Key Takeaways
1. Upcoming Switch 2 games will use Game-Key Cards, requiring players to download game files while keeping the card in the console to start games.
2. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is an exception, being released on a 64 GB cartridge, highlighting the ongoing value of physical copies.
3. Developer Jan Rosner emphasizes that many Nintendo fans prefer physical copies for convenience and independence from internet connections.
4. Game-Key Cards may reduce costs for publishers, but there are concerns about game preservation and the collector culture surrounding physical cartridges.
5. Nintendo continues to support physical copies for first-party games, recognizing their audience’s preference against fully digital gaming.
Many upcoming physical third-party games for the Switch 2 will utilize Game-Key Cards instead of the usual cartridges. Players will need to download the game files, but must keep the card in the console to start the games. An exception to this is Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, which comes on a 64 GB cartridge. This shift towards digital formats hasn’t pleased a lot of Nintendo fans. In a discussion with The Game Business, a developer from Cyberpunk 2077 shared insights on why Switch players still prefer physical copies.
Developer Insights
Jan Rosner, who is the VP of Business Development at CD Projekt Red, shared how The Witcher 3 shaped their choices for Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. The open-world RPG was already on other systems, yet the 2019 release of The Witcher 3 found a strong fan base among Nintendo users. The developer believes that part of this popularity comes from the convenience of gaming on the go with cartridges. Even if players risk losing the physical copies, they aren’t dependent on an internet connection.
Future of Game-Key Cards
Rosner doesn’t foresee Game-Key Cards overtaking cartridges anytime soon. He explained, “Nintendo’s presence in physical stores remains robust, and retail as a whole isn’t disappearing. I doubt we will soon see a time when all games are purely digital.”
Cost and Collector Culture
Reportedly, 64 GB cartridges cost at least $16, which increases the expenses involved in publishing games for the Switch 2. Game-Key Cards enable companies to cut costs while distributing titles in retail packaging. Nonetheless, Rosner argues that profit shouldn’t be the sole consideration in the debate between physical and digital formats. Owners of Switch consoles love to build collections of cartridges. Additionally, advocates for game preservation worry about depending on servers for future access.
First-party games for the Switch 2, such as Mario Kart World, still rely on physical copies. Nintendo seems to understand its main audience’s hesitance toward fully digital gaming. However, Cyberpunk 2077 stands out as one of the few titles advocating for cartridges among those newly available on the Switch consoles.
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