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[Power Pro]

Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card Overview | Nintendo Support

en-americas-support.nintendo.com

Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don't contain the full game data. Instead, the game-key card is your "key" to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.

After it's downloaded, you can play the game by inserting the game-key card into your system and starting it up like a standard physical game card.

This might be a deal breaker for me. I know there aren't many of us left, but as someone who has almost exclusively bought physical games, and has a sizeable Nintendo Switch collection.

They finally killed off physical.

 

[IDKFA]

Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card Overview | Nintendo Support

en-americas-support.nintendo.com

This might be a deal breaker for me. I know there aren't many of us left, but as someone who has almost exclusively bought physical games, and has a sizeable Nintendo Switch collection, this might be a deal breaker for me.

They finally killed off physical.

Deal breaker for me.

Fuck it. I'm selling my Switch and all my games with it tonight.

Fuck Nintendo

 

[Shaki12345]

Deal breaker for me.

Fuck it. I'm selling my Switch and all my games with it tonight.

Fuck Nintendo

You're easily spooked.

 

[spons]

That's only for those specific versions. Standard physical still have the game data.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

 

[NanaMiku]

This is just for some games right? Not all of them

 

[Nvzman]

Is this just for specific games like Switch 1, or is every Switch 2 game going to be a key-card?

 

[IDKFA]

You're easily spooked.

With this and the cost of games, I'm done with Nintendo. I'm done.

 

[jshackles]

Hopefully it's only on a few games, and at least the packaging reflects it pretty strongly. Kinda like some Switch 1 games

(Hopefully!)

 

[Baemono]

Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card Overview | Nintendo Support

en-americas-support.nintendo.com

This might be a deal breaker for me. I know there aren't many of us left, but as someone who has almost exclusively bought physical games, and has a sizeable Nintendo Switch collection.

They finally killed off physical.

Did you read what the website says ?

 

[Mr Hyde]

Damn, it's just a river of shit news following the Switch 2 Direct. 90 euro games. Games not on cart but keys instead. Absolutely fucking bullshit. Physical gaming is dead. What a travesty

 

[nkarafo]

Also, forget about preservation and being able to play your old games in the future.

Kids today won't be able to do the same things we can do with our NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, Playstation, etc. Meaning, being able to play our old games. From now on everything will be tethered on some online DRM or subscription. I doubt these "keys" will be functional a couple of generations after Switch 2.

 

[Trilobit]

I'm almost starting to hope that humanity will experience a massive solarstorm that fries internet for a year so that we can see how dependent we are on it for everything.

 

[adamsapple]

Are Game Key Cards the standard for Switch 2 releases?

If so .. what the fuck. $80 for just keys?

 

[hououinkyouma00]

Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card Overview | Nintendo Support

en-americas-support.nintendo.com

This might be a deal breaker for me. I know there aren't many of us left, but as someone who has almost exclusively bought physical games, and has a sizeable Nintendo Switch collection.

They finally killed off physical.

Did you read what the website says ?

Yeah, it appears not. That is about what they announced last week and not about physical games.

That being said I bet a lot of SW2 games won't be on the cart fully.

 

[ValiantInstance]

This isn't much different to some Switch games. AC Black Flag for instance sells a box with just the code in it, there is a much rarer physical version of it.

It's definitely e-waste though.

 

[Porcile]

There are lots of Switch games like this already. Stop spreading FUD.

 

[AJUMP23]

Bad move.

 

[tr1p1ex]

Sounds like they created a fake cartridge for publishers that sold digital games in empty boxes on Switch.

 

[Guerilla Munch]

 

[Puscifer]

There are lots of Switch games like this already. Stop spreading FUD.

I think it's some vs all which is the fear here

 

[Power Pro]

So yeah, sorry I just realized this may not be every game....but ya know consider the size of existing Switch games, and how these carts already seem to be a similar form factor, but also have faster data transfer speeds which means they'll cost more to make....we're probably going to see very few actual games on carts.

 

[tr1p1ex]

btw, digital is inevitable. I've been digital on pc for ~20 years. They haven't sold phsyical pc games in forever. Pcgaming is reportedly bigger than ever.

 

[Gambit2483]

This is just for some games right? Not all of them

Yes, just for some games. Games like Mario Kart are on the card. COD will most likely be a key

 

[Evil Calvin]

If that's true....then that 256gb card is waaaaayyyy too small. That was the sole benefit of physical Switch games, as they were on the cart and didn't have to be installed. Saved on storage space.

Heck, I just bought a 2 tb expansion card for my XSX because everything has to be installed

 

[Celcius]

Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card Overview | Nintendo Support

en-americas-support.nintendo.com

"Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don't contain the full game data. Instead, the game-key card is your "key" to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.
After it's downloaded, you can play the game by inserting the game-key card into your system and starting it up like a standard physical game card."

"How it works
Step 1: Insert the game-key card into the system.
Step 2: Download the game.
Step 3: Play the game."

What's the point of this? Is this what the Mario Kart World bundle will be, where you can only play the downloaded digital copy if the key is inserted?

 

[mayham2199]

Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card Overview | Nintendo Support

en-americas-support.nintendo.com

"Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don't contain the full game data. Instead, the game-key card is your "key" to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.
After it's downloaded, you can play the game by inserting the game-key card into your system and starting it up like a standard physical game card."

"How it works
Step 1: Insert the game-key card into the system.
Step 2: Download the game.
Step 3: Play the game."

What's the point of this? Is this what the Mario Kart World bundle will be, where you can only play the downloaded digital copy if the key is inserted?

Maybe so that you can play even if you don't have internet to verify the license?

 

[baphomet]

Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card Overview | Nintendo Support

en-americas-support.nintendo.com

"Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don't contain the full game data. Instead, the game-key card is your "key" to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.
After it's downloaded, you can play the game by inserting the game-key card into your system and starting it up like a standard physical game card."

"How it works
Step 1: Insert the game-key card into the system.
Step 2: Download the game.
Step 3: Play the game."

What's the point of this? Is this what the Mario Kart World bundle will be, where you can only play the downloaded digital copy if the key is inserted?

It'll just be the regular digital version. They're not putting a cart in there if they don't have to.

 

[dorkimoe]

slowly pushing you to digital

 

[SonicJams]

Im probably gonna get smashed for this, but i understand their decision to keep games digital. I blame the pirates who forced their hand instead. Game preservation is one thing, but i assume there were a large group of people abusing that. Anyway, Nintendo has tried to compromise by allowing game sharing. Was there really any other option for them?

 

[Durin]

Wow...that's shit given they're going to charge $10 more than digital. Unless I'm reading this wrong, and it's a separate priced thing for certain games.

What I'd actually want with that $10 is they put the money into a card that can store the whole game.

 

[Ebrietas]

Nvm this is just some code in a box bs.

 

[ReyBrujo]

So, the game doesn't download into the cartridge but it's used as a key, interesting.

 

[Warspite]

That seems more complicated than it needs to be

 

[Hari Seldon]

I'm assuming that this card just saves you from typing the code into the system. Nice to have but no big deal.

 

[Gallard]

It seems the Game Key card is an alternative and will clearly marked like so:

For comparison, here's a game box that doesn't have that signage:

 

[ReyBrujo]

What's the point of this? Is this what the Mario Kart World bundle will be, where you can only play the downloaded digital copy if the key is inserted?

Depends on whether it can only be activated once or not. Better than having a code you redeem and cannot sell at a later date.

 

[Lokaum D+]

Man, Nintendo really like so fuck it up their next gen,

N64 - Amazing
NGC - Bad
Wii - Amazig
Wii U - Pure Trash
Switch - Great
Switch "2" - its not looking that great.

 

[Xyphie]

Time for my onQ123 moment:

Physical but most/all games will have to be installed to internal/user-expandable UFS storage. Shipping games on 50-100GB 1.2-2.4GB/s carts will simply be too expensive, so many games will opt for the cart being a "digital key" to download the game.

 

[Kacho]

Eat your heart out Xbox One reveal

 

[Warspite]

Come back to "Why not put a code in the box?"

 

[kevboard]

this is literally the exact same as the already existing games on Switch 1 or other consoles that aren't complete on disc... wtf are people surprised by here exactly?

 

[Bojanglez]

Is this for all boxed games or just the odd game that is too big for the normal game cards?

 

[near]

Hopefully it's only on a few games, and at least the packaging reflects it pretty strongly. Kinda like some Switch 1 games

(Hopefully!)

Spot on. This is all I believe this is. Releases like this will be labelled with the Game-Key Card disclaimer.

 

[delishcaek]

This only makes sense if these game key cards are 10 bucks cheaper than the actual physical release.

 

[soulbait]

I understand why some are upset about this, but these key cards also enables the following:

• Games that are larger than what the cartridge supports
• The ability to share/sell these games, because they are not tied to a digital download code
• Able to play digital games without the internet, so you are not worried about a license needing to sync. Once downloaded to your system, you are good to go

I see what they are trying to do, but I also see why those who prefer physical games do not like this. However, I would say that they are trying to solve issues that digital only has with this. But it still does not solve the fear of the servers going away and not being able to download the games in the future.

 

[JCK75]

So basically what you're saying is any game that is large in size you don't want coming to switch because it won't fit on any physical media?

 

[RCU005]

So a digital game with the hassle of having to insert the card every time? No thanks!

This is the beginning of a very shitty future for video games. Next gen from Sony and Microsoft (if there's one), it's going to be crazy. The abuse is overwhelming!

 

[Gambit2483]

Man, Nintendo really like so fuck it up their next gen,

N64 - Amazing
NGC - Bad
Wii - Amazig
Wii U - Pure Trash
Switch - Great
Switch "2" - its not looking that great.

Litterally the only thing that sucks is the $80 pricing of MK. Otherwise the pricing of the console is in line with what it's capable of doing and the launch lineup is solid.

This solves the problem of 150GB file size games for a cart based handheld.
What's not looking so great?

 

[tr1p1ex]

Come back to "Why not put a code in the box?"

... because it's sold in a box and customers expect a cart.

And then there's no code to mess with. Easier for the customer I would think.

More secure too Someone can't steal the code. And the customer has to try to convince Nintendo or retail that their code was stolen.

all in all might add up to 100000 fewer support calls.

LOngshot: key-card isn't attached to an account? Works like a regular cartridge. If you give it to a friend you can't play the game. (haven't read the info on this so just taking a guess.)