No disc drive for New Xbox?

According to the website MCV the next gen console from Microsoft will NOT have a disc drive! 

It will instead opt for the use of compatibility with some sort of interchangeable solid-state card storage, although it is not known whether this will be proprietary or a more standard format such as SD.

But what does this mean for big gaming retailers such as GAME and GameStation? Will this sudden change in the market stop these shops all together? Well there is a market for downloadable content online as well as in stores and GAME is currently enjoying growing revenue from digital download cards.

Microsoft have issued a statement on the subject:

“Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend its lifecycle like introducing the world to controller-free experiences with Kinect and re-inventing the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention. Beyond that we do not comment on rumors or speculation.”

So do you think this is a good idea? Should we be downloading our games instead of buying a hard copy? Leave answers below! :]