if they went away.

The industry's job is to make individuals feel secure purchasing in a given area, and also want to.  They also have the objective to maximize revenues and profitability.  In exchange for blocking piracy, and having them stuck with a game, they need to provide benefits to offset it.  They will also need to make sure retailers that sell their consoles are able to get a cut of game sales to.  If retailers get completely cut out of the picture for revenues from the videogame industry, don't expect them to be too eager to want to carry consoles in the store that play games.  This is why I believe a download station is essential for them.  The station can take up little floor space but have a very large selection of software people can download. They could also give a small kickback to a retailer who sold a console to a consumer, for every piece of content the owner of the console purchases.

The industry needs to follow Apple's lead.  Apple has made its money off the laziness of the part of consumers.  They sell convenience.  They have gone to digital download, and have done it so that people benefit.  They industry gets healthy this way, and people are comfortable doing it.  What is going to be a hang up, is getting all the pieces in place.  A top one being the blocking of piracy, and also undermining the resell market.

I agree with this completely.

Why you guys have such a problem with digital distribution, it is a good thing for gaming if they make it like they do steam. Developers can get a bigger piece of the pie because you're cutting out much of the middleman, not only that but used games are eliminated which means even more money for developers. More money for developers means more games and bigger games.
Also you get much better choice from an online marketplace then you do from going to wal-mart, you can actually buy old games and niche games. With digital distribution the money doesn't stop for developers when stores stop stocking the games, games can stay on digital distribution forever even if they sell a dozen a year.

this is a good point and probably the reason why PSP go costs $250.  They should have a download station and cards like they do now.

they could always sell download codes at retail...purchase the game at retail and you get a code for the download, a la Lost and the Damned.

I really depends on what you mean by this. Offer a server with features that add to the gamers experience, I'll agree. Adopt a sales model in which all customers "subscribe" to the games (lose your account and all your games are gone) and a model where they decide if you still have access or not tomorrow (ever read the EULA?), then I'm going to disagree.

I have no problems with DD as a concept, but there are very few implementations so far in the gaming world which I'm will to purchase from. When I purchase a game, I except to be able to play it whether it be tomorrow, next year or 10 years down the line. I don't like the fact that I need to "ask for permission" to play a game I've supposedly already paid to have access to.

Don't write pettitions. Don't buy digital games and vote with your money. That argument always work better on corporations.

Personally i don't buy anything above 10 euro in the digital way (ok i made exception for Wipeout HD)