The Zoomer Obsession With DVDs Is A Blueprint For Saving Gaming

DVDs are enjoying a new burst of popularity among Gen Z, reversing years of decline as younger cinephiles seek ownership and reliable access. Big names like A24, Criterion and Letterboxd have encouraged people to look beyond tentpole blockbusters, while streaming services raise fees, run ads and pull back catalogues — making physical discs a practical way to preserve films without corporate interruption.

The conditions echo in gaming. Mass distribution has overwhelmingly gone digital, and frustrations over curation, censorship and long-term access mirror concerns in film. “I definitely notice that younger people are actually interested in seeing where the game series of today first originated,” Daniel Teixeira of the long-running Toronto indie shop A&C Games says.

That interest collides with structural hurdles: players are buying fewer new titles and often stick with games released years ago, while reactions from big companies — from live service pushes to AI experiments — risk shrinking the industry and its diversity.

Canada, Toronto

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