July 21, 2026: I Like Physical Games

For those who keep up with videogame news, there's been a bit of a kerfuffle in recent weeks about how physical media for gaming consoles is probably on the way out. As an avid video-game collector (and shelf-stuffing devotee of all manner of gaming), this news makes me sad.

It's also made me appreciate how darn awesome physical games are in general, and how fortunate I feel to be part of a gaming hobby that does survive so well and so long in the physical space.

I've explored the archives of game companies and seen titles that have gone back decades. I've cobbled together pieces from and taken inventory on decades-old titles from thrift stores. I've checked out games from the library. I've replayed titles from my childhood, revisiting games from last millennium. (The Star Trek III board game from 40 years ago had tremendous solo gaming value in the pre-computer-game era, including a fantastic version of "The Kobayashi Maru.")

Sure, there are games that don't hold up – conceptually or in a very literal sense owing to the sands of time – but I'm humbled by how much of our hobby can be enjoyed years later . . . and sometimes centuries.

-- Steven Marsh