Talking for myself: I moved from MSX2 to PC/DOS to PC/Windows. Then the emu's came, and it was a wondrous world, all that power/possibilities just under the fingertips of the PC's keyboard! 
This way I also got back into MSX again.
I never went back to using real MSX though, also because I don't (seem to) care enough perhaps in that regard. But I can't deny it itches at times to go back to it, also because I'm getting a bit tired of 'tinkering' with emu settings to get the best result as possible +, of course, it 'just' isn't the real thing. Stuff like input lag is a real issue (something that really opened my eyes to this, was experiencing the difference between Shmupmame and regular MAME). Though I believe some people are trying to eliminate this completely (allegedly Libretro is ahead of the curve in this?) but, of course, emulation will always remain/be an approximation.
I can relate to things other peeps have said here. I surely can relate to @mfeingol's story: casually playing MSX games, the reasoning (for 40 eurobucks I expect something to be a really good game though) + the (possible) use a demo can have.
I also can relate to what @turbor said: the space required to have a MSX set up vs. the convenience of an emulator. I do look with interest at FPGA solutions / the Zemmix Neo. (But I do think that if you're *really* a fan, you just will find a way to have your MSX set up 
)
I can also relate to what @gdx is saying: release cart first, and after some months go digital as well.
I also can understand, and is a nice + / bonus for buyers/supporters, to have added features in the paid release (be it digital or physical), as has happened with some MSXdev games.
Furthermore I must concur it's a rather blatant request OP is making. You can't have everything in life, and not always things will be to your liking, and you can make either a fuss about it or not (or try to change the/your situation so you can have what you want). (Of course, then there are always possibilities to try to get your 'goods' in an unofficial way.. (like such))
And furthermore it seems to me a lot of the games he lists are already freely available, and in full actually?
So also a case of bad research it seems..
I agree, people should realize it is the people that create/share/publish that keep a system like MSX alive.
Just trying to leech.. You indeed are literally sucking the blood/life-force out of it (and then devs might start saying 'fu'/enough..)
(And to be real about things: I certainly am not a saint (anyone here who is?) but I do get the point..)
Kai,
When we think about it, it makes sense that the number of digital copies sold is small, as someone pointed out, a cartridge with a box is more than just the software. It's a collectible product, you can touch, it can make your shelf prettier and if later you decide to sell, it keeps (and sometimes even increase) his value. A digital product has only the software, as someone said, it has no sex in it.
I must say that I'm not satisfied being a digital products consumer, i was (am?) a collector, so I like to have cartridges. I just can't afford to have them anymore, at least not as much cartridges as I had in the past. It was not easy to let go my collection of books, DVDs, CDs, videogames and computers, but as I said before, things are what they are, there's no point of keeping crying about it.
As I said in the last message here, count me in for a digital copy of your new game. And I really hope that you will reconsider your decision about Monkey Island. If you do develop it, I'll buy it in whatever media you decide to release it, physical copy or digital. As a matter of fact, since Monkey Islad is such a iconic game, I'll prefer a cartridge version.
Hello iamweasel2, the situation in Spain is very similar regarding the apartaments, and the economy here is very bad right now (for the last 5 years and counting), and houses are incredibily expensive, and only wealthy people can afford them.
I understand that need and that point of view perfectly, and many here said just the same thing before.
What troubles me in particular, is the facts.
The facts show there are many of the here mentioned games for sale on digital format, and only very few people here as ever purchased a digital game, as shown in this social experiment, and in past releases we made, and for what I have been talking with other developers.
While your need for space is real and I belive it, the facts show that most people who demand digital releases to purchase here, never did and never will. Those are the cold undeniable facts, because we are seeing it right now.
By the way, regarding the "coding something", I PROMISE all coding and music on "Life on mars" as well as all our other games, were made by us with real msx, and no emulators were involved at any point (a a matter of fact, the game has an incompatibility issue due to the moonsound emulation, with ALL emulators at the moment, which I will only fix if the experiment reaches 20 people).
I am uncapable of coding on an emulator. It is much better, faster and reliable to code using tools like megaflashrom sd scc+ and eric boez SD card reader, which both have their advantadges and disadvantadges, and I used both to develope and code Life on Mars.
Anyway all this will be cleared soon enough. Let's see if the list reaches even 10 digital buyers...
As I don't have Moonsound (yet), this is a good way to enjoy the game.
Kai Life on Mars! digi-buy pledges list:
01 hap
02 mars2000you
03 guiseve
04 mtn
05 turbor
06 sd_snatcher
07 wouter_
08 assembler
I also want a digital copy ( .rom ) , so I add to the list.
Kai Life on Mars! digi-buy pledges list:
01 hap
02 mars2000you
03 guiseve
04 mtn
05 turbor
06 sd_snatcher
07 wouter_
08 assembler
09 Oskar666