Game Publishers Pushed to Cut Discs Since 2007, Infinity Ward Veteran Says

The significance here is less about the claim itself than about the timeline: the industry's move away from physical media is being framed as a two-decade-old publisher priority, not a reaction to current streaming or subscription economics. That framing matters for anyone holding a stake in the physical retail chain, from disc manufacturing to used-game resale, because it suggests the pressure is structural rather than cyclical. Bowling's account is a single former insider's recollection, so the open question is whether other veterans corroborate the 2007 timeline and whether publisher incentives around disc costs and used-game leakage get discussed more openly.