Game publishers have pushed to drop physical discs since 2007, Infinity Ward veteran says

Long-running effort to eliminate physical game discs

An industry veteran from Infinity Ward has claimed that major game publishers have been working to remove physical discs from the market since 2007.

The comments suggest that the shift toward digital-only releases was a deliberate strategy that had been in motion for nearly two decades, rather than a recent reaction to changing consumer habits.

Key points from the report

• The claim is that publishers began pushing to cut discs back in 2007.
• This perspective was shared by a veteran of Infinity Ward.
• The statement highlights a long-term trend in the video game industry's distribution model.

Industry context

Physical discs have been the traditional way to buy and play many video games. The move away from them means consumers often must buy games online and download them from digital stores. While this transition has accelerated in recent years, the provided source material does not detail specific actions taken by publishers or names the specific companies involved in this alleged strategy.

What is confirmed and what is not

The only confirmed detail in this report is the claim made by the Infinity Ward veteran regarding the 2007 start date for the push to cut discs. The source material does not provide independent confirmation of this timeline from publisher statements or internal documents, so it remains a reported claim rather than a verified fact.

Sources

• Decrypt