He means it'll be ironic to see FFVIIR in a "cartridge" when the reason (one of them but most important one) we didn't see FFVII in N64 was because of the cartridges...
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Nintendo Switch uses Cartridges
- Thread starter Captain Smoker
- Start date
He means it'll be ironic to see FFVIIR in a "cartridge" when the reason (one of them but most important one) we didn't see FFVII in N64 was because of the cartridges...
Principate
Saint Titanfall
Milly Osworth
Member
I'm really excited about this part really. Love cartridges!
Tarin02543
Member
today we have 1GB+ patches so a decent internal memory will have to be present anyway
Principate
Saint Titanfall
Or more likely it's be fairly small but they'll expect you buy sd cards (basically the 3DS)
mhayze
Member
I think that if the carts are read-only (other than the space to save games), then patches would be my biggest question / potential downside, in addition to cost. It has been a while, I think, since a home console had non-patchable games. In particular, will 3rd parties be OK with not being able to patch their games? It could lead to multi-month delays for the switch version of cross-platform games. Of course the 3DS has this scenario now, so I guess it will just scale to home platform games as well, but I'm having a hard time imagining certain game types being OK with no patches ever, if this is truly to be a home console that you can take on the go (as opposed to a new 3DS that plugs into a TV.)
Nintendo themselves take their time to test their games to the nth degree, and I think they will be OK, 3rd parties, less so.
TheChewyWaffles
Member
You're right - I forgot reading the whole thread was a requirement before commenting.
Usually helps before you start shit posting others.
Anywho in spite of this system using this media, I do wonders what capacity for external storage the Switch will offer, specifically if I've wants to go digital download only.
TyMiles2012
Member
I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but the cartridge labels face you when you put them in. I absolutely LOVE that!! They normally didn't face you. You look at the device and you see the label as you're putting the game in like in the old days.
Possible? Yes. Likely? No, as it would drive up the cost per copy.
Astral Dog
Member
I dont like the color, im gonna miss the Gray 3DS cartridges ( though they need a change, something not Black)
Linkstrikesback
Member
They do that on vita too.
Gavin Darklighter
Banned
orthodoxy1095
Banned
I'd love for people to articulate what about discs "sucks."
TyMiles2012
Member
Huh, they do! I had to grab my vita from the dust to check. I love it!
I agree with you. They don't suck, they're just obsolete for gaming as a physical media. Flash media is now cheaper and manufacturing a simple slot costs next to nothing, compared to $20-50 for a optical drive. If the Switch sells VERY well, then publishers won't have a problem for cartridge manufacturing costs. If it's a problem, then you could always put it up as digital only. They just want their games to sell.
they're large, the drives take up a lot of space and are noisy, they can scratch, they can rot, they can snap
They can try this: The cart will only contain the key to activate the game while the rest is downloaded to the internal storage with the convenient excuse: A big day one patch and no one can actually check the cart content.
Disc drives add a lot of cost.
They take up a lot of space.
They break sooner than other components.
Discs can break or be scratched.
Disc rot is a real thing.
Slower access.
No space to save patches or save data.
There are benefits, but they are mainly for the manufacturer.
Doubt it'll be either of them. They'll use a new format to emphasize that this is supposed to be a new thing and not just another DS or Wii.
Cartridges make a lot more sense then optical discs in my opinion and I think this is the best decision.
I prefer carts for these reasons:
-Small size
-More durable
-I prefer physical media
-Simple and usually fast loading
-We all know the Switch will have very little space for full game downloads which will be large.
I prefer carts for these reasons:
-Small size
-More durable
-I prefer physical media
-Simple and usually fast loading
-We all know the Switch will have very little space for full game downloads which will be large.
protomouse
Member
Discs are comparatively brittle and degrade in a terrible way. They occupy more space and require bulkier packaging. Unlike cards, they cannot store data or do any other interesting things.
Disc drives are bulky, noisy, and contain mechanical/optical parts that fail over time. Disc based consoles, particularly PlayStations, have been notoriously prone to laser failures. On top of this, a typical disc drive is several orders of magnitude slower at random access than solid-state storage. Lastly, the mechanical nature of disc drives mean that they are sensitive to physical shock and, as such, are generally a bad idea for anything portable.
This is the Wii U:
Look at the size of the disc drive assembly.
I hate that the average layman stumbled upon the term disc rot, because they bring it up excessively when it's a minuscule problem. Especially for professionally mastered CDs. Disc Rot is primarily a problem for burned discs.
Especially since every storage medium is subject to data rot, especially NAND memory.
My main problem with discs is that you can't do anything with them. The format is fixed on ship.
With cartridges or cards, you only have to match pins, and you can do anything after that on your side. So it allows stuff like IR carts, or Boktai's light sensor, etc.
Of course, this also requires you to design pins that can generically send/receive data. If they're all dedicated to data throughput then you're screwed.
The upside to discs is you can print multiples and they don't cost much more or take up that much extra shipping space in the box.
With cartridges or cards, you only have to match pins, and you can do anything after that on your side. So it allows stuff like IR carts, or Boktai's light sensor, etc.
Of course, this also requires you to design pins that can generically send/receive data. If they're all dedicated to data throughput then you're screwed.
The upside to discs is you can print multiples and they don't cost much more or take up that much extra shipping space in the box.
encephalon
Member
I don't really understand the persistence of this complaint since the advent of the PS3. When people talk about the demerits of discs, it's like we're suddenly back in the PS2 era.
Battlechili
Banned
Game cartridges are wonderful. They load faster and are better for portability and can hold more space.
Plus something tells me these will be easier to find at thrift stores and yard sales several years from now just like how GB and GBA games did too, since they survive easier out of box than discs do.
Plus something tells me these will be easier to find at thrift stores and yard sales several years from now just like how GB and GBA games did too, since they survive easier out of box than discs do.
Jawbreaker
Member
People really are overstating the "negatives" of discs to sell the idea that game cards are "superior." That being said, it works out well for Nintendo's new device.
shouamabane
Member
carts > discs
OrbitalBeard
Member
Now that we've long since left the era of DVD and are a decade into Blu-ray territory, discs are fine by me. Game cards were definitely the right call for Nintendo with this device though.
Pressing a Blu-ray disc only costs a fraction of what a card will cost. Just checking amazon the cheapest 50pk BD-R spindle is like $20. SD cards aren't EXPENSIVE these days, but they are by comparison (32 gig for like $10, 64gig for $20). Sure, these are retail prices, but the multiplier between the two costs in manufacturing them is probably accurate.
In our current days of downloadable games and Day 1 patches that at times are massive, I *wonder* at the possibility of some 3rd parties just selling an unlock code on the smallest card possible with the expectation that you're downloading the actual game at home.
In our current days of downloadable games and Day 1 patches that at times are massive, I *wonder* at the possibility of some 3rd parties just selling an unlock code on the smallest card possible with the expectation that you're downloading the actual game at home.
My Smash Wii U has constant disk read errors and some word looking warping or hairline cracks. All my PS2 games still work fine. So it's still an issue.
NAND vs EEPROM tho.
We would've came full cycle if it happened.
Eh, we'll see what they do with that maybe some games will have different colored cards like in older consoles. Like a golden one for BotW.
Moving parts.
My original launch day NES, SNES, and N64 still work today and have taken a beating. My original Playstation, Playstation 2, and Playstation 3 all died with in a few years from disc drives wearing out or the lens not reading discs correctly and feel fragile, like eggs.
a Master Ninja
Member
Would it be possible for the cartridges to have space reserved for storing patches and DLC?
MegaManTrigger
Banned
It's ironic only if you assume that the reason for FFVII appearing on PlayStation continues to be the case in this day, which it isn't. Cartridges now aren't as expensive, and provide a lot more space than measly megabytes in the 90s.
Easy.
1) Disc drive (moving parts = prone to breaking)
2) Discs requiring loading times because no internal technology
3) Durability favours cartridges over discs (no scratches)
4) No need to download games from discs to "shorten" load times (which is something I find incredibly stupid)
UnemployedVillain
Member
What would be the point when the system probably supports SD cards and external HDDs?
TLZ
Banned
You mean Carts. Cards are totally different too.
shouamabane
Member
To save space and tie patches directly to the games themselves.
Projectjustice
Banned
It's amazing how tech comes around in a circle.
MisterHero
Super Member
I want to see a console-style GTA game on Switch just to see if the initial loading time is faster than a disc w/ or w/o install.
It could be hilarious and worth itPLS I WANT TO CONTINUE MY GTAO GARAGES
It could be hilarious and worth it