Before a new console launches there’s always one question that gets asked. Will it play the games I already own? That answer used to be yes most of time. The PlayStation 2 played PS1 games. The PS3…
With the limit on cartridge space and optical space no longer an issue. I would hope Sony follows the cartridge route, and Microsoft.
Or they start building these devices with the ability to handle TB’s of storage if they go digital only, which at that point, they have become the steamstore.
This isn’t a bad thing but technology has caught up with the gaming companies.
Cartridges are actually more expensice than discs, the only reason the Switch uses them is because it’s a small tablet. There isn’t much reason for Sony and MS to switch. Many people still want the games to be physical and not just a download key.
Japanese customers are eternally married to physical media. Nintendo also relies on high resale value to sell their expensive games. If they tried to destroy the secondhand market, they couldn’t justify the prices of their games anymore.
They would sooner go all-digital than eat the manufacturing costs of cartridges. The reason they’re trying to wean us off of physical media is because digital is more profitable, they’re not gonna give up even more of their margins.
I hope Sony and Microsoft doesn’t follow Nintendo. Nintendo has to do it because they have an small device. But a lot companies want to safe money and choosing a smaller cartridge for the switch that doesn’t include the full game anymore. Because bigger cartriges cost more money, they don’t want to lose this. Disc are so cheap, it doesn’t really matter. Square Enix put even 2 dics on the Final Fantasy VII Remake into the box, to give out the full game. Sure not everything is perfect, especialy on microsofts games, but still a lot better than it would be with big games on the switch.
With the limit on cartridge space and optical space no longer an issue. I would hope Sony follows the cartridge route, and Microsoft.
Or they start building these devices with the ability to handle TB’s of storage if they go digital only, which at that point, they have become the steamstore.
This isn’t a bad thing but technology has caught up with the gaming companies.
Cartridges are actually more expensice than discs, the only reason the Switch uses them is because it’s a small tablet. There isn’t much reason for Sony and MS to switch. Many people still want the games to be physical and not just a download key.
Mid cycle Xbox series X refresh will be digital only.
Japanese customers are eternally married to physical media. Nintendo also relies on high resale value to sell their expensive games. If they tried to destroy the secondhand market, they couldn’t justify the prices of their games anymore.
They would sooner go all-digital than eat the manufacturing costs of cartridges. The reason they’re trying to wean us off of physical media is because digital is more profitable, they’re not gonna give up even more of their margins.
I hope Sony and Microsoft doesn’t follow Nintendo. Nintendo has to do it because they have an small device. But a lot companies want to safe money and choosing a smaller cartridge for the switch that doesn’t include the full game anymore. Because bigger cartriges cost more money, they don’t want to lose this. Disc are so cheap, it doesn’t really matter. Square Enix put even 2 dics on the Final Fantasy VII Remake into the box, to give out the full game. Sure not everything is perfect, especialy on microsofts games, but still a lot better than it would be with big games on the switch.