Only reason why I would care to see another console that support cartridge is for nostalgia. But my nostalgia isn't exactly the best way to help the gaming industry, so no.
We have to remember the Nintendo 64. Due to it being much more difficult to develop for then the Sega Saturn and PlayStation, it was massively overtaken by the PlayStation (102 million for the PlayStation to around thirty-five million for the Nintendo 64) and in Japan, sold the worst out of the three major consoles. Imagine if Nintendo were to do it this generation, it would ruin the reputation they built up with the Wii crowd this generation and would lose them a lot of money.
Furthermore, your statement about cartridges being as strong as Blu-Ray is false. When double-layer, Blu-Ray can go up to 25 GB, more then three times then the 3DS would ever do.
No, it was more then that. First of all Cartidges back then were expensive and had very small space in comparison. 8GB now seems to be all that is needed and technology has made cartidges much more cheaper and hold even more space. Also blu-ray is the same as cartidges for the N64, an expensive medium with no real advantages. It also didnt help Nintendo, similair to Early PS3 sony, that Nintendo pretty much screwed over third parties and there were very few ports. Also Sony bought most of the third parties too.
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Back in the 32/64 bit days, N64 games were more expensive than Playstation and Sega Saturn games. I recalled N64 games being anywhere from $59.99 to $69.99 in the United United States depending on the game. I remembered Playstation games being 39.99 to 49.99 I believe it the same with the Saturn.
The cheapest I remember N64 game brand new in store was $39.99, but those games are players choice. Players Choice games are always cheaper than the non player's choice version of the same game
I am basically saying Cartridge games were more expensive than CD'S at the time. I don't know about SD cards compare to Blu Ray though.
I remember N64 games only being $20, or maybe it was only the street vendor with those prices....
@HeroOfTime007 Sorry I guess I should have clarified my reasoning a little bit better, what I was really trying to go towards is that instead having to buy $30 memory cards to save your games or having to have a hard drive in the console, the save data could be stored on the cartridge. As for the costs of cartridges versus discs I was really basing this statement off of A.) the fact that a ds cartridge is $30 dollars less then a ps3/xbox 360 game but stores much less and B.) during the N64 era, cartridges were typically more expensive then PS1 games, although like I said I am not 100% sure so I may be incorrect.
EDIT: I just checked on Amazon and a 16GB SDHC card is around $30 while a pack of 25GB Blu-Ray Discs is around $25, so it would seem that in general discs are still cheaper then cartridges.
But DS games are overpriced and they quickly fall to $10-$15 later, except Pokemon. Also I only see 15 for $25, and this is a major sale, about %80 off and this could be related to many complaints about the discs not working after burning them, or only half the discs working.
@HeroOfTime007: yeah, that was the 'street vendor' prices -- N64 games were pretty expensive at retail, easily in the $60-70 range depending on the game. SNES games were about as bad IIRC, and same for NES games -- especially when inflation is taken into account.
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The closest we will ever get to having cartridges again on a next gen console will be downloading games to an SD card, which we can already do with the Wii. If everything isn't completely downloadable in 10 years, it will be pretty close. Console hard drives are gonna get bigger and bigger, and you better believe Nintendo's next console will be able to store more than 512 MB.
Really, the only advantage I see to having carts over discs is because carts are harder to damage. I wish they could put some kind of protective layer over the discs to make them more durable and harder to scratch. I hear Blu-Rays are harder to scratch but I don't know how true that is. But cartridges for home consoles are a thing of the past, never again will we see them. There's always used games!
@HeroOfTime007: yeah, that was the 'street vendor' prices -- N64 games were pretty expensive at retail, easily in the $60-70 range depending on the game. SNES games were about as bad IIRC, and same for NES games -- especially when inflation is taken into account.
I remember getting the original Street Fighter 2 for SNES at Toys R Us for 70 bucks...
What about writting game updates and expansions to the cartridge itself?
What benefit is that? Now you lose your DLC AND Your save data when the cartridge goes. And that's if it's even possible to write it on the cartridge itself, whi I still find a bit doubtful.
Besides those tiny SD cards are better for portables, but they're so easy to get lost. I prefer it when they're a bit bigger, so you aren't likely to lose them.
Hey, all this tech would be proprietary. From watching to The Game OverThinker,
if game consoles went back to cartridges, it would probably damage the DVD market. DVDs are one of the universal data storers, but because of the Blu-ray player boom, they're not the only. However, the PS1 funded the DVD boom. Without them switching to DVDs, there probably wouldn't be DVDs. So if the consoles pulled out, the DVD medium would probably fall pretty low. (though many companies will keep producing DVDs) It could end up damaging a couple companies. E.G. Netflix (though their streaming could keep them on their feet)
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I'd love to see consoles return to cartridges! However, with everyone switching over to DLC with the iPad, iPod Touch, Nintendo 3DS and Sony PSPgo it could be highly unlikely. They are already talking about the death of the CD, DVD and even the USB Jump Drives.
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No, because within ten years everything will be downloadable.
I doubt that. There are still people out there like me who prefer a hard copy of a game to a downloadable one.
Industry will make it, not the users. In ten years, surely the internet conections can be sou fast and stable that a download-only console could be possible and ignoring people that love old-fashiones cartridges.
vonseux, I'd love to see a return to cartridges too, but it's just not going to happen. The next Nintendo console may not use Blu-Ray, but it will be a similar technology I'm sure, and Nintendo will put a much heavier emphasis on downloadable gaming, where GameCube and more advanced arcade games will be available for download. Also, what do you have against PS3 style game installing? I don't have a PS3 so I'm not completely sure how that works. Do you save the entire game to the console to where you don't need a disc at all? If that's the case, your disc won't get damaged as it is not used and the game is conveniently on the hard drive. And if it is the taking up space part that bothers you, once you get tired of the game just delete it from your hard drive.
No, because within ten years everything will be downloadable.
I doubt that. There are still people out there like me who prefer a hard copy of a game to a downloadable one.
Industry will make it, not the users. In ten years, surely the internet conections can be sou fast and stable that a download-only console could be possible and ignoring people that love old-fashiones cartridges.
I still doubt that. Thats like saying they will get rid of paper and metal money and replace it with cards. While most people now adays use ATM and credit cards some people still use cash due to the fact that they cant get an ATM/credit card for various reasons. The same thing will apply to digital media. There are some people out there that dont have an internet connection for whatever reason. I can go into several such as lack of an IPS, cost for them, bad connections where they live etc. so because of that there will still be hard copies of media.
I mean come on do you think Nintendo for example is going to want to lose all that money from people who dont have an internet connection? I dont think so. Alot of people out there dont have an internet connection you would be surprise at the number I know I was.
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No, because within ten years everything will be downloadable.
I doubt that. There are still people out there like me who prefer a hard copy of a game to a downloadable one.
Industry will make it, not the users. In ten years, surely the internet conections can be sou fast and stable that a download-only console could be possible and ignoring people that love old-fashiones cartridges.
I still doubt that. Thats like saying they will get rid of paper and metal money and replace it with cards. While most people now adays use ATM and credit cards some people still use cash due to the fact that they cant get an ATM/credit card for various reasons. The same thing will apply to digital media. There are some people out there that dont have an internet connection for whatever reason. I can go into several such as lack of an IPS, cost for them, bad connections where they live etc. so because of that there will still be hard copies of media.
I mean come on do you think Nintendo for example is going to want to lose all that money from people who dont have an internet connection? I dont think so. Alot of people out there dont have an internet connection you would be surprise at the number I know I was.
You're basing that on today's environment though. 10-20 years from now an Internet connection will be as common as a landline phone was 20 years ago. Just look at how many more people have an Internet connection now than 1996. Not only that, Internet connections will only get better and better and hard drives on consoles will get bigger and bigger.
Also, your comparison to physical money is not a valid comparison, because while most people do use debit cards instead of physical cash, the balance on the debit card is backed up by physical cash in the bank (at least in theory). The holder of the debit card could, at any time, go to the bank and withdrawl their balance in physical money. I think a better comparison would be casette tapes. I bet in the 80's some people thought they were here to stay, but now you can't buy them anywhere. Like it or not digital downloads will become more and more popular in the future. While I can't say for certain that physical copies of games will go extinct, the market will shrink. There's just no way around it.
Considering how much trouble my PS2 has giving me with it's lens, I'd happily go back to cartridges. As long as they come in cases like DS games so they don't get dirty and you don't loose them. But discs are too hip so it's probably not going happen.
In a way we are already seeing shrinking. Just look at the PC game section at a Gamestop. Its a lot smaller since steam came around. Even some physical games for once you register them you get the digital download option. Starcraft and Starcraft 2 are a perfect example of this. It's kinda funny but 20 years from now we may look back at the PSP go and think it was ahead of its time. Scary Huh?
The big shift over will occur as soon as the cost of downloading a 10 gig game a few times from the manufacturer is cheaper then making, packaging and shipping a Disc. Since Microsoft is staring to do that on the market place with full 360 game we just have to wait for an online shop exclusive (not an arcade game). That is the next pivot point.
There are a few things that is going to hold this back. 1) Trading in used games. 2) Demand for cheaper used games. 3) Equating having a physical copy making one feel like that have something for their money. (Collector's/Limited Editions fall in this category as well) 4) the ability to lend and borrow with friends and family. 5) Transferability of digital license. (Steam and Microsoft has this mastered. Nintendon't.)
For PC I love the digital service they have. its quite flexible. As far as Nintendo is concerned I would have bought a red Wii if they would have let me transfer my data. I guess that makes the Wii console sales figures more honest then the DS. I only have one Wii console and four DS/DSi consoles. Lots of people have multiple DSs.
While I like cartridges they are too expensive on the manufacturing side and the price goes up with more memory. The only reason why handhelds seem to stick with them is size otherwise they would be a DVD too.
Cartridges? Really? I mean, as cool-looking as cartridges are... I get way more along with discs. I don't have to blow the dust out of them or force them into the console whenever I want to play with them.
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Sure, why not? Although memory cards become smaller in size and greater in memory...if they make the cartridge format and create it similar but bigger in size and memory...plus the fact that the costs of manufacturing them increased...we'd have less shovelware and more quality products (not increased so that it's $25 like in the N64 days but about $5).
Dvds have little storage for a next-gen console, Bluray is a 'sony thing', developing a new media is risky, download-only leaves a big slice of the market behing.... lets see what happens next
I explained this in another thread, but Blu-ray is actually not just a Sony product. It's brand-independent - developed by an association including the likes of Apple, Dell, HP, Samsung, Disney, Warner Bros. and more. It really is intended to be the successor to DVDs. There are no rights issues with Nintendo using it in their next console - in fact, everyone would be happy if a far-reaching company like Nintendo gave the format its support.
Either way, I believe Blu-ray would make sense for the Wii successor due to their lower manufacturing cost than cartridges or proprietary discs.
And cartridges can be pretty darn inconvenient a lot of the time.
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