Splatoon 2 Is Getting A 'Game Card Free' Package Version In Japan

Nintendo has announced three different retail versions of Splatoon 2 for Japan. The download version comes with a game case, but no game card.

According to Nintendo, there is a standard Splatoon 2 package version, which comes with the game case and the game card. Then, there is the Splatoon 2 download version, which will look something like this and contain a download code:

[Majin-vegeta]

Only could Ninty think of something stupid like this 😒😒

[CocoaBrother]

Guess you never bought Minecraft for Vita

[naruga]

Nintendo the master of ridicul moneygrabiness.....at the end they even sell the video walkthrough of their games just because they r nintnedo and they can

[freshslicepizza]

Just think of the irony here. We went from physical games having manuals included to physical boxes with no games inside. What's next, a box you buy only to find a link inside to order your game?

[2pacalypsenow]

Difference is, you bought the game that came with the case, you didn't buy the case and then bought the game.

[DeathtoOtakuDJ]

Some PC physical games, too.

[vickers500]

Much as I hate Nintendo, I like this idea. Sometimes I'll pick something up on digital for dirt-cheap/added-convenience, but I'll want it displayed on my game shelf.

Or I'll choose a steelbook over the regular case and still want the regular (ala Persona 5).

They shouldn't cost any more than 5 bucks though.

[TheUndertaker85]

Minecraft for Vita weighs in at 157MB
Splatoon 2 weighs in at 5.5GB

The lowest storage for Vita is 4GB
Switch has 32GB

Minecraft would use 1/25th of the minimum storage capacity
Splatoon 2 would use almost 1/6th

157MB on a minimum 2GB card is a waste in multiple aspects
5.5GB on a 16GB card isn't nearly as wasteful and actually makes sense

2GB to 4GB is said to be the cartridge capacity for Vita with the possibility of it supporting 8GB & 16GB cartridges in the future
16GB is said to be the standard for Switch

Not talking memory card capacity. Only game cartridge capacity.

[MrSwankSinatra]

It's not really stupid TBH, especially for the collector community, and for the ones that buy used and don't have a box with their game.

[rjason12]

Exactly, some people like having the physical product.

[Concertoine]

@rjason

Its just, at that point, why not get the game?

Especially on Switch where you dont need to install anything and the cart holds all data.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

That is a tiny tiny percentage of the market. It's like the people who buy a collectors edition of a game and another copy to play. But for a manufacturer to actually sell an empty box is just hilariously hilarious.

[rainslacker]

Guess it would be good when GameStop starts throwing in tons of carts into a box and just sells them loose because they throw away the boxes.

if this works, then I expect GameStop to start selling the boxes separate for every game.:)

In the meantime, these kinds of things were readily available from GameStop employees who sell the throwaways on ebay. They've been doing it for a while now.

[DJ_Professor_K]

Exactly if their still were bubbles you good sir would have earnt yourself one for thinking outside of the box 👈

[DJ_Professor_K]

There* talk texting

[no_ripley]

Pssst ... don't bring up to much logic in here

[Erik7357]

Maybe Horizon can learn from stupid Nintendo and be higher rated next time

[2pacalypsenow]

What? How did you manage to bring up Horizon on a article about Nintendo selling empty boxes? Perfect example of an Insecure Nintendo fan.

[Razzer]

What are you yapping about now?

[DeathtoOtakuDJ]

> Nintendo article
> brings up random PS4 game
> ratings somehow equal to the sale of empty box

Erik, you clearly are a lost cause.

[Aenea]

WTH dude? Go troll somewhere else

[KwietStorm_BLM]

And the award for biggest reach of the year goes to......

[_-EDMIX-_]

lol, when you are like 3 badges away from your troll badge.

[RommyReigns]

Erik7357 - 'Maybe Horizon can learn from stupid Nintendo and be higher rated next time'

Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for the winner of the Most Deluded Comment on N4G - May 2017 award, Erik7357!

[Darkfist_Flames]

LOL, you fanboys love your empty box.

[Legatus]

Before i could not decide whether you hate PS4 more than you love Switch or the other way around, but now i have no doubts.

[JackTheLiz]

@2pacalypsenow Sony did the same exact thing with some PSP games.

[TXIDarkAvenger]

Not that stupid. It's a nice option to replace damaged cases.

[Vegamyster]

It's basically if you want the convenience of a digital copy but want the case for your shelf you'd chose that version, i wouldn't buy that version but i don't see an issue with it as long as they don't force out the cartridge version.

[JackTheLiz]

https://images-na.ssl-image...

Sorry, what was that?

[Razzer]

Did someone say you were wrong?

[PlayableGamez-]

I don't think it stupid.
Sometimes people have the cartridge and no box and would like one.
I think it's smart.
PS: Don't call Nintendo Ninty, that is cringe level 1000.

[Aenea]

And then buy the game again digitally like this to just get the box? That's silly!

or didn't you read the article (or summary)?

[deafdani]

Stupid or not, they gonna make money from this. You just watch.

[Aenea]

Well, I like to have something physical, plus physical means (online) stores compete with each other lowering the prices for us consumers. The only way I would be okay with an all digital future is exactly like this which I've mentioned several times.

So no, I don't think this is a stupid idea at all...

[TheLastGuardian]

Sony did this first with some PSP titles. I remember Patapon 2 was like that.

[JayPi3]

Wrong actually, My physical copy of Titanfall 2 came with just a box, and a download code.

[rainslacker]

Really seems to defy logic. Those that want boxes like this would be collectors, and the collector is likely to want to own the physical game.

I imagine it doesn't cost anything for them to really sell these. Just have extra boxes and box art to ship out should someone want it, but still, can't imagine that there are that many digital owners that want an empty box to just sit there. Maybe some box collectors, they do exist, but there aren't so many that it makes sense to have these, since you can get that stuff pretty readily from quite a few sources for just a few dollars a pop.

I find this about as useless as physical games sold with nothing but a digital download code. Except this is cheaper I suppose....although there is no game.

[DanteVFenris666]

Their also only doing this in Japan for 1 game. So maybe they have more incites and believe Japanese gamers are interested in this option

[DJ_Professor_K]

Hey plp buy used panties🤷‍♂️ why not a game box the art is cool put it in your game room

P.s yeah only nitty would think to do this I bet the rest fallow

[MagicBeanz]

Get ready for all the Nintendies to angrily tell you how wrong you are. lol

[Tapani]

I know nobody cares about the nature and all, but once again I'll say this: These boxes are made out of the cheapest hard plastic that can't be destroyed or easily recycled. Going digital and cutting the wattage cost of consoles is the way to a more environmentally friendly gaming.

I see Nintendo only cares about maximizing their profits and not the nature. Very unprogressive in so many ways.

[septemberindecember]

I've actually seen a few people on forums who have asked for developers to allow you to receive game cases to go along with their digital purchases.

[CaptainObvious878]

Only nintendo fans could defend something so pathetic.

[gangsta_red]

Defend what? This isn't the first time or company that a game box was sold with the digital code inside for someone to download the game to their device.

[Segata]

Eh it works for collectors. I paid 10 bucks for a DC box to display. You can have the game on the shelf and the box out for display. Face it,if Sony did this would would go on how genius it is. Many collectors buy just the box for a retro game or the manual. It's pretty damn common.

[dilbig5]

They weren't the first to do this. There are several sites/shops dedicated to selling cases, booklets, and cover art. I imagine they make a pretty good profit on people that don't own printers.

[bbbbbrian]

Holy shit I don't mean to be an ass but do you people REALLY NOT BOTHER READING???? Inside the case is a download code FOR THE GAME. You're not buying the damn case with no game at all it's just a fucking case to display while still buying a digital copy ffs. It's the same price too so idk why ANYONE here is complaining AT ALL.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

No Nintendo bad move.

My reaction: bruh, really nigga?

[zuul9018]

Really wanted to sound "gansta" on that one eh?
Not sure "nigga" added anything to it, aside from making it sound more ignorant.

[aaronaton]

what is wrong with being ignorant? Ignorance gets such a bad press these days.

[XbladeTeddy]

You ain't no G, you're a tragedy!

[CrimsonWing69]

Please, the politically correct term is nooga

[Dawknight316]

Too bad there is almost no storage on the switch

[conanlifts]

The worst thing is Nintendo only allow you to use a single system. So you can't log into another switch and game share. They also do not allow family sharing. So digital games can not be shared with family like a physical cartridge can.

[Razzer]

It is expandable you know.

[JayPi3]

Shh that kind of sensible logic doesn't fit the narrative.

[badz149]

Yeah...because expanding the Switch's storage is oh-so-cheap like the others. Because we can totally get a 500GB SD card for the same price of a 500GB HDD, right? Oh? What's that? There's no 500GB SD card? And the 256GB already cost an arm and a leg? Who cares? Certainly not Nintendo!

[Razzer]

@badz149

I never said anything about cost.....now did I? Just said it was expandable. Fact is Switch games are smaller in size that PS4/X1. Whereas, Horizon Zero Dawn was a 40GB download, Zelda (larger than all other Switch games) was only 14gb. So the storage costs more per GB, but it will not be filled up as quickly. And I wouldn't rule out external HD support for Switch eventually. The dock has a USB port.

[Segata]

You can expand it. It supports up to a 2TB SD card..even tho that does not exist yet.

[luckytrouble]

I feel like this is more for people who buy used Switch games without a box, but want a dedicated game box to store the game in. Getting used DS and 3DS games can royally suck if you don't get a legit case, and with Switch games being similarly designed, the same risk is run of getting stuck with a loose cartridge or a flimsy, ugly stock game store case.

[Aenea]

So they have to pay full price again for another copy of the same game just to get a box?

This is for people who don't want to pay the additional 10 for a game cart is what I think...

[JackTheLiz]

Does no one here remember the PSP? Some of the copies of Patapon 2 they sold had just game codes in them as well.
I also remember DuckTales Remastered for PS3 just having a 'pin' and a code for some versions of it as well. So don't go blaming it all on Nintendo when Sony did the same exact thing a decade ago. Hypocrisy.

[rainslacker]

I think it's a crappy thing to do either way. I don't buy physical games to get a piece of paper with a code on it. It's why I don't buy telltale games which only have the first episode on them, or just a code to download the 1st episode. I instead wait for them to be $5 on PSN. Publisher saved 50 cents on a disc, lost $25-35 on a full game sale. Passed over the new Sonic game collector's edition, because I believe that collector's editions of games should include an actual game that can be collected. I didn't buy any of the PSP games sold like this. Wouldn't buy any game sold like this.

It's hard to believe that most people would bother with this, when it'd be just as easy, if not more versatile to just buy network currency cards. I doubt there are that many people who care about the box if they're buying digital. The only benefit here is for discovery on the retail shelf.

[Protagonist]

Heh? the hypocrisy is nintendo fanboys now saying it is ok, when they bashed the exact same games that you mentioned.

[gangsta_red]

Exactly when did nintendo fans bash this?

[Razzer]

On the internet......a decade ago. Didn't you hear about?

/s

[LIGATURE]

Nice one for the collections

[JBlaze226]

that will be a dumb idea

[JayPi3]

It's only a dumb idea until it catches on, then people will want to collect physical boxes, even though they may prefer digital versions.

[JBlaze226]

ok but still the fact still remain that physical still holds more value then digital, as one said digital games is a rental copy until the license expires

[KimikoGaming]

Even more of a waste of plastic.

[JayPi3]

No more of a waste than games that have collectible $100 editions that will just end up collecting dust on shelves.

[Segata]

More often just end up at goodwill for 20 bucks or less in bunches.

[JackTheLiz]

How about Nintendo actually puts some physical manuals in those cases, have they thought about doing that?

[Razzer]

Physical manuals barely exist in any game.

[Aenea]

They should exist outside of the game in physical form, not inside the game 😜

[rainslacker]

I'm sure they'll have some inserts marketing other games. They'll have pictures on them.

[XxINFERNUSxX]

"comfortable with the idea of paying for games that they can never actually hold in their hands"
I'm not, I rather have a physical copy then a digital one. Small games are fine digital, but full retail ones I like to put on my shelf.

[sk8ofmnd]

I love all the usual nintendo fans with nothing but positive things to say... Like what would it take for you guys to go... Woah, bad move? 😂

[JayPi3]

It's not really a bad or good move though, it's just another option to buy your games, so now there's physical, digital, or digital with a case added, PC games have been doing it for years.

[Sono421]

Jay seriously just stop, do you have to reply to EVERY comment that isn't outright praising Nintendo?! Nintendo doesn't actually care about you, I hope you know that.

[Sono421]

Considering some of them defend the voice chat being done on a phone app.. it would have to take a lot. I would say it would take them re-releasing the N64 in its entirety for $400 but they would probably praise that too.

[Relientk77]

Stupid, I'd never buy a game box with a download code in it, so stupid. GIve me the damn game disc. Physical copies better never leave

[conanlifts]

The problem is that Nintendo are too behind the times to do this. They lock your games to 1 system at a time. So i cant buy an additional switch for my son for example and let him use my digital games on his system.which means to share games in my house i need the actual game. Nintendo need to fix this.

[sloth3395]

I remember when computer games started going digital you would go to a store to buy the game and it was just an empty box with a code in it

[tyasia0]

No, thanks anyways but I'll pass

[ibrake4naps]

I've said for years Sony should sell empty game boxes. Like always, Nintendo beats them to the punch...

[DC1980]

Sony has been doing this for years with several of their games. I bought MLB 15 The Show for the Vita and all it had inside was a code.

[jznrpg]

Nintendo does think outside of the box

[RAM0N]

Becouse they know their fans would buy anything with Nintendo in it.

[JunMei]

Actually, I love that idea.

[Auron]

Yeah Nintendo keep that **** in Japan. thats just retarded.

[JayPi3]

I don't understand why people are being so close minded about this? There are probably people out there who want the box for collector's purposes, but like the digital version, if you don't like that and you prefer either a full physical copy, or a digital copy, then this isn't for you.

I mean sure it may seem silly from the view of the average consumer, but for collectors or people who like something physical, but don't want to have to keep track of cartridges, this is the answer. And can we stop acting like this is exclusive to Nintendo? This has been happening for a while now.

On PC I bought a physical version of Titanfall 2 and it was literally just a download code with a case, not even a disc storage unit for it. And with other games I've bought the disc was literally nothing more than a steam client, and a key for the actual game.

I know this will get downvoted because it's not just blindly hating Nintendo, but we need to not pretend this is anything new.

[franwex]

I might actually prefer this. It is a nice option for certain games.

[Warshade]

The price needs to be lower when it's a digital only copy.

[DJ_Professor_K]

2b or not 2b (Box)

[chris235]

that's exactly what you come up with when you're too arrogant to even take a quick look around you. once in a while.

[franwex]

As long as the box is marked somehow to indicate if their is a physical game or code, I'm ok with this. Realistically it is something I might want for some games, either way I have several games like this. Marvel vs Capcom 2 for ps3, halo 5 for xbox1, etc.

[Sm3000]

Omfg, watch, they'll put out limited editions of these and it's gonna be just like amiibos and the nes classic, hard af to get.
I for one will not be part of it.
Loving my switch tho

[DanteVFenris666]

Frickin ridiculous how many people don't bother to read the article.

A GAME IS INCLUDED!!!

Just the digital version. It's a interesting option.

[Einhander1971]

Not if your a collector dumb ass's it's a clever concept.

[Xx_Pistol_xX]

Nintendo sure do know their fan base.

[TheOttomatic91]

The PS4 did something like this with Lara Croft: Temple of Osiris and they got trashed for it so not sure why Ninty is doing the same thing.

[Platformgamer]

With wiiU they risked to fail and needs to regain money as fast as they can, this is just one of the examples.
Nintendo is shameless, but nintendowns and blind-articles writers will praise them anyway :(

[Doge]

TIL: People will get all huffy over something that doesn't really effect them in the slightest.

[Antnee534]

This is the best thing for a digital gamer with being able to get the digital code in the box you will be able to get the 20% off from amazon or be able to use the gamers club unlocked discount and if you have enough gamestop points the damn game for free.

[LAWSON72]

Considering cartridges add like $10-20 at retail makes sense to offer some sort of alternative for store shoppers who really dont care. The cases will still make great gifts and despite what many think some people still don't trust or simply dont participate in online shopping.

[MonChiChi]

I prefer physical anyways, but this would be good for my buddy who wont even go near digital games because he wants the box for his library.

[jamstorr86]

I don't see an issue with this. I personally wouldn't bother buying an empty case, and I think you have way too much money to waste if you did buy an empty case, but I don't see why people would slate nintendo for doing this, as it seems to me they are trying to make the super hardcore fans happy. it could be that as a hardcore gamer, you like to have all your game cases in mint condition, and perhaps you damaged a case somehow. Well now you can replace the case without having to buy the game again.
and lets face it, if sony was offering this then all the sony fanboys would be jizzing all over it

[DC1980]

Sony did it first

[VJGenova]

In addition to not having a physical copy of most games now, PC gamers, by and large, have also been able to purchase games at a lower cost than their console counterparts (1-4 weeks after launch). This is due in part to not having to produce something physical, and not having to pay the console licensing fees. Got to assume Nintendo will still charge $60 for most games.

If people want this, why not sell it? I see no harm here, but it doesn't interest me one bit.

[iofhua]

The only way this would make sense is if Ninty let the player burn a copy of their digital game to a disc. Then they could put their disc in the box with the correct box art and have a physical copy. This would spare them from the launch day stampede at the game shop and let them play in peace at home via download, and also the convenience of having a physical copy that isn't tied to your online account (which is DRM).

But I'm guessing Ninty isn't doing that. All this is, is a trick for those that don't understand DRM and how they can't play their digital games if they get locked out of their account, or the internet goes down, or inevitably when someday Nintendo shuts down that part of their online service.

[shauzy]

But why

[CrimsonWing69]

Why in the ever loving f&*k would you do this!? Like who makes this decision? ...oh right, Nintendo... my mistake.

[dragongod64]

This is the dumest thing i have ever heard of, I am DONE with Nentendo. You also need to pay for online now too, And for a on the go console it is vary fragile system.

[jaycptza]

a fool and their money are easily parted

[Psytrix]

Well.. there it is. The dumbest shit I've read all day.

[InTheZoneAC]

This is only useful for those that bought used with no box, otherwise it is ridiculously stupid

[Rodney25]

I think it's a great idea. Imagine if your case gets messed up, you can just buy a new one. I collect my games and a janky case messes up everything.

[Lightsbane]

The sad part is that I've already bought one of those: Child of the Light.

I really wanted that game on display...

[masterfox]

Yep that's Nintendo dumbness in all its glory, thank god I don't support this moronic greedy company, its braindead ideas definitely helps out to save me money. :D

[Father__Merrin]

This is why last gen was mint. Loved collecting titles all had manuals. I think Khan manuals should be brought back

[PaleMoonDeath]

Oh Nintendo, you edgy shit you.