It was revealed today that the Nintendo Switch 2 will launch alongside a paid app which teaches you all about the new console.
Following an internal Arc System Works internal hack, new information has leaked about why there are so many game-key card physical releases for Nintendo Switch 2.
The only *possible* hypothetical beneficial strategy I can see is this being a gamble to try & solve a few of the OG Switch's physical release issues. And a lot of it is a gamble around economies of scale, though a failed gamble would just makes them all worse (clarified at the bottom).
1) Removing multiple storage options would stop companies from, for example, putting out multi game collections where only 1 out of a 3 game collection ends up on the shipped cartridge, doing so to save themselves a buck by going with the cheapest cart they can and pushing further storage costs on the user.
2) Stop the trend of code-in-box releases. So many were starting to pop up, and I expect that because carts, especially larger capacity ones, ate too much into their margins they just started skipping them entirely.
3) Allow large games to ship on carts as the norm - not as the special occasion it is even now, 8 years on from launch.
Part 3 was a self-compounding issue, as rarely anyone using them meant there was no scale to drive prices down, staying prohibitively expensive even 8 years later. But by having one, I feel like their gamble could be that - at the expense of early physical releases - eventually 1 big cart size will drive the cost of the carts down when that's the only size being made.
If it works out, I could see it eventually making physical releases better, but it is a gamble, and one that impacted the launch lineup to be 99% all digital/key-carts. And to that point, I think Big N really should have defrayed the cart cost for, say, the 1st year to help it come to fruition. Because the other side of the gamble is: if pubs just opt to never buy carts, then they never get cheap. And then we're stuck with anything non-key-cart being the unicorn. Everything moves to download only, and they ultimately just kinda screw everyone in the end.
I hope 3rd party developers and publishers abandon the switch 2 ..if this is true.
This is more scummy than the N64.
Nah. N64 was truly "Draconian", nothing can beat that...
At N64 time, publishers had to buy game cartridges from Nintendo, and they went as high as $30 . On the other hand, PlayStation CDs cost $1 each. N64 games used to be priced at $ 60-80 in the 90's!
Also, download was not a things. You had a maximum of 64Mb on one $30 cartringe Vs 650MB on 1$ CD. Games like FFVII used 3 CD, almost 2GB at 3$, 30x more space for 1/10 of the price for publishers/consumers.
Nothing will ever beat the absurd of N64.
This absolute horse crap that N64 games were £60-£80 back in the 90’s has to stop.
There was like 2 games that attempted to charge that price and failed miserably. Turok and another that I can’t remember. I loved my N64 and must of had almost probably a 50-60 games for that thing in the end. Never paid more than £45 for a game. All bought at standard retail.
This insane notion that the N64 was this wild gaming system that was ludicrously expensive. Has been soo blown out of proportion over the last few years.
So true, I remember it like it was yesterday. I hope we never see that sh@t again. Lol
so you'd be ok with devs giving you an 8GB card and then you have to download 50GB of the game? Or would you complain about that too?
16gb and 32gb options should exist. Devs should use the smallest cartridge size that fits the entire game.
Nintendo should let developers use the lower capacity cards if their games are smaller. Just like Sony should do the same. Sadly, it looks like neither is willing to budge on the use of the higher capacity medium regardless if the game can fit on something significantly smaller. I've seen PS5 games that can fit on a regular DVD and yet they are forced to use the UHD format. Smaller capacity media is more cost effective... so why can't these companies let them use what works.
Nintendo have always been about the game carts, for me anyway, this is a bad move, the collectability just went out the window
Game key card exist dude. Same as regular physical copy. It has the cartridge, physical box, and manual/warranty. The only difference is you need to fill the cartridge initially. But after that, you can play it offline, you can also resell or lend it.
There's a discussion on the Switch2 subreddit that suggests that Nintendo probably had to have Macronix set up an entire production line just to get the 64-GB game cards made. Apparently, the minimum capacity for the SD Express specification is 128 GB because smaller capacities cannot (currently; and may never) reach the very high (SSD-like) bandwidth of the specification. It is conjecture, but it might make most sense. Nintendo would be hoping to drive down the cost of the 64-GB cards with time and economy-of-scale, and that size is closest to the latest optical discs without being prohibitively expensive. Even if a 32-GB card could be validated eventually, they would then have to have multiple custom production lines (which is VERY expensive to tool---and then they would be reducing the benefit of scale to either card capacity). It is also possible that cost-reduction scale will be achieved as the Express cards become more mainstream, perhaps eventually to the point where the 128-GB cards become economical for Nintendo, and, in turn, the game publishers.
This actually makes sense and now I understand why things are this way. That being said, small indie games like 2D platformers don't even need all that SSD express speed. They could run just fine using a Switch 1 style slower cartridge. Or even force a mandatory install from a slower cartridge, at least then the entire game contents is still on the cartridge, which is what people want.
There are solutions, but Nintendo is being Nintendo, a pain in the ass.
Completely agree that mandatory installs from slower higher-capacity cards is a great solution to the problem (as well as retaining support for slower low-capacity cards for indie/small games)!
LLC: "The Nintendo Switch 2 is nearly here, so we are getting ready, and excited, with a look at the top twenty most anticipated Switch 2 games."
Nintendo is a vile company with the most anti-consumer tactics. I'm never giving Nintendo another penny of my money ever again.
Good for you? what does that have to do with the article? or you just needed to complain?
You're complaining about a complaint without talking about the article. You are doing the same.
Haven't given them a single penny since SNES. Their fans defend them like they are a cult and no matter what will buy $80-$90 games and be happy with it
It's ironic that the company with the least powerful console started to charge the most for hardware, software and accessories. It will be very interesting to see how NS2 will perform once the release hype goes down. I don't see many family gamers spending that type of money
Lol
It's mindset like yous who said it's only cosmetics when micro transactions started, it's the same mindset that said no one is forcing you to buy them once those micro transactions started to affect gameplay and now here we are again. If we don't speak up these prices will keep going up and up. But who am I kidding gamers have the weakest backbone anyway
Its a rather simple observation. Just replace X system (you do not care about) with Y system (you do) and then see how people respond.
I can proudly say, I've never spend a penny on a micro transaction. Neither will I on the Switch 2. 90€ games my ass.
I love my ps5 but it's not a good fit for a family system it's why I'll be getting a switch 2
the cost of a switch 2 isn't as bad as you think it is in Australia it's going to be the cheapest console available when Xbox and PlayStation have both raised their prices
It's portable which is huge for families this can not be understated if your going on a roadtrip and looking at 15 hours in the car a switch is invaluable the switch 2 is the next evolution of this.
It has games you can feel comfortable leaving your family playing solo yes PlayStation has great games aimed at kids but the quantity of its kid friendly library is very limited astrobot and crash games are not as prevalent as they used to be sadly and no I don't consider fornite or Roblox kid friendly or anything with guns kid friendly or online play user generated content nothing like that should be.
Multiplayer games that bring the family together are not as prevalent on PlayStation or Xbox there's no real Mario kart, Mario party etc style games they just don't exist
switch right now has extremely robust parental controls which most modern consoles have but there's no bespoke PlayStation parental controls app you can shut the system down set alarms etc
I think the switch 2 will be the perfect system for families more than any other console right now it's not perfect but it has the most to offer content wise in bringing families together.
That’s what is called personal choice if you do not want to spend money on them a cult . Well I went out got a high paying job. Others do it to. So if I are anyone else wants to pay 80 are 99 dollars. Then we will. It is up to each other if they feel there getting value for there money. Like deciding to buy first class over economy. I buy first. It’s more expensive but now being disabled. I feel I get the value of the extra cost. Gaming has always been an expensive hobby. I knew that when I bought my first console. So don’t spend your money if you do not want to. But everyone has a reason they do things. And that dose not mean there in a cult
@ps5conehead totally agree not everyone lives life minimum wage so what's it to anyone else how you choose to spend your money and gaming has always been expensive look at consoles like the 3d0 with inflation it costs more than the ps5 pro today.
If you want it then you'll save to buy it. What I'm not buying is the people complaining about it were ever going to buy one in the first place there's so many people who are overall just butthurt that the switch wasn't the failure they wanted it to be
Nah I'm good the price for the Switch 2 and its games just not worth it at this point. Maybe when the Switch 2 drops in price I might snag one.
It all started that day the intern suggested to increase the price of the Switch 2 instead of cutting the price of the older consoles like had traditionally been done. Everyone laughed except Furukawa, the CEO, who started slow clapping from the head of the table.
Once they saw everyone joined into a thunderous applause. Then suggestions started flying; increase game prices, download codes only, brick the systems remotely! At one point the CFO shouted out uncontrollably as he went into spasms on the floor.
Has anyone actually read the article.
Or are we all gathered to bi**h and moan about the price most of the internet has moved on and yet here the same people are still carrying on.
hahaha so $80 is fine now and people have moved on? Nintendo is so lucky to have sheepish fans with the memory capacity of goldfish
The article is about top 20 games to play on switch 2 why are we talking about price
$80 is going to be the new industry standard like it or not I don't but I also don't plan on buying games for that price if you shop around and buy physical you will not pay that
Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony will all be charging $80 by the holidays
So keep your wallet closed then others are willing to pay it. No they have people who have the income to buy the 80 dollar games. It’s there money. They can use it the way they see fit.
i should not have to shop around to get a cheaper price tho.
so i get that people are pissed.
But the same holds true for RRPs of $60 or $70 if you shop around you might get that 60 dollar game for 50 as an example.
I'm always going to spend 20 minutes searching for the cheapest price before buying a game for full RRP
NE: "Nintendo recently released a list of games getting Switch 2 patches - here are a few games we'd like to see added to the list."
Astro Playrooms was a delight, a "free" delight.
Nintendo might be unique In how they go about things but I'm sure we can all agree that the majority of the time it's a pretty shitty unique path they always seem to take.
What? This should be a free pack-in. What are they thinking?
Crazy game prices, a paid welcome tour, charging for switch 2 patches (we don't know how much yet, I wonder if everyone will be as outraged at they were about sony over this). Come on nintendo.
The saving grace for me was GC games and the system price being a little lower than I thought. Mario Kart does look great.
The fact this is not free is ridiculous. Just buy a PS5 and get Astro's Playroom for free and it's amazing.
which is crazy ha