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[GoldenEye98]

It's probably the best compromise to keep a physical option around.

People arguing that cards with the game actually stored on it would "only cost ~$10". Now scale that at a million units sold...10 million units sold...that's a lot of money that eats into margins.

My guess is Project Red is ok with doing it for Cyberpunk because it's a 5yr old port and the profit expectations are in a different place at this point. I'd be much more curious for other newer AAA games that require a lot of space. I'm skeptical you are getting a 64GB card for NBA 2K or EA FC....

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Seems to be a healthy amount of games where the full game is on the cart

 

[GrandlyBodacious]

Bravely Default and Survival Kids are larger than 64GB?

EDIT: Or am I still missing the point of this?

 

[Gambit2483]

Not sure why so many people are making a deal about this game key card thing. There were already Switch 1 games where you would put the card in and have to download the rest of the game anyway. At least this is better than getting a dumb code in the box you can't resell or do anything with.

This.

This is nothing new. MGS: Master Collection does this.

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

64 GB cartridges are a thing and 2 TO sd card also, they could produce any size of cartridges if they really wanted.
Nintendo and publishers have no excuses at all, that's just marketing shit to put it deep in your a** and pure greed. You can bet that most 3rd party publishers will use these fake cartridges to maximize incomes.

Empty box with code (SW1) and key card (SW2) is a wish to end physical games for Nintendo, I'm so disappointed and I hope the dark side will *fix* this bullshit, or better: would like the Switch 2 to fail HARD.

Because Iit's a trap where misinformed people will fall into, Nintendo really did it wrong with this "worst of both world" solution.

 

[kiphalfton]

We can assume the "Game Key" card is not tied to a Nintendo Account, so they can be traded and re-sold freely like any physical game disc on PS consoles

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

There are cheap memory cards that use 128 or 512 GB, so that's no excuse, especially if they've increased the price.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Oof



WTF you playing at, Sega?

 

[Moses85]

No buy from me.

Hope many will follow!

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I think so.

I don't understand why there is no more outrage over it. This is digital in 99%. It doesn't matter if it's tradeable or not, the moment Nintendo turns off the Switch 2 servers the games become useless chunks of plastic. This should be illegal.

 

[Glass Joe]

Eh I wish both were an option. I'd pay a few extra bucks to have SF6 on a real cart, while others can buy the key-card cheaper. As someone who's been a physical collector all my life, this shit's got me torn.

 

[Xellos]

Eh I wish both were an option. I'd pay a few extra bucks to have SF6 on a real cart, while others can buy the key-card cheaper. As someone who's been a physical collector all my life, this shit's got me torn.

I think what may happen is publishers using key-cards in major retailers, then, for some games, partnering with a boutique company like Limited Run to offer physical versions years later for $30+ more.

 

[Forth]

This absolutely sucks, there's nothing that benefits the consumer.
There's absolutely zero reason for why the game can't be on the cartridge.
I'm betting to start the download Nintendo servers will make sure that your hardware and user are checked for any infringements.

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

Cyberpunk 2077 is 70 GB
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is 110 GB
Elden Ring is 60 GB

There is no Switch 1/2 cartridge on Earth that can have this capacity

dont be a pussy nintendo

 

[Deerock71]

Witcher 3 on Switch is on a 32GB card.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

The more I think about it, the more this is a deal breaker for me. Might finally give up on Nintendo consoles and nestle fully into PC gaming.

I was a Nintendo kid and have loved them for decades. I still have a healthy collection of NES, SNES, etc games that I still play. Requiring server access and downloads for 80% of Switch 2 games is a no go. I do not trust Nintendo to maintain their servers long term, so this is pretty much the same as forcing digital. Shocked they flipped like this after being incredibly pro-physical for the Switch's lifespan. Guess the great success of the Switch has given the bean-counters more control, so maybe price increases and consumer-unfriendly choices should be expected. Whatever the reason, I'm out.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

The more I think about it, the more this is a deal breaker for me. Might finally give up on Nintendo consoles and nestle fully into PC gaming.

I was a Nintendo kid and have loved them for decades. I still have a healthy collection of NES, SNES, etc games that I still play. Requiring server access and downloads for 80% of Switch 2 games is a no go. I do not trust Nintendo to maintain their servers long term, so this is pretty much the same as forcing digital. Shocked they flipped like this after being incredibly pro-physical for the Switch's lifespan. Guess the great success of the Switch has given the bean-counters more control, so maybe price increases and consumer-unfriendly choices should be expected. Whatever the reason, I'm out.

There's still plenty of physical Switch 2 games with the full game.

Donkey Kong and Mario Kart for example.

 

[Haint]

100GB games won't fit on cards so their solution is downloading them to a $500 console with less than 200GB of usable space.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Switch 2 cards currently are up to 64 GB.
They can go higher.

 

[tr1p1ex]

as if the 3rd parties didn't do a ton of this during the Switch generation. The big difference or only difference is you get a key card instead of a code in the box.


Also wake up. Everything is digital. This gen might be the last hurrah for physical from Nintendo.

 

[Sooner]

You guys still holding on to physical are in denial. Move on. It's over.

Now, go pick up your newspaper off the driveway. It's supposed to rain.

 

[Sooner]

The more I think about it, the more this is a deal breaker for me. Might finally give up on Nintendo consoles and nestle fully into PC gaming.

If physical is limited, I'll show them by only playing on the platform that has been spearheading the digital-only future for decades.

Makes sense.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

If physical is limited, I'll show them by only playing on the platform that has been spearheading the digital-only future for decades.

Makes sense.

It's an open platform. Makes all the difference.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

If physical is limited, I'll show them by only playing on the platform that has been spearheading the digital-only future for decades.

Makes sense.

Has nothing to do with "showing them." It's more, if I'm being forced into digital, I'm going to do it on a platform that I trust. Valve have earned my trust over decades. Nintendo have broken my trust by shutting down eshops, servers, etc.

Also, there's pricing. Nintendo are notorious for not offering decent sales. Their games hold value, which is great when you can sell a physical game. The problem is, the "legal" resale value of their digital games is $0, yet they will probably never get discounted. Meanwhile, on Steam (and various key sites) you can find good deals all of the time.

It's an open platform. Makes all the difference.

Also, this.

 

[Tams]

dont be a pussy nintendo

The only one coming out looking like an idiot is you.

Switch 2 uses much faster microSD cards and the game cards are almost certainly going to be based on the same technology.

 

[cireza]

I don't understand why there is no more outrage over it.

You can decide to not buy without being outraged.

Publishers will quickly see the backlash when the kid who got his Christmas present can't play the game before downloading 50+ GB. Codes in a box already get tons of negative reviews on amazon etc... And when he gets his fifth game : on shit, I can't download because there isn't enough storage available. Going to fare well with Nintendo consumers...

 

[cireza]

Now, go pick up your newspaper off the driveway.

Imagine reading something on paper rather than spending even more hours in front of a screen. Utterly ridiculous.

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

The only one coming out looking like an idiot is you.

Switch 2 uses much faster microSD cards and the game cards are almost certainly going to be based on the same technology.

dont be a pussy tams

 

[Baemono]

I don't understand why there is no more outrage over it.

Cause it's the same situation for pretty much every 3rd party game on the Switch

 

[Tams]

dont be a pussy tams

$71.99

Sure, if you like the idea of $120+ phyiscal games.

 

[AngelMuffin]

I'll try to keep this really brief, because an explanation like this shouldn't need to be long

Switch 1 and 2 use cartridges for games, unlike PS/Xbox consoles which use discs

A Blu-ray Disc can hold up to 50 GB with dual-layers, and up to 100 GB with triple-layers

Flash memory is much less dense and much more expensive than stamping a disc. The largest Switch 1 cartridge can hypothetically be 16 GB, but that is so costly that most Switch 1 cartridge are at most 8 GB for the vast majority of games. There is no such thing as a 50 GB or 100 GB game cartridge

Cyberpunk 2077 is 70 GB
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is 110 GB
Elden Ring is 60 GB

There is no Switch 1/2 cartridge on Earth that can have this capacity

This is why Nintendo invented "Game Key" cards, they can be used to "unlock" a download of the game and are treated like a physical version of the game. We can assume the "Game Key" card is not tied to a Nintendo Account, so they can be traded and re-sold freely like any physical game disc on PS consoles

"Game Key" cards will become standard for Switch 2 going forward for basically all 3rd party titles because they are much bigger than any cartridge capacity can be. Nintendo is still trying to fit games onto the cartridge but since flash memory is expensive, their 1st party titles cost USD$80 and now you know why

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk

MK World is only 24 GB and it's $80, so not sure that checks out. I get flash memory is more expensive than disks by far but we're still only talking a few dollars at most in the kind of quantities games are produced at.

 

[Tams]

MK World is only 24 GB and it's $80, so not sure that checks out. I get flash memory is more expensive than disks by far but we're still only talking a few dollars at most in the kind of quantities games are produced at.

As has been outlined already, that can still be a significant reduction in profits.

 

[SidViscous]

On paper it sounds fine, the cart has a key on it which essentially acts as ownership of the game which is then downloaded, but other than having to download the data it behaves just like any other cart, so you can re-sell it, loan it etc. For Nintendo it lets them print money, as they can "ship" games on whatever the smallest and cheapest cart is, if you can't write save games to the cart it could literally be a 128kb rom, it'll cost them pennies to make these things, we're talking a hundredth of the cost of a regular cart here.

But eventually hackers will reverse engineer these carts, probably grab the decryption keys from memory like they did with the original switch, and they'll be able to copy keys from retail carts, and produce a single flash cart that can "house" the entire switch 2.0 library of game key games with room to spare.

I'm an idiot and I can predict this, so Nintendo must already have a solution, each cart must have a unique key, and before the switch runs these games or downloads the data, it must check with Nintendo that the key is valid and hasn't been blacklisted.

For years it might be fine, but the moment pirates how to figure them out, it'll give Nintendo excuse to start remote black-listing carts, and the moment they do that, the resale market for these carts will drop to zero, nobody will risk buying one second hand, what if it's been copied and gets banned?

So you technically don't own it AND Nintendo have the ability to completely kill the resale market whenever they feel like it

 

[AngelMuffin]

As has been outlined already, that can still be a significant reduction in profits.

Yes, I understanding that and if MK World was between 32-64GB you'd have a point, but it fits nicely on a Switch 1 cart so the upcharge in this case doesn't make sense. Besides that, Nintendo has already come out and said they're doing variable pricing this gen and is the reason MK World is priced $80, not because it's a 24GB cart.

"We'll look at each game, really look at the development that's gone into the game, the breadth and depth of the gameplay, if you will, the durability over time and the repeatability of gameplay experiences."

 

[Tams]

Yes, I understanding that and if MK World was between 32-64GB you'd have a point, but it fits nicely on a Switch 1 cart so the upcharge in this case doesn't make sense. Besides that, Nintendo has already come out and said they're doing variable pricing this gen and is the reason MK World is priced $80, not because it's a 24GB cart.

"We'll look at each game, really look at the development that's gone into the game, the breadth and depth of the gameplay, if you will, the durability over time and the repeatability of gameplay experiences."

A Switch 1 game card won't be fast enough.

I expect Switch 1 game cards will act as game keys on the Switch 2, and you'll have to download the game (or at least the Switch 2 version - maybe they'll let you play the quasi-emulated Switch 1 version too).

 

[Walter Matthau]

Yes, I understanding that and if MK World was between 32-64GB you'd have a point, but it fits nicely on a Switch 1 cart so the upcharge in this case doesn't make sense. Besides that, Nintendo has already come out and said they're doing variable pricing this gen and is the reason MK World is priced $80, not because it's a 24GB cart.

"We'll look at each game, really look at the development that's gone into the game, the breadth and depth of the gameplay, if you will, the durability over time and the repeatability of gameplay experiences."

Switch 2 is using SD Express cards which load faster and are more expensive for everyone including Nintendo. MKW would not work the same using a Switch 1 cart.

My comment is not intended to support Nintendo or anyone else charging $80 for any game. Just helping the above poster clarify why profits would be reduced for publishers if they were using this newer medium while still charging the same price as last generation.

 

[AngelMuffin]

Switch 2 is using SD Express cards which load faster and are more expensive for everyone including Nintendo. MKW would not work the same using a Switch 1 cart.

My comment is not intended to support Nintendo or anyone else charging $80 for any game. Just helping the above poster clarify why profits would be reduced for publishers if they were using this newer medium while still charging the same price as last generation.

No doubt the cost of the cart has an affect on pricing. I think in the case of MK World, both the cost of the new cart & Nintendo's new stance on pricing are coming into play. It makes the most sense since the digital release of MK World is $10 cheaper than physical, yet $10 more than current gen.

 

[IDKFA]

If physical is limited, I'll show them by only playing on the platform that has been spearheading the digital-only future for decades.

Makes sense.

It's not the same. You can't compare PC to a closed system like Switch 2 or a PS5. Completely different.

 

[Anthony Soprano]

E-waste cartridges once the servers go away. More reason for homebrew community to try to get this console cracked wide open for preservation purposes, good job, Nintendo!

DRM theory:

- Consumer keys can theoretically be locked until street dates. Reviewer keys can be unlocked early manually. Less chance of video leaks.

- If a title is "Game Key" only, then the game cannot be dumped as easily, even if the console is modded. If a modded console goes online to redeem a game key, it would likely result in a console ban.

Why this is a terrible idea:

- Nintendo didn't include an ethernet port on the dock for the second time in a row to save a dollar or two. Prepare for slow downloads over wi-fi.

- 256GB onboard storage, Nintendo is literally offsetting the costs of having to buy storage chips by passing the cost onto the consumer via microSD Express cards.

Super bad conspiracy theory:

- When Nintendo gets greedy enough and doesn't want cartridges shared so much, they'll introduce an e-fuse in the game key cartridge so that after the cart is redeemed or activated a certain number of times, it becomes useless. This will be bad when users try to sell a cartridge and the e-fuses are blown so it can't be used to activate the game on more consoles. Nintendo already has used e-fuses in the original Switch console to prevent downgrading/modding. Maybe this won't happen since it would cost more money and could all be done electronically in the backend of Nintendo's servers via digital license redemption limitations.

 

[jshackles]

$71.99

Sure, if you like the idea of $120+ phyiscal games.

Honestly, I'd rather pay $120 for a game that's actually on the cartridge than $60-$80 for a game that isn't.

 

[Tams]

E-waste cartridges once the servers go away. More reason for homebrew community to try to get this console cracked wide open for preservation purposes, good job, Nintendo!

DRM theory:

- Consumer keys can theoretically be locked until street dates. Reviewer keys can be unlocked early manually. Less chance of video leaks.

- If a title is "Game Key" only, then the game cannot be dumped as easily, even if the console is modded. If a modded console goes online to redeem a game key, it would likely result in a console ban.

Why this is a terrible idea:

- Nintendo didn't include an ethernet port on the dock for the second time in a row to save a dollar or two. Prepare for slow downloads over wi-fi.

- 256GB onboard storage, Nintendo is literally offsetting the costs of having to buy storage chips by passing the cost onto the consumer via microSD Express cards.

Super bad conspiracy theory:

- When Nintendo gets greedy enough and doesn't want cartridges shared so much, they'll introduce an e-fuse in the game key cartridge so that after the cart is redeemed or activated a certain number of times, it becomes useless. This will be bad when users try to sell a cartridge and the e-fuses are blown so it can't be used to activate the game on more consoles. Nintendo already has used e-fuses in the original Switch console to prevent downgrading/modding. Maybe this won't happen since it would cost more money and could all be done electronically in the backend of Nintendo's servers via digital license redemption limitations.

Doesn't it get tiring being so miserable all the time?

Anyway, Nintendo have the moral and legal right to protect their IP. They want people to pay full price for their games, which is fair. You don't have to and certainly don't need to buy them.

I appreciate them offering game cards and game key cards. Game cards are the full game (DLC aside often) and that's normal. Game key cards still give you something to collect should allow you to sell your licence, unlike most digital game purchases.

 

[Tams]

Honestly, I'd rather pay $120 for a game that's actually on the cartridge than $60-$80 for a game that isn't.

Well, for smaller games where the developer is willing to do a game card release, it should only cost $80, or about a $10 premium over digital.

And I'm sure as NAND manufacturing improves and the popularity of SD Express increases (likely a lot due to the Switch 2), the larger game cards will come down in price for the developers.

 

[Anthony Soprano]

Doesn't it get tiring being so miserable all the time?

Anyway, Nintendo have the moral and legal right to protect their IP. They want people to pay full price for their games, which is fair. You don't have to and certainly don't need to buy them.

I appreciate them offering game cards and game key cards. Game cards are the full game (DLC aside often) and that's normal. Game key cards still give you something to collect should allow you to sell your licence, unlike most digital game purchases.

It gets tiring buying Nintendo consoles that are two to three generations behind in technology so they can save a dollar while compromising quality.

I couldn't even play Smash online on the Switch without lag because both users needed USB ethernet adapters. Now the lack of ethernet it's going to impact users playing single player games when they are going to the store on day 1 to buy a game and having to wait 3 hours for it to download when they get home.

Unfortunate they won't have the same fate as Sega.