Those shelves behind Richard...! What a time to be alive. I too very much miss buying software in a box. A zip file full of .pdf manuals included with a game bought for download just doesn't cut it. Wing Commander was a superb example of how to fill a box with goodies. Those times are behind us but that was inevitable, sadly.
I also miss those magazines where games wholesalers would list their titles in big whole page advertisements, each title with a corresponding number so you could call and order like a menu at a Chinese restaurant. Mail order games brought me so much happiness.
Fun story: Not long after Prophecy was released I couldn't get hold of it for months as I grew up in quite a rural area of England, and the one local game store never had it. Nor did Staples. My parents were reluctant to drive me 75 miles to the nearest GAME store (now defunct, I think)
So instead, I called up directory enquiries, asked for a number for EA UK and wrote down the first one the operator gave me, she said there were too many to list.
This is how a 12 year old's mind works: I want a game, I can't find it anywhere, so I'll just call up EA and they'll just send me it if I ask...and they did! Ridiculously cheaply too, think I paid about £5 altogether, had to use my mother's credit card.
Not sure why I decided to share this, I guess it reflects changing times. Things just don't work like this now.