Topic: Do you think NX will accept physical media?

They'll probably only do it after EVERYONE else has stopped.
Like the N64 was the last cart home game console (well, excluding toddler learning consoles) when literally everyone else had moved to CDs.

It's a fair point but I think it's a bad comparison. Going from cartridges disks wasn't something that they needed people to be ready for. And I know history paints a different picture but you could argue that the mid 90s was too early to go jumping to CDs. From a purely technical standpoint, obviously not from a commercial standpoint. There were limitations (capacity, cost) but the faster read speeds were far more important for most games of that era IMO. Really disks only started to become better than cartridges when we moved to DVDs. 10x the capacity and 10x the read speed of CDs.

If anything I'd say that keeping support for physical media is kinda like keeping those analogue video outputs on the back. When nobody had HDTVs? It didn't matter that much. And not-unlike the move to digital distribution the Wii didn't bother and the other two hedged their bets. But now we're at the point where you can assume everyone probably has one. So the Wii U has it but both the PS4 and XBOne have dropped support for standard def outputs.

yes I think it will.

It better.

I think it will. Better have good sized storage regardless.

It would be suicide: eShop prices are crazy, account system stinks, nintendo fan loves their colorful shelves.
"Big news, they say: digital Starfox 64 on sale for 3DS!" But even on sale it's still costs 50% more than any retail copy...

maybe it will and it's a nice thing to be able to chose between digital and physical, but TBH ever since I've got a job and started having less time to go out buy games I have a preference for digital downloads, 'cause I can keep playing my other games while it's downloading and every single extra second of gameplay counts.

If it doesn't support physical media I won't be buying. I will bet my arm it will.

Consumers want to own something tangible when they buy it. Never mind the resale market implications.

Any assumption otherwise is folly.

If it didn't they would have to drop game prices to such a degree they would either be not profitable or quality would suffer to ensure they are.

Nintendo would not make a console that had no physical support, because making a download-only console is essentially suicide.

If the NX doesn't have physical support it will be a disaster, since Nintendo would be ignoring big customer segments - those who prefer physical even when they have access to digital and those that do not have access to an all digital system. Digital is not as well developed as it may appear at first glance. Plus, in my personal case, digital only would mean that I (sadly) would not get the new console, I like physical and my internet connection at home is terrible.

I don't want them to, but looking at this from purely a business standpoint, by completely cutting out the middle-man, they save sooo much money. And, they can completely regulate sales and make sure no copy gets sold at a loss unless it has to. Quite frankly, I don't know why they, Sony, or Microsoft hasn't done it already. Plus, it makes the console cheaper, and they have their choice of undercutting the competition or simply pocketing the extra cash. Sure, they cut out a portion of their fans and those with limited internet, but will that make a big enough dent? I feel like Nintendo out of the big 3 would do it first, since they have trouble coordinating with other companies anyway. They're a company that likes to march to the best of it's own drum.

Yes. Some things to consider:

-That patent Nintendo filed might not even come to fruition for a while, if at all.
-It could mean that the NX is just another handheld platform that uses cartridges again.
-It could also mean that the NX is a hybrid console of some sort that uses SD cards. Some of the higher end SD cards nowadays store more data than a blu-ray disc can.

I don't know, I just can't see Nintendo being the first to adopt a home console or even a handheld platform with no physical media whatsoever. I mean, Amiibo is like physical DLC in a way and that's a really strong suit for Nintendo right now. Just can't see it happening for the NX whatever it turns out to be.

Disc Drive sold separately

I think it will but I won't mind if it doesn't. However, Nintendo needs to clean up their online and account system before they even think about going digital-only.

The disadvantage of not having physical goes beyond the staggering majority of console gamers preferring physical media. There's also the fact that Nintendo would be stupid to piss off retailers like that.

"Here's our new console. Please fill your shelves with it."
"Uh, where's the games? Consoles are supposed to have games. We make money on games, not hardware."
"We're taking over game sales. You just have to stock the console so people have access to our store."
"Yeah, I think we'll just not stock your console."

@CaviarMeths:
Which is part of the rationale behind things like Amiibo. The industry isn't moving that fast towards digital, those specialist game stores have had plenty of time to diversify. And most of them have.

I'd also add that the console manufacturers don't necessarily need the specialist retailers to sell their hardware. I don't know about other countries but here in Aussieland if I want a Wii U, PS4 or XBOne I can go into any number of stores. Off the top of my head a good 8 or 9 major retailers and that's excluding some of the smaller independent ones. There aren't many products that are as widely available as consoles.

I think Nintendo will continue to embrace physical media, most likely a cross-platform cartridge of sorts. In fact, my gut feeling says that they've never liked used discs for games, and they're going to relish the opportunity to return to cartridges.

Well it wouldn't be the first time something transitioned from one media to another. Usually what happens first is one or two devices stick their heads out, have it as a brand new idea that only they're doing. The original XBox was clearly one of the early leaders and the 360 soon after. Then everyone else gets on board and eventually everything supports both. We're at that point ATM, even the 3DS supports downloading full retail games. Then eventually the older format becomes the optional one. Once people stop caring for that SKU? They stop making it.

I damn well hope so. As convenient as the eShop is, I trust physical media far more, and try and buy games in that format whenever possible.

Digital stuff seems more like borrowing or renting a game than truly owning it.

What about a disk cut off switch where they can make all disk games unable to read like a disk read error tha5 is permanent and can be the last update.You have the disk but with the error message it is worthless.