It's extraordinarily cheaper to produce, and it kills the second hand game market. Both of which have been thorns in the side of AAA gaming companies for decades. Nobody else had the balls to force online only games (partially due to EU laws). A few tried (I forget the specifics), but they got smacked down and reconsidered. Everyone's watching to see if this works, and if it does, brick and mortar game stores will go the way of the DVD rental.

Low key yes.

Well, not cardboard. Maybe plastic, so it has more prestige, it's more collectible and gift-able. But generally speaking, yes.

It would feel less like a middle finger to consumers. Or else, if they want to kill the physical format, they should just do it. That fucking empty box makes them look like dicks.