Aren’t game key cards just digital keys but shipped physically? How is this any different than with the Switch 1, that only did digital and physical depending on the developer / publisher?
It’s a reasonable replacement/alternative for “code in a box” games.
The problem is that it’s effectively replacing physical games on the Switch 2 - so far we have 80%+ of 3rd Party releases are using this model, and it’s a significant downgrade for “true” physical - forces the customer to pay the “storage cost”, requires internet access to install the game (not great from a handheld that should work everywhere), is bad for preservation since the game is not on cart.
Also, despite this being a low-cost alternative to carts some publishers are being extra-scummy and INCREASING the price - the Switch 2 version of Trails Beyond the Horizon is a good example, being $10 more than PS4/PS5/Switch 1 despite being effectively an “empty” cart.
I think it’s because people expect that when they opt to buy a game on a physical cartridge, they expect the game to be on the cartridge. With compromises, maybe, but fully on-cartridge.
I also expect that if Nintendo servers go offline, or I never come next my console to the Internet, I can still play the game on the physical cart or disk I bought.
The concern is that several publishers that did true physical releases last generation are now doing Game Key Cards this generation. When these were first announced, I assumed these were just an alternative to code-in-a-box, and marginally less terrible, but now it seems like these are actually replacing true physicals.
I’d consider the digit key cards as a physical cartridge requiring a huge first-day patch (as large as a full game).
People overrate how relevant this is. doesitplay.org tracks how games play “out of the box” and ~80% of Switch 1 games and ~70% of PS5 games they tested don’t require any downloads/patches/internet to be finished.
If the same 20-30% of the games were being release as GCKs we wouldn’t see as many complains. The problem is that this number right now is 80%+ of the 3rd party games.
Okay, I guess some of the anger comes from the limited storage of console and the high price of fast SD card
This an interesting fact most people don’t realize - GKCs are a “hidden” price increase since they push the storage cost to the buyer.
I don’t fully understand the controversy here.
Aren’t game key cards just digital keys but shipped physically? How is this any different than with the Switch 1, that only did digital and physical depending on the developer / publisher?
It’s a reasonable replacement/alternative for “code in a box” games.
The problem is that it’s effectively replacing physical games on the Switch 2 - so far we have 80%+ of 3rd Party releases are using this model, and it’s a significant downgrade for “true” physical - forces the customer to pay the “storage cost”, requires internet access to install the game (not great from a handheld that should work everywhere), is bad for preservation since the game is not on cart.
Also, despite this being a low-cost alternative to carts some publishers are being extra-scummy and INCREASING the price - the Switch 2 version of Trails Beyond the Horizon is a good example, being $10 more than PS4/PS5/Switch 1 despite being effectively an “empty” cart.
I think it’s because people expect that when they opt to buy a game on a physical cartridge, they expect the game to be on the cartridge. With compromises, maybe, but fully on-cartridge.
I also expect that if Nintendo servers go offline, or I never come next my console to the Internet, I can still play the game on the physical cart or disk I bought.
The concern is that several publishers that did true physical releases last generation are now doing Game Key Cards this generation. When these were first announced, I assumed these were just an alternative to code-in-a-box, and marginally less terrible, but now it seems like these are actually replacing true physicals.
Basically, but there are some differences. It’s more like a physical key to a digital game, rather than a one-time unlock code.
GKC:
Full physical:
Full digital:
So, it’s just a slightly different mix of pros and cons. Gotta pick which things you care about.
I can’t understand it either.
I’d consider the digit key cards as a physical cartridge requiring a huge first-day patch (as large as a full game).
Okay, I guess some of the anger comes from the limited storage of console and the high price of fast SD card
People overrate how relevant this is. doesitplay.org tracks how games play “out of the box” and ~80% of Switch 1 games and ~70% of PS5 games they tested don’t require any downloads/patches/internet to be finished.
If the same 20-30% of the games were being release as GCKs we wouldn’t see as many complains. The problem is that this number right now is 80%+ of the 3rd party games.
This an interesting fact most people don’t realize - GKCs are a “hidden” price increase since they push the storage cost to the buyer.