According to Remedy head Matias Myllyrinne, the sooner the game industry switches to an entirely downloadable model, the better off it will be.
Myllyrinne notes that the DLC episodes for Alan Wake were "hugely successful, and really resonated with the fans." He elaborated that current download marketplaces like Xbox Live Arcade, PSN and Steam offer developers a unique opportunity to "directly engage with your audience."
A download-driven industry, said Myllyrinne, would be "better for consumers, better for the developers and publishers," though he admitted such a shift would be "not so good for retail." That said, however, he added that given the way retailers incentivize the sale of used games, he doesn't really "feel sorry" for the potential loss they would suffer.
Look, Mr. Myllyrinne, if going downloadable gets us another Alan Wake, just tell us where to sign up.