Strauss Zelnick: Physical game editions still have a future, but it's niche
Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive, doubts that the market for game discs will come to an end anytime soon. He stated this in an interview with The Game Business.
GTA VI
Zelnick compared the prospects for physical game editions to vinyl records. The latter were once a popular format for distributing music but then lost significance—yet they still survive, being in demand only among fans. According to the head of Take-Two, the same awaits game discs.
"Over 10 years ago, I predicted that the share of digital distribution in the market would exceed 90%. I don't always get it right, but in this case, I was correct," Zelnick stated.
It should be noted that for Take-Two itself, nearly all of its revenue now comes from "digital." In their report for July-September 2026, the company revealed that physical game editions accounted for only 2% of its earnings.
Despite Zelnick's words about the future existence of the physical editions market, the upcoming GTA VI will be released without a disc. Instead, gamers will find a download code in the game boxes.