Support NeoGAF

[Three]

Considering you've decided to bring digital to the conversation, i don't think you even understand what i'm saying at all.

I guess I dont understand what you're saying then. What's the point of a statement like this?

"And most importantly, they sell physical copies that are worthless as physical disks."

I simply said it still has more worth because you can sell it and you brought up scamming people with it when it shuts down. When a game server shuts down does your digital copy have more worth than the physical disc? The physical disc still has more actual tangible worth than the same scenario with digital. Be angry that the game exists then not that they sell it physical because the alternative is worse. So I guess what you're really trying to say is

"And most importantly, they sell games that become worthless as games if they ever shut down".

Which I suppose everyone can agree on.

But enjoy pretending you own all of your physical disks i guess.

I don't even own many physical games. I'm mostly digital. The only game I own physical is Elden Ring. you have more ownership on physical though and that's not debatable. You can resell, gift it to family, or borrow to a friend, you own it more than you own digital.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

The PS5 works right out of the box, no internet required.

It does now with the slim model. If you want to preserve anything get the fat while you can, I'm surprised how many are still on shelves new.

Fat all the way it is then!

 

[BlackTron]

The most satisfying thing about most Switch physical games is that they work without any install needed.

Exactly, it's still fulfilling that prime Game Boy role of being something you mash a game into off a shelf and it just plays. I think this is a deceptively big part of their USP

 

[64bitmodels]

Unfortunately i doubt it.
Nintendo is just slow to adopt things.

this is my opinion as well

nintendo has a hard on for combatting piracy especially since their system is the most susceptible to it, if an all digital future means more publisher control at the cost of game preservation ninty will happily take that opportunity. look at paid online, they are just biding their time until the next gen to make digital their focus

 

[Kataploom]

I'm pretty sure Switch was the first console where digital was more popular than physical

 

[Darkmakaimura]

The PC physical market is even worse. Steam or any other digital platform dominates the whole market.

The PC physical market is not the problem. The DRM is the problem.

That's why people should try and support GOG whenever they can.

You do know that DRM free digital media can be backed up multiple times and actually becomes safer to preserve then your average retail physical media.

Look up disc rot, for example....

 

[Sleepwalker]

The Switch on the other hand is an enigma. Because of it's nature, games have all the data required to play, on the cart. Sure there are sometimes software updates but never required to download. My point being, 25 years down the road and Nintendo is long gone in worst case scenario, I will be able to put a switch cartridge in a Switch and play it. There is no reliance on outside servers unlike the other platforms. For this very reason, for the first time in my life I am collecting something. I started collecting all the major switch Physical games I want (around 30 and counting). I believe due to the physical media dying off it is also a good investment and I enjoy them. Win/win.

The Switch (luckily very successful) is like the last HOORAH for physical media. PC it's dead, Mobile no way, PS5/X1 have phycial releases but many games rely on an internet connection so that's not forever support, The Switch is it baby.

Oh boy, let me tell you. I have a switch OLED with a faulty wifi chip, which means the console is offline 100% of the time unless I dock it and connect it via ethernet. What this means is that I only update it every once in a blue moon.

Well, recently I bought Pokemon Scarlett with the DLC (on cart, new reprint), unboxed it and put it in my switch and I was greeted with a message that said "A firmware update is required to access this content" and it just wouldn't recognize my cartridge at all. I had to update my switch in order to play my physical game.


So, in 25 years if you happen to have a switch that was not on the latest software version (will happen to people that preserve things sealed) and the update servers are offline (they will be, its 25 years lol) then you won't be able to play your switch library despite owning the carts.

 

[Deerock71]

The moment Nintendo gets a storefront designed by someone who's experienced shopping on the internet in the 21st century, that will change.

And like The Gambler, I know when to fold and walk away.

 

[BlackTron]

Oh boy, let me tell you. I have a switch OLED with a faulty wifi chip, which means the console is offline 100% of the time unless I dock it and connect it via ethernet. What this means is that I only update it every once in a blue moon.

Well, recently I bought Pokemon Scarlett with the DLC (on cart, new reprint), unboxed it and put it in my switch and I was greeted with a message that said "A firmware update is required to access this content" and it just wouldn't recognize my cartridge at all. I had to update my switch in order to play my physical game.


So, in 25 years if you happen to have a switch that was not on the latest software version (will happen to people that preserve things sealed) and the update servers are offline (they will be, its 25 years lol) then you won't be able to play your switch library despite owning the carts.

I was wondering about this topic of system updates myself. IIRC in the past if your system was not up to date some titles that require it would do so on their own, for example didn't Brawl include an update on the disc?

I was under the impression that some games still did this but I'm really not sure.

Edit: There is a 2021 conversation on GBAtemp about trying to find games with newer firmware on the cart, for me the news was that they ever came on the cart. For example he used Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 to update a Switch to 10.2. https://gbatemp.net/threads/any-gamecart-that-contains-11-0-0-firmware-on-it.584623/

I'm intrigued by this topic of what games are left with what firmware versions, that would enable someone with an *completely unhacked* Switch to access the library without the big N servers.

 

[tr1p1ex]

Worrying about playing a game 25 years later has never been on my radar.

I figure if you really really want to play a game from 25 years ago that you can find a way easy enough.

Plus there is only so much time available to go back and play old games especially with new games always coming out. And then I figure if a game was really great 25 years ago it will be brought back and refreshed. There's been plenty of those. Or you have Nintendo's online service with buckets of NES/SNES/N64/GB/GBA/Genesis/etc games with modern creature comforts.

So I never have understood the concern.

 

[Sleepwalker]

I was wondering about this topic of system updates myself. IIRC in the past if your system was not up to date some titles that require it would do so on their own, for example didn't Brawl include an update on the disc?

I was under the impression that some games still did this but I'm really not sure.

Edit: There is a 2021 conversation on GBAtemp about trying to find games with newer firmware on the cart, for me the news was that they ever came on the cart. For example he used Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 to update a Switch to 10.2. https://gbatemp.net/threads/any-gamecart-that-contains-11-0-0-firmware-on-it.584623/

I'm intrigued by this topic of what games are left with what firmware versions, that would enable someone with an *completely unhacked* Switch to access the library without the big N servers.

Tbh I don't really know, this happened to me with super mario RPG last year as well so that one also didn't come with a system update in the cart.

I remember back in the 360 days some games like COD would force an offline system update via the disc to play.

 

[OrtizTwelve]

All games developed and published by Nintendo and their respective studios, basically first party games, are often pretty much always all on the cartridge with the occasional expansion and update available via download if needed. However most of the time with Nintendo products you're getting the full game day 1 on the cartridge ready to play.

Cannot speak for third party publishers however.

 

[DeVeAn]

I dont' know, Once Switch reaches end of life custom firmware will unlock the machine and you'll be able to preserve anything you desire. The need for physical copies won't matter much as far as preservation.