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[simpatico]

What if games were sold at prices to reflect the platform? I know on consoles digital is more expensive than physical, which is illogical to the consumer.

So what if:

Physical game $69.99
Digital game: $49.99

was the status quo? It's more logical and doesn't start the value prop analysis on a completely illogical point to weigh (digital being more expensive)

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

I don't see why it matters where the data is stored when the end game is the same product. Only sound reasons why I could see someone choosing something else are: data caps or bad internet.

Because it does matter? While considering data caps or bad internet, you failed to include another variable: time. I still play games that are 30 + years old. How, pray tell, would I do that on Game Key Cards? Particularly if I never tried to use it before the service was down, or tried to secure it second hand at a later date?

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

What if games were sold at prices to reflect the platform? I know on consoles digital is more expensive than physical, which is illogical to the consumer.

So what if:

Physical game $69.99
Digital game: $49.99

was the status quo? It's more logical and doesn't start the value prop analysis on a completely illogical point to weigh (digital being more expensive)

Sounds good to me, I don't mind paying extra for my preferences, but all the game companies are way too greedy to do that.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Because it does matter? While considering data caps or bad internet, you failed to include another variable: time. I still play games that are 30 + years old. How, praytell, would I do that on Game Key Cards? Particularly if I never tried to use it before the service was down, or tried to secure it second hand at a later date?

They should work exactly like most Blu Ray discs do. Who can say if any or all servers will be functioning down the road if we need to re-download data?

 

[adamsapple]

Customers or shareholders?

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

They should work exactly like most Blu Ray discs do.

No? Blu Ray discs have data on the disc. They install games or play movies. Game Key Cards are akin to a USB Key or something of that nature - they confirm ownership and the user can then download all data required. In other words, if the servers are not functioning, the ownership cannot be verified remotely and therefore the data cannot be downloaded. If the data is already downloaded locally, yes, the keycard would continue to work - so long as you never need to start using another piece of hardware.

In other words, while these are peddled as being capable of second hand transactions right now, in the not-too-distant future, that "feature" will suddenly disappear. You may not care about playing anything but recent games, but there are those of us that do and I am one such.

Who can say if any or all servers will be functioning down the road if we need to re-download data?

I can - they won't.

 

[Deerock71]

Just means nearly all the copies they sell are digital only - meaning bigger profit margin.

Yep, and then they can cite "lagging physical interest" as a reason to go even moar digital. What a deal!

They could've charged whatever they wanted for those special editions, so you can't say definitively which would be more profitable; they're not profiting off 0% sales.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

I can - they won't.

How can you know that? All my current digital downloads are still available to re-download now, so why wouldn't they still be available later on? And sure, you can technically play a few BR disc games from scratch, but a very high percentage of them either won't run without an update, or run like shit due to so many devs releasing unfinished games.

Way I see it? If BR discs are "fine" then so are GKC games. Personally speaking, I too would prefer getting all my games complete on Switch carts, but I still have to suffer shitty BR discs that will rot in the future, need high data patches, or simply won't run well with a base version, and I'll still have to suffer big downloads for GKC games, but it is what it is and I suspect it'll stay that way until it gets worse, ie only a completely digital or streaming option.

 

[consoul]

The state of gaming journalism:
"Please explain why you did this?"
[fails to explain & deploys nonsensical deflection]
"Thank you. I have no follow up questions."

edit: to be fair, this is the state of journalism broadly. Even where it really matters, nobody is actually being held to account.

 

[Neofire]

"Never In My Wildest Dreams Would I Have Expected This" - Falcom President Talks 20 Years Of 'Trails' In Our Big Interview

Going Beyond the Horizon

www.nintendolife.com

With no explanation of how the came to that conclusion lol

 

[Crayon]

It's a straightforward compromise solution to storage. But we don't actually get anything out of it.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

How can you know that? All my current digital downloads are still available to re-download now, so why wouldn't they still be available later on?

Are they? You must not own anything on the following platforms: Playstation Vita, Wii, DSi, Wii U/3DS, and more.

The reason they may or may not be available later on is that financial conditions and incentives change - at any time these companies could suddenly close or revoke access to your digital redownloads. It's fine that you're willing to place your ability to play these games in the future in the hands of these third parties - but in most cases I'm simply not willing to do that and therefore I prefer a product that remains both accessible and under my proper ownership without a requirement of a third party's efforts.

You are right that I should not have been so definitive - but in general and on the long time frame, these items will not likely be available readily. History continues to prove this as time marches forward. Some may have a longer duration than others in terms of availability, there's no doubt. I think cases such as the 360 availability of digital items are the exception rather than the rule.

And sure, you can technically play a few BR disc games from scratch, but a very high percentage of them either won't run without an update, or run like shit due to so many devs releasing unfinished games.

I don't believe it's "a high percentage". It may be a significant percentage these days - but many games work perfectly fine off of the disc without internet connectivity. This is often overstated.

Way I see it? If BR discs are "fine" then so are GKC games.

They function completely differently.

Personally speaking, I too would prefer getting all my games complete on Switch carts,

Yes, I often buy specifically for Switch just because of this fact. I completely agree - it strongly affects my purchasing preferences.

but I still have to suffer shitty BR discs that will rot in the future,

I have Sega CD discs that are fine. Disc rot is overstated, I've only directly observed it on mistreated discs. Keep your discs in proper climate and storage and they will last your entire life, possibly to your descendants.

need high data patches, or simply won't run well with a base version, and I'll still have to suffer big downloads for GKC games, but it is what it is and I suspect it'll stay that way until it gets worse, ie only a completely digital or streaming option.

It will get worse, you're right about that. I can still hate it and resist it every step of the way, no matter how futile.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

All my Vita, Wii, PS3, DS, 3DS, Xbox, Wii U re-downloads still work fine.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

All my Vita, Wii, PS3, DS, 3DS, Xbox, Wii U re-downloads still work fine.

I stand corrected. I apologize.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

All my Vita, Wii, PS3, DS, 3DS, Xbox, Wii U re-downloads still work fine.

For now

 

[simpatico]

Sounds good to me, I don't mind paying extra for my preferences, but all the game companies are way too greedy to do that.

I understand why physical games can be had for less than digital, but game makers need to get over that and present the customer with a value prop that makes sense. Either tighter control of physical prices or lower digital prices. It's understandable why there are so many holdouts given the way the market is. It's the seller's job to give a value prop that makes logical sense, espeically when it's in their interest to steer buyers toward one side of it.

 

[Generic]

Because it does matter? While considering data caps or bad internet, you failed to include another variable: time. I still play games that are 30 + years old. How, pray tell, would I do that on Game Key Cards? Particularly if I never tried to use it before the service was down, or tried to secure it second hand at a later date?

In 30 years your smartwatch will emulate the Switch 2.

 

[Xion_Stellar]

All my Vita, Wii, PS3, DS, 3DS, Xbox, Wii U re-downloads still work fine.

For now that is but believe me when I say that the moment even a SINGLE one of the 3 decides to pull download support for legacy purchases on legacy hardware it will be ALL of the justification we will need to say "We told you so" and people who have been deflecting this 'baseless worry" will lose all ground they stand on in this argument.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

In 30 years your smartwatch will emulate the Switch 2.

Sure, it can be emulated. That's not disputed. I can emulate Sega Genesis anytime - but there's no feeling quite like it for me to place the cart in my actual Genesis and use a real controller. It's part of the experience for me - but emulation definitely has its place and I know a lot of people prefer that method.

 

[Fluffytheterrible]

OG Xbox stuff can't be redownloaded fyi

And Game Key Cards are an absolute disgrace, The worst decision since sticking with cartridges for N64 for Nintendo and Third Parties.

 

[simpatico]

And Game Key Cards are an absolute disgrace, The worst decision since sticking with cartridges for N64 for Nintendo and Third Parties.

I don't expect it to drive any sales or non sales. I understand exactly why enthusiasts hate it, but I doubt that the majority of the Switch market will even notice it. Especially since there was already a lot of physical Switch games that require a download, I see these "feeling" enough like those such that masses won't notice the difference.

Enthusiasts who approach Nintendo hardware from any angle other than "paying a premium at every turn to primarily play first party games" are going to get a lot of self inflicted pain. But I have a favorable opinion of the Switch 2 in that role. So I'm not knocking it, just saying it has a very narrow value band. Any other expectations of using it as a primary gaming platform for non-Nintendo titles will be met with great monetary cost and diminished returns. My brother used Switch 1 as hard as anyone could in that band. He played (and loved) Skyrim and Doom Eternal on it. Knowing they existed outside of it, but that mofo didn't even watch a video of how they looked on other systems. A true believer. And he got a great value out of it. His memories of those titles are classic just as ours are.

 

[Fluffytheterrible]

I don't expect it to drive any sales or non sales. I understand exactly why enthusiasts hate it, but I doubt that the majority of the Switch market will even notice it. Especially since there was already a lot of physical Switch games that require a download, I see these "feeling" enough like those such that masses won't notice the difference.

Enthusiasts who approach Nintendo hardware from any angle other than "paying a premium at every turn to primarily play first party games" are going to get a lot of self inflicted pain. But I have a favorable opinion of the Switch 2 in that role. So I'm not knocking it, just saying it has a very narrow value band. Any other expectations of using it as a primary gaming platform for non-Nintendo titles will be met with great monetary cost and diminished returns. My brother used Switch 1 as hard as anyone could in that band. He played (and loved) Skyrim and Doom Eternal on it. Knowing they existed outside of it, but that mofo didn't even watch a video of how they looked on other systems. A true believer. And he got a great value out of it. His memories of those titles are classic just as ours are.

As long as the first party games are good, people will come...

...but if that dries up...

Nintendo is in trouble. That's why they are so protective of their intellectual property.

Because if they didn't have first party brilliance, no one would ever bother with Nintendo's underwhelming hardware, and everyone knows it.

It's very upsetting tho to see them ditch physical games and up the price to $80. That's like something I didn't expect from them. Physical games are the last remaining advantage of consoles. If consoles ditch it, might as well get a Steam Deck or a laptop.

 

[simpatico]

As long as the first party games are good, people will come...

...but if that dries up...

Nintendo is in trouble. That's why they are so protective of their intellectual property.

Because if they didn't have first party brilliance, no one would ever bother with Nintendo's underwhelming hardware, and everyone knows it.

It's very upsetting tho to see them ditch physical games and up the price to $80. That's like something I didn't expect from them. Physical games are the last remaining advantage of consoles. If consoles ditch it, might as well get a Steam Deck or a laptop.

Nintendo would certainly approach their hardware design from a different angle if that was the case. I don't even think they'd have any interest in just building a x86 walled garden box if they didn't want to make a bunch of software. It's not like Nintendo is ASUS with a software department. Quite the opposite.

 

[gpn]

I think this GKC is "failing" is just mis-information using cherry-picked scenarios like Disgaea 7, which people who wanted it already bought it on Switch or PS. I bet most GKC's are selling just fine.

It's the same story with Trails Beyond the Horizon, which hasn't released yet (PS5 version is sold out btw). Sad thing is, they delayed the release on all platforms so they could release it on Switch 2 at the same time.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

For now that is but believe me when I say that the moment even a SINGLE one of the 3 decides to pull download support for legacy purchases on legacy hardware it will be ALL of the justification we will need to say "We told you so" and people who have been deflecting this 'baseless worry" will lose all ground they stand on in this argument.

Doesn't matter, because I already have them on my systems anyway. Plus I could say your plastic discs are fine "for now" but will crumble in the future. Nothing is fool-proof, and I always say that if you really like a particular game, buy a physical and digital copy.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

It's the same story with Trails Beyond the Horizon, which hasn't released yet (PS5 version is sold out btw). Sad thing is, they delayed the release on all platforms so they could release it on Switch 2 at the same time.

That's another case of a really niche game that was never going to sell like AAA games do.

 

[SuperC]

I knew Switch 2 games use the card to stream the games but still on consoles the disc is just a vessel to install the game

My point is why do most of you care if the game is installed from the disc or the internet?

I believe game key card is a good idea and Sony should implement something like this for their next-gen console so they can avoid the disc drive altogether and use the savings to pump the specs

 

[gpn]

That's another case of a really niche game that was never going to sell like AAA games do.

That's moving the goal post now, isn't it? I'm sure the print run is no where close to a AAA release, but the games sell well enough to keep the franchise going and have sold-out most previous titles. Plus I'm sure NISA was sure they'd have pre-sold more than the less less than 1% of the allocation that they have to this point. Again, the PS5 allocation has sold out, as has the PS4 and the Switch has sold 25%.

 

[alf717]

I knew Switch 2 games use the card to stream the games but still on consoles the disc is just a vessel to install the game

My point is why do most of you care if the game is installed from the disc or the internet?

I believe game key card is a good idea and Sony should implement something like this for their next-gen console so we can avoid the disc drive altogether and use the savings to pump the specs

Space is an issue on Switch 2. 256GB of internal memory and until micro express is considered more mainstream we are stuck with high prices for larger allotments of space. I think we will see better prices like when 512GB and 1TB for the original Switch was pricey but it will take years before we see that happen.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

That's moving the goal post now, isn't it? I'm sure the print run is no where close to a AAA release, but the games sell well enough to keep the franchise going and have sold-out most previous titles. Plus I'm sure NISA was sure they'd have pre-sold more than the less less than 1% of the allocation that they have to this point. Again, the PS5 allocation has sold out, as has the PS4 and the Switch has sold 25%.

No, but it seems like goal post moving to only mention two collector's editions now doesn't it?

 

[kazuyamishima]

I knew Switch 2 games use the card to stream the games but still on consoles the disc is just a vessel to install the game

My point is why do most of you care if the game is installed from the disc or the internet?

I believe game key card is a good idea and Sony should implement something like this for their next-gen console so we can avoid the disc drive altogether and use the savings to pump the specs

You need internet to install a Game Key Card.

You don't need internet to install a PS4/PS5 game for example, obviously you won't be able to apply updates, DLC and others.

And as others mentioned above, both Series X and PS5 comes with more internal space than the Switch 2.

Whilst the Game Key Card offers options for cheaper price (similar to PS5/Xbox), a full game on the cartridge is usually more expensive on a Switch 2 version (at least here in Australia).

 

[Xion_Stellar]

Doesn't matter, because I already have them on my systems anyway. Plus I could say your plastic discs are fine "for now" but will crumble in the future. Nothing is fool-proof, and I always say that if you really like a particular game, buy a physical and digital copy.

I'm talking about having access to the games a person has bought with real physical games.

You are basically admitting that you know for a fact that these companies won't provide access to your digital downloads forever so instead you want to shift the conversation towards the potential lifespan of physical media?

Just admit that you're perfectly OK with your corporate overlords eventually taking access away from legally bought digital games in the future because you "already played them" or "already downloaded them anyways" and move on from this topic because we are arguing about two different things here.

 

[asdasdasdbb]

What does this mean? People are buying 20, 30 year old games this very day.

Because people (if they are intending to actually play the game) will want the patches at a bare minimum.

 

[Forth]

There were ways for Nintendo to avoid this, increase the Switch 2 internal memory capacity, offer third parties more incentive to put their games on the cartridge or offer the digital version for a reduced cost.
But this is Nintendo and they took the choice that gave the most profit.
GKC's are not the consumers choice.

 

[Chan]

It's funny to see how the defender of full physical games has moved to a full digital future. Even more funny are the people who praised Nintendo for their last gen efforts, now praise them for their brave no shift. The ulterior motives on display here are really something else.

 

[Radical_3d]

You're on the right way NIS America

 

[Ozzie666]

What if games were sold at prices to reflect the platform? I know on consoles digital is more expensive than physical, which is illogical to the consumer.

So what if:

Physical game $69.99
Digital game: $49.99

was the status quo? It's more logical and doesn't start the value prop analysis on a completely illogical point to weigh (digital being more expensive)

This always made me angry that digital is so expensive. The orignal line given to defend this bullshit was to protect brick and mortar stores. They needed them to sell consoles and software. Well damage is done. So what's the reason now. Pure and simple fucking greed. They don't want to give anything back. They will claim it's expensive, servers and holding the games. Etc etc. The big 3 (well 2) are still making massive profits on the backs mostly of microtransactions and riding the Gaas wave.

30% cut is absolutely insane > physical media ever was (except carts).

 

[Evil Calvin]

And as others mentioned above, both Series X and PS5 comes with more internal space than the Switch 2.

This is the main issue. 256gb storage is woefully small if you need to install most games. The benefit of the Switch carts were that they would play off the cart without the need for any install (mostly). You could amass a huge library on your Switch. In this day an age, one AAA game could take a third of the whole storage on the Switch 2 if you have a game key card. Sure you can buy a 512GB Express card but even that is small and would fill up fast AND they cost $120

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

This is the main issue. 256gb storage is woefully small if you need to install most games. The benefit of the Switch carts were that they would play off the cart without the need for any install (mostly). You could amass a huge library on your Switch. In this day an age, one AAA game could take a third of the whole storage on the Switch 2 if you have a game key card. Sure you can buy a 512GB Express card but even that is small and would fill up fast AND they cost $120

What happened to deleting games you aren't playing? You don't need to have your entire library available at all times. As I said before, most Switch/2 games are much smaller than PS/XB games are, so a 512 or 1TB card should last a life time.

 

[gpn]

No, but it seems like goal post moving to only mention two collector's editions now doesn't it?

Do you know which thread you're in? The topic is NISA and game key cards.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Do you know which thread you're in? The topic is NISA and game key cards.

 

[Evil Calvin]

What happened to deleting games you aren't playing? You don't need to have your entire library available at all times. As I said before, most Switch/2 games are much smaller than PS/XB games are, so a 512 or 1TB card should last a life time.

I rarely finish games. I jump around a lot depending on my mood. But my internet sucks and if i'm itching to play a large game that I uninstalled, it likely wouldn't be downloaded until the next day (especially with Nintendo's awful servers)

 

[Pasta la Vista]

At some point the Collector Whores have to realize people aren't buying your game 20 years from now.

I sold a game from over 20 years ago for over $700 recently.

 

[Gambit2483]