Capcom and Square Enix Comment on Switch 2's Keycards - Cite Performance and Sales Reasons for Usage (FF: Intergrade and Requiem)

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Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Director Naoki Hamaguchi:

"Yes, I've heard the reactions of various Nintendo players to the Game Key Cards. I certainly understand their perspective. I can understand what might bother them, why they might not like them, and I really do. But among developers, the discussion about the format might be a little different than fans might expect.

Perhaps the biggest issue for developers is, certainly for people like us who are developing high-end HD games, is the loading speed, because if you compare that to an [SSD] drive and the speed you get from that when loading, it's inferior. So that's really the bigger problem when it comes to developing games, high-end games for the Switch 2, and what's possible with it.

This is just my personal opinion, but I would like it if Nintendo fans understood the key cards and perhaps accepted them as part of the gaming culture on the Switch because they offer more possibilities. It's an option that not everyone needs to use, but it's another way to make the games available to fans, and I think we could miss opportunities if we didn't have that option, because there might be people who wouldn't be able to play the game otherwise.

I really understand why people are negative about it, and there are good reasons and arguments for it. But if people are more accepting of it, I think there are also advantages, and from a developer's perspective, it allows us to do things we might not otherwise do."


Requiem's director Koshi Nakanishi:

One of the big topics at the moment around Switch 2 are the Game Key Cards. As a team making one of the most technically intense Switch 2 games, so far, is data streaming an issue when you're putting a game onto a card, as some other developers have suggested? Basically, are Game Key Cards a developer consideration, or a publishing one?

KN:
It's not a development decision for us, it's more of a sales strategy decision.
 
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I have no problem with a game key card. As long as the game loads quick, I'm good. Besides, I'm sure Nintendo will have faster carts later down the line.
 
Is there any reason as to why Nintendo couldn't allow optional game installs like it was done on PS3?

That would solve all the problems but it's too radical idea.

Sony and developers solved "slow storage" problem in 2006. With what you can also have fully functional game without the need of any internet connection.
 
That would solve all the problems but it's too radical idea.

Sony and developers solved "slow storage" problem in 2006. With what you can also have fully functional game without the need of any internet connection.
It's extremely hilarious that they somehow didn't think about this when even the current and better, 64GB-only Switch 2 cards are, seemingly, still not fast enough for some stuff like FF7R Intergrade and SW Outlaws.
 
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The max size and data streaming issues are unfortunate, can't really blame devs for ditching the format in those cases.

Although I have a feeling that even if those two things were not an issue, the same devs who blame their decision on them would be going with a Game-key cart anyway and it'd just switch from being a "development decision" to being "more of a sales strategy decision".
 
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