You'd think they could find a way to make a radically new DVD case with similar form factor, but strength where it matters. I mean, we can send a man to the moon, but we can't make a lighter, yet structurally sound DVD case? Give it to some crazy engineering majors, have 'em throw extra struts/supports/doohickeys all over the place, as long as it uses less material but still protects the disc. Heck, it might even protect the disc better than before?
... Though on second thought, maybe the made the DVD changes we're seeing here because they didn't need to change the manufacturing equipment they were already made on... hmm...