Several hours ago, Yoshi's Crafted World was finally given a solid release date for Nintendo Switch, with the game officially launching on 29th March. If you happen to live in Japan, or if you really enjoy import fees, you'll be able to get your hands on a rather special version on that very day.
Alongside the traditional physical release available at stores, and the digital option available from the eShop, Japanese players can pick up a physical case without the cartridge inside. Instead, those who purchase it will find a download code waiting for them inside the box.
As you can see above, all three versions are exactly the same price (from Nintendo's official outlets, at least), with the physical-download option exclusively available through the country's My Nintendo Store. The reasoning behind this release is to provide an option for those who love collecting physical cases, but see the benefits of buying games digitally for convenience. This way, you can still put a lovely box on your shelf, but there's no need to switch out cartridges every time you want to play.
As it happens, this isn't the first time that Japan has seen a release like this. Last year, both Pokémon: Let's Go and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate saw the same setup.
Would you like to see this option become available in your region? Or do you think having empty boxes lying around is just a waste of space? Let us know down below.
[source store.nintendo.co.jp, via nintendosoup.com]
Comments 113
It’s good to have options, but it’s not what I’d go for.
The seemly inevitable direction of travel towards digital I haven’t fully embraced tbh.
This seems rather pointless. Physical collectors surely want a physical cartridge?
I like cartridges so I can lend the game, mostly family
What in the actual...?
I'm a physical games box guy but when I see the ugliness of the X-Box One and PS4 games box, I think they really want us to go digital.
That being said, Switch boxes look kind of better, especially with the artwork inside, even if they lack an instruction manual or something.
But the Switch is ultimately the one console where digital buys are more convenient : no easy-to-loose-cartridges needed on the go. Easy access to any game. And the Micro-SD cart is far more convenient than a hard drive on PS4/X1.
So... for someone who loves physical games... this generation is a pretty hard dilemna on that subject !
And this idea of box containing a digital code is as crazy as a smart solution.
Edit: This comment was written under the mistaken impression that the physical release consists of a case with a download code only, which is not the case.
This is wrong. The point of the physical release on a physical medium is that they will continue to be usable past the lifespan of the system and its digital storefront.
If this game gets no physical print at all, it will be a major Nintendo title with no access when the Nintendo Switch eShop eventually shuts down.
Having a case is missing the point.
Oh god, please dont make this a regular thing. The whole point of having a physical box is so you have a physical cartridge.
seems like a waste in resources. whats the point of collecting an empty box?
It's not a physical release then is it.
If somebody would have told me when I was a kid that one day instruction manuals would no longer come with games I'd have been upset but if they'd have said that the game itself would have been missing I'd have laughed at them, yet here we are
On a side note does that mean cartridges are free?
What's the point? People (not me, I'm a physical guy) want digital games in order to avoid the space they take, at least it's one of their selling points.
And of course they want us to buy digital. And yet they put the same price tag on digital and physical. Insane.
At first I read this that a physical copy with only a digital code inside was the only way Japan would be able to get the game physically and was about to freak out since I thought that there would be a high chance that would happen in the west as well but that's obviously not the case so crisis averted!
Also if you're someone that is genuinely really salty about this, then I think that's a good indicator that you're just someone that's overly-cynical and just wants to complain about everything. Literally nobody in Japan loses out in this situation. Collectors can just buy the Physical version with the cartridge inside, people who likes owning physical copies but can't be bothered constantly switching the cartridges around (yes those kind of people do exist, I'm actually friends with one) can buy the physical version that has the download code inside and people who want to purchase the game immediately can download the digital version. If anybody has legit arguments to explains why this is detrimental to the gaming industry (and not empty whining such as "I'M NOT USED TO THIS KIND OF PRACTISE " or "DOWNLOAD CODES/DIGITAL VERSIONS ARE SCUMMY") please let me know, I'm curious.
@RupeeClock And you can still buy a physical copy with the cartridge so what's your point? You're acting like a traditional physical copy of the game doesn't exist which it does.
this is stupid. a case without a game is valueless, especially to actual collectors.
@Tarolusa Yeah i don't see the problem. Since when was more choice a bad thing? Doesn't make any sense to me to do it that way but there you go.
Besides on the scale of 'Crazy Japanese Things' this barely even registers.
@RupeeClock It's not wrong. You're the one who's missing the point. Had you read the article you'd see that NoJ are giving customers three options: normal physical, normal digital, case + download code (exclusive to the NoJ store). This stuff is overblown to the point where it shouldn't even get a separate article, specially not with that click-bait headline, which reads like Japan isn't getting a cartridge release at all.
What's the point of a physical release being a download code only? That's the biggest reason I've not bought the MegaMan collections. If you buy physical (so you actually own the game) why would you want a download code? It's just baffling! Download only then, don't waste time printing a pretty little box and have no reason to use it and save some plastic!
@aznable Then buy the actual physical copy of the game. Bam, problem solved. Your acting like the digital code version is the only way people can buy the game physically which it's not.
@Tarolusa
My mistake, I was under the impression that the physical case with a download code was instead of the physical game card.
I did go through the article, but the article title is misleading.
@WaveBoy excuse the caps but...I WANT BOTH!
The physical box and cart so I can sell or gift it as I chose (I paid for it!) AND a code so I can enjoy the modern convenience of downloaded media.
This story tells me this is absolutely possible.
I guess it's not a big deal as long as they continue to offer the real physical version alongside it. Just means you've gotta be extra careful when shopping for games so you don't buy the empty box version by accident, haha.
@Ooccoo_Jr I think this is the article that finally proves my suspicions that most people on this site are people are individuals that are overly-nitpicky about everything and will try to spin everything piece of news into something horrible. Literally nobody in Japan loses out in this situation (if anything it actually gives them more options which is GASP A GOOD THING) but in typical Nintendo Life fashion, somehow a positive is a negative.
@Tarolusa why are you attacking everyone? calm down
@Tarolusa
Understanding now that the case with a download code is a third option, and is not in place of a physical game card release, there's no issue.
The problem is the misleading headline that makes it sound like they are not getting a physical release.
If this had been an option from the beginning, I might have taken it, because I love the convenience of digital, but I do miss having a shelf of game cases. This is the best of both worlds, as far as I’m concerned.
This comment section is full of people who only read the headline. You can buy the physical cartridge too.
@Fuz I think for that to work, they'd need to somehow have a system that blocks use of that particularly cartridge while the digital version is being used. Otherwise you'd be receiving two copies of the game for the price of one which would result in far fewer sales overall.
@BenAV Thank god somebody finally gets it. I thought me and few others were the only people that actually read more than just the headline and spent more than 10 seconds to articulate why this might be not be so bad after all.
It’s just another option. Options are great
@geheimxy
The odd part is that I still read the article, and the misleading headline made a lasting impression.
First impressions have a powerful effect, and Nintendo Life needs to exercise more caution writing them.
@Tarolusa I get it. its a misleading article leading readers astray. nl is clickbait central thats no secret by now. you dont have to be on the offensive about it
@RupeeClock I think it's both an issue with the reader and site moderators. It's the reader's fault for only reading the headline and not bothering to actually read the article but also Nintendo Life's fault for creating articles that have very misleading/confusing titles.
That sounds like a waste of resources and needless trash.
Wouldn't it be more appropriate for the game to come in a cardboard box?
To be honest the headline suggests that for the first time on Switch the physical release doesn't have a cartridge, it's after clicking and reading the content that the it specifies that there will be two physical releases, one with cartridge and one without it, something that could have been the perfect headline for this.
@SmaggTheSmug Then buy the physical copy with the cartridge inside bam problem solved. Just because you don't like the idea of something doesn't make it a 'waste of resources' or 'needless trash'. Unaware to you, there actually people who might want to own the physical copy of the game but can't be bothering dealing with swapping the cartridges around. I know that sounds highly unlikely but there are some people like that that exist.
@Tarolusa I don't mean "trash" as in "bad" but as in "things that's fill in landfills/get dumped into oceans". It's not very eco-friendly. The boxes for Switch games are needlessly large as it is, they could have easily been same size as 3DS boxes (though I guess it would invite some confusion).
@Painay I'll fully admit that I'm coming across as really heated and offended but it really bothers how somehow a business practise that for once actually benefits a large crowd of people is somehow a bad thing and shouldn't be done. I'm used to people on this site complaining about literally anything but but this is the first time where there is literally is nothing wrong with what's going on and yet somehow they twist into a negative.
The headline is clickbait for sure but at the same time I don't think it's misleading. It doesn't really give any hints either way as to whether it's the sole physical option or not, forcing you to open the article to find out. Two seconds glancing through the article makes it very clear that there's two options though so there's not really any reason for confusion.
Game cases with a download code in them? No. Just... No.
@SmaggTheSmug I kinda feel like your grasping for any way to try to make a point but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Also if the Switch cases were the same size/shape as the 3DS ones, everybody would complain about how misleading the cases are.
Hi there! I just created an account to leave this comment. In my opinion the reason for this is pretty obvious (and has nothing to do with the gamers): The whole games industry wants to get rid of physical media to simplify there consoles, saves the costs for producing the media and accelerate the distribution process. The main problem is that retailers earn their money with selling games, not with selling hardware. Now if Nintendo would offer a "download only" Switch (Microsoft plans to offer an Xbox One without disk drive), game stores would refuse to sell them: Consoles need lots of space, and why should customers go to the retail stores and buy a console if they have to buy the games elsewhere (and so they buy there consoles there, too).
The solution is simple: selling game codes in retail stores! And not as a piece of plastic with a scratch-off panel like Nintendo eShop Cards, but within a proper casing. So if medialess consoles are the future (they probably are), then you can assume that this is the standard in future, and what Nintendo is doing here is to test customer acceptance for it. No more, no less.
@Tarolusa This doesn't apply as much to Nintendo but for other platforms this would actually make a lot of sense to me; Most new games now are unplayable until they are loaded and receive a hefty day one patch, meaning that the physical item (CD, cartridge, DVD, whatever) is actually fairly useless without a hard-drive and an internet connection anyway. So why not put a code in a box since you are going be downloading part of the game anyway?
Also this is hardly any different to buying one of those download game cards you can get in shops, just in a fancier box but for the same price.
@Tarolusa I understand n I agree with you. nl clickbait all the time. when I first read the headline I thought there would be no physical cartridge in jp n I was like "wtf!" after skimming the story I realized I had been clickbaited. I dont take it personal its just media techniques to me n thats business. anyway I respect that you stood up n did something. it isn't honest practice so I can see why its so offensive
@Medic_alert I probably would be okay with it when storage options become significantly larger. At the moment I buy physically whenever I can yet I've still managed to nearly fill up a 400GB microSD already. If I went completely digital, I'd have to archive games like crazy.
@Ooccoo_Jr Yeah that makes a lot of sense to me and going by your second statement, this is a practice that's actually been going on a for quite a while now (just under a different coat of paint) so why people are acting like this is a new, horrible discovery is beyond me.
@Tarolusa Why? DS and 3DS boxes are the same size. In Europe DS boxes are thicker but in US the boxes are exactly the same size. Not only that but the names are similar, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS.
@Max_the_German Yes, it's like buying code cards in a shop. It's the same but with a box.
@Medic_alert I dont see the appeal of displaying empty boxes. how can you consider it a game collection without the games? it would be an empty box collection not a video game collection. does that make sense to you?
@BlueOcean Glad you went back and took a more thorough reading of the article. Sorry if it seemed like I was clawing down your throat, I was just trying to get my point across about why this is not a bad thing and judging by how stubborn and overly-negative people can be on this, I had to be as forceful as possible.
@BlueOcean Difference there was that the 3DS was the direct successor to the DS so it having a similar box style was highly likely. The Switch on the other hand, is not related to the DS family at all and is it's own thing so it having a similar box style to DS/3DS would be VERY misleading and an awful marketing decision on Nintendo's part.
@Tarolusa Now I think of it this also allows retailers to discount the game, put it on sale and apply their loyalty schemes. None of which would be possible if download only from the official store.
How about I switch to something positive now - Can't wait for this game! I love the art direction here, looks incredible. Day one purchase for me, empty box or no.
@Painay Yeah, for me the main point of codes is that sometimes they are cheaper than the eShop price. A box without a cartridge is fine as an option but I don't consider it a physical release but just a boxed code. I am happy with digital games though.
As someone who lost my Switch case, along with the carts of Octopath Traveler, Crash Bandicoot, Dragon Quest Builders, Mario Tennis Aces and Xenoblade Chronicles 2...
I would love them to do this boxed digital initiative in Europe. Luckily I was holding my Switch, so didn't lose that!
The Switch boxes look amazing, but I actually prefer the convenience and no risk of loss of going digital. So for me the ideal would be to have the boxes for display and to appreciate the lovely box art, but digital for my peace of mind!
at least we will keep finding empty boxes for sale in ebay in the near future
@Tarolusa DS and 3DS boxes are more confusing than a Switch box the same size because the Switch logo colour and name are different. How could you mistake a Switch logo with a DS/3DS logo? Aren't the Switch boxes oversized?
well I love my wife for tolerating my passion for video games but if I just started collecting empty boxes for the sake of displaying index spines I think she would finally say enough is enough n that maybe I needed professional help
@Ooccoo_Jr Yeah now that I think about it, I don't think anybody, especially me, have actually talked about the actual game itself. Just like you I can't wait to get my hands on this game! The beautiful, charming art direction alone is enough for me to buy this day one (I already know I'm going to love the gameplay aspect so I don't have to take that into consideration)!
Part of why I'm so desperate to play it is because it's the first brand new 1st party Nintendo game since Xenoblade Chronicles 2 that's mostly single-player focused (barring Octopath Traveller but I'll go into more details below about that game below) and words can't begin to describe how much I crave one of those right now (Star Allies, Tennis Aces, Super Mario Party and Smash Ultimate are more multiplayer-focused in my eyes. The Let's Go games, while single-player focused where mostly just trending on old ground without bringing anything substanially new to the table so they weren't enough to quench that 'new single-player experience' dilemma. Lastly as for Octopath Traveller no matter how hard I tried, I just could not get into that game. I spent 30hrs with the game but the game was just not engaging enough for me to continue so even that wasn't enough to fix my dilemma). As long as this game is more than 10hrs long and doesn't rely on multi-player to carry the game (yes while I appreciate Star Allies much more due to the new DLC, that was me taking a massive jab at it), then it will be enough to satisfy me as a brand new single-player experience.
@Samsamsam sigh just buy the physical copy of the game that has the cartridge inside blam problem solved. You ARE aware that's still an option right?
I loved Yoshi's Woolly World if we are talking about games now.
@BlueOcean ok so a boxed code collection. that sounds better then an empty box collection. anyway everyone to there own I suppose..
@BlueOcean I know the Switch boxes aren't similar to the DS/3DS boxes, I was referring back to a previous response I got that brought up the hypothetical question if what if the Switch boxes were similar to the DS styled ones.
@Tarolusa Yep, love me some Yoshi. Always 100% these games as the collectables are actually integral to the gameplay, not just some tacked on busy work. The levels in these games are always fantastically well designed too. Looking great is just the icing on top.
Download codes on cards have been available in shops for years, the only difference here is that it comes in a standard size case. So really the only new thing is it's going to look better on the shelf.
collecting empty boxes or physical cartridges. it all comes down to collecting material. n one day all material will return to dust. and I think I better go to sleep now..
This highlights an ongoing issue : no cartridges should make games cheaper.
@Tarolusa Im just afraid that they are testing this to see if it gets a good feedback. After seeing so many gaming companies i used to love fall every step a company takes out of the normal is worrying me. I deleted my comment as i saw as an overreaction.
But... why? Who would want this?
@Ooccoo_Jr That's why I loved both Yoshi's Island and Woolly World (aswell as Epic Yarn but that's obviously not a Yoshi game xD) so much. Not only were they great in the gameplay department, they also excelled in their artistry which made them not only fun to play but also a wonderful way to just relax and take things easy. Since Crafted World looks like it will be no different from Yoshi's Island and Crafted World in that front, that' why I can't wait to play it.
@Painay I wouldn't buy a boxed code or empty box unless it was cheaper and I wanted the digital version anyway.
Rip those without wifi
For the same price?
So they are just coming out and admitting that digital games are a ripoff?
If the publisher saves $1 off by not using a cartridge, I want that dollar off the price. Worst case 50 cents off.
Cartridges should contain the whole game. Updates should be written to the cartridge. In 100 years my great grandchildren should be able to play them.
There is no news here.
The real headline is 'Nintendolife discovers Japan has an online Nintendo shop and it does stuff'.
The My Nintendo Store has been doing this for Switch games since it launched in 2017.
They're aimed at people who want say, the download version of Zelda and the collectors edition extras, but don't want to buy the game twice.
https://store.nintendo.co.jp/category/STORELIMITEDGOODS/
They're currently selling 'code+empty case' versions of Yoshi, Travis Strikes Again, Smash, and Let's Go (with and without Poke Ball Plus), but have done them for many other games before too.
It's an online exclusive, so it's not going to confuse anyone in shops, you have to deliberately seek them out.
Also, the My Nintendo Store only delivers to Japan, so even (to quote the article) "if you really enjoy import fees" they won't send to the UK.
This has zero appeal to me. It's the re-sale value that keeps me buying physical. Nintendo games are expensive and there are no significant discounts on the big titles on the eshop - at least not compared to the Playstation Store. I went digital only on Vita because I could pick up big games for low prices. That's not going to happen any time soon with Nintendo.
@RupeeClock One of the main reasons I mod all of my consoles after their active lifespans.
For real!? 😯 No physical = no buy.
@Gowtu_Games did you even bother reading the article?
@ryancraddock Nintendo has done that many times in the past, from the previous generation as well, and not just in Europe. That's not new (or newsworthy), so either report it each and every time they do it or not at all
Nah, I'd rather have an actual cartridge inside...
@gortsi no, i got to admit i did not. I read the titel and felt the urge to state my stance on physical vs digital again 😂 good to read there wil be a normal physical version.
@BlueOcean 3DS cases are slimmer than the US DS cases.
@Nico87 I imported a few DS games from US, the cases are basically the same size as the 3DS cases. I guess more people can confirm this.
@Mayor_Haggar However Japan still hunt whales and that is terrible because there aren't many whales left in the world.
I think this option is pointless. It reminds me of the Fortnite package that sells in stores. It has no cartridge but just a code.
I'm all for digital. In fact, we've recently come across a problem with one of our Splatoon 2 carts having issues reading. This never happens with digital!!!!! I get that people collect. I get that people resell games. For me personally, I don't collect and I'm at a point in my life that no longer need to sell so that I can buy a new game.
@BlueOcean 3DS cases are still thinner 🙄
@Gowtu_Games That's not the case. Japan is getting a third option for buying games.
Physical with cart, download, and physical case with only a download code
@Nico87 How many millimetres thinner?
@BlueOcean Don't you have one of each so you can measure? I agree that it's not a big difference though!
@Mayor_Haggar You are right and I edited my comment. Both things are terrible. If a country is cruel enough then the others should try to stop this somehow. It's not bad just for the other species but also for us. The air and water move so we are all affected somehow.
@Nico87 I sold those US games some time ago. I only have European DS games now.
@Tarolusa I read the article. I'm not saying it's stupid because I mistakenly think it's the only option, I'm saying it's stupid for being an option at all.
For a second I thought this was going to be the only option too, unless I actually read the article. Scared me for a moment. I just hope they don't make it digital only in Europe (or anywhere, really). I know it's unlikely because it's a Nintendo product and not, say, Capcom, but still, this is my most anticipated release of the year and I don't want that anticipation butchered by it being digital only crap!
Fallout, Mass Effect, Fortnite have been doing this for years in America.
I swear half the people shocked and confused on here have never bought a videogame before.
I'm not sure at times if NL is aiming to be clickbaity all the time, or if they just don't realize they're doing it. If it's intentional, they're getting better at tabloiding with misleading-but-technically-accurate headlines. It's endlessly frustrating.
With the actual content, though, this makes sense, it keeps retail, and retail discounts price pressure on games even in the digital world. I like when they do this, and it does help solve the "I want this digital but miss displaying the box." On other platforms this would be kind of nice for me for a few games.
On Switch though, limited storage really does make the cards have meaning. And of course outside Japan, downloads can be problematic...
I'm glad to see they're doing a full release of physical, digital, and digital in a case.
@Hikingguy not sure if you've ever heard of "computers", but PC videogames have been a box with a download code in it for about 12 years now. No one's "missing the point" since PC games make billions every year.
The transition from physical to digital is getting to be long, but we are in a transition. Right now, the landscape is so, so weird, where the much more costly to produce physical options are easier to get for less money and maintain solid benefits over digital.
I'm ready for another middle step that is more clever. Maybe a simple physical "key" cartridge that needs to be placed into the system occasionally to keep ownership of a digital file, but you can distribute that digital game to whoever you want to borrow if you give them the key temporarily, or risk it for a week or whatever the time period is for a check. There are still downsides, but there could be so much more flexibility. You could still dress up the "key" cartridge and it is a single "copy" as far as availability goes.
I'm just brainstorming here, but the balance just doesn't make much sense on Switch, right now. Generally I prefer digital on PC and mobile devices, but for anything that is available on physical I almost always go with the physical copy.
I prefer digital since its 100x better than physical, so the digital+box has worked really well for me. Amazon and BestBuy have and have had discounts for physical releases, not on digital. The boxes with download codes count.
I bought mass effect andromeda for 48 with physical discount, and a$10 reward zone card came with it. The download was 60.
I then sold my empty box on ebay as "empty box, for collectors" and several people bid $20 on it, since they likely did the download but still want a box on their shelf.
So people who paid digitally paid $80 total, while i went
"physical box with download code" and after reward zone card and my ebay funds, wound up paying $18 for a $60 title on launch day.
@NEStalgia At least the article is accurate this time, unlike the one about Nintendo "going all mobile". I'm okay with clickbait headlines to a point (there is competition for views that keeps Nintendo Life in business), and I would prefer the subheading to contextualize or help balance it, but the article needs to be honest.
@WaveBoy I really say enough with that lame excuse of not getting up to switch the cartridge/disk......... It may be consistent......but really it is just being lazy as well.
I don't really see a problem with having more options as long as Nintendo specify the difference between both versions. Guess they could always put the Big White bar at the top of the retail version that has the download code inside and say digital download code inside internet connection required.
That seems kinda silly to me personally. The two main reasons I buy physical is so that a) I can lend them to friends, and b) I can resell them later if I need/want to. This option eliminates both of those factors lol.
That said, it seems this option isnt meant to cater to the physical game collectors, but to the digital players who want something on their shelf. (Albeit, way less valuable than the case WITH the game.)
@aaronsullivan True. Call me old fashioned, I'll never jive with a world that says that the only way to succeed is to intentionally mislead with plausible deniability. Headlines need to be interesting, but if the goal is to always flirt with misleading without technically being false, that is what used to be called a tabloid, and that word is a pejorative for a reason. Supermarket tabloid headlines are never actually wrong. Never have been. They're always 100% true.....but worded so that without the article context (which is always a factual article) they imply a different meaning than what they actually contain.
That has always been the fundamentals of the tabloid business.
I think that's what's bothering me and many others (beyond the all out potentially litigatory defamation of the other day's headline) is the rapid and not so subtle conversion of NL's front page from an eZine to a tabloid. Not many are looking for a tabloid about gaming, and anyone that is has already bookmarked kotaku.com
I find this rather pointless TBH, but because it's available at all (from one store front), I'm assuming this is catering to a niche collector market or to those who like a physical something to show for a digital gift?
@Hikingguy I'm glad you buy several copies of the same game. I have 100 copies of Breath of the Wild I'd be willing to sell ya!
The "free cd with digital content" is a massive waste of time and space. I do it because the physical media will be $9 with MP3, while the Mp3s alone are $15 for lordi knows that reason. Since CDs came out in 1985 and you can hardly even find a cd player anywhere, it's a plastic frisbee someone had to drive to my house. Typically i just sell the CD on ebay for $10 and wind up paying $0 for my album. But its a waste of time, plastic, and effort. Cars don't come with CD players anymore, 3 of my 4 computers don't have CD drives, and the nearest portable CD player is 4 bestbuys away.
Buying a CD or an 8 track makes as much sense as getting my favorite switch games on cartridge.
@Rob3008 ...and digital collectors don't? It's a free box. It's also nicer gift than a piece of paper.
I always prefer an actual physical copy when possible. The main reason being that if I hate it (unlikely) or get bored of it, I can then sell it or trade it in to get credit towards newer games! Personally I don't see the appeal of buying a physical box with a download code inside - it's just a waste of plastic and space on your shelf! Why not just buy the download code on a small piece of paper?
Collectors would probably want the cartridge inside rather than just the empty box.
I guess a use I see is for gifting the game to children. Digital will probably be more manageable for them since they won't have to switch cartridges, but they'll get the whole thrill of opening a present box and finding a game inside. Showing them the game being downloaded on the Switch menu doesn't quite have that nice feel to it.
@smashboy2000 I also think the switch game boxes are just lovely, but on the console I like digital games. Just because it’s easier to play different games and because most of them are small on size so i can fit tens of games on my 128gig sd.
On comparison the PS4 boxes arent that nice to look at and the plastic feels more flimsy and cheap. And most games recuire to install anyway, so I’m getting most of my playstation games digitally.
But on the switch it is a real dilemma!
If I go digital then I’ll go all in. So no box then. If I want physical then I want all the bells and whistles.
I see how someone might want a box with a digital code. But for me it’s pointless.
Just more proof of how the physical-only dinosaurs will have to find a way to adapt to the evolving market.
@Hikingguy It is nice having physical options, but the point is that digital game delivery is clearly the future and the old fashioned physical method is on it's way out. The amount of people who refuse to buy anything digital are dwindling and it is quickly becoming a cult mentality driven by a poor understanding of how most digital games work these days. I mean I love having physical games from time to time, especially in the case of the Switch where it can save me a lot of space on my memory card, but the fact is that being opposed to digital games is only going to work against a niche group of gamers in the long run.
@Hikingguy Yeah I agree, digital distribution has it's own problems and it has very well made it so some games are just straight up impossible to access anymore for a lot of people who weren't there to buy them when they were available. We just have to look at where the market is going though and I just don't see physical games doing any better than music CD sales these days at some point. That also has similar issues, with entire digital music albums no longer being sold due to some licensing issues, being able to buy the CD becomes your only way to obtain the music. Still, access on modern methods is just a lot more convenient when you do it digitally.
@Hikingguy @JayJ Finally a good debate about this matter. Thanks !
I have another theory about all this : what if our relationship with games were far more wrong ? We buy more and more games that we don't play, just because of interesting offers or sales. What if we played a game and won't buy another until we're through the one we're playing right now. I don't mean we have to finish it 100%, or even finish it if we don't have the heart for it. I mean having a healthy relationship with games and the experience of playing them : one after another.
In that case, playing a new game or an old one doesn't matter anymore and it shouldn't : a good game is still good after a few years.
In that case, if we emphasize the "experience" side of gaming and not its other sides (collection, growing appetite for news), then... physical does matter only if you want absolutly to play a game no longer available digitally. And that's it.
That's where I am right now in my reflexion about this matter, as a 100% physical buyer who can't help seeing the good side of digital.
Once Nintendo embraces the reality of realistic hard drive space for a digital future I will consider not being angry about an empty box with a download code.
@Hikingguy Sorry for the late answer
Well, I think the price of a game shouldn't be a matter too (except for you wallet !). If you want to play a game, buy it now, it doesn't matter if it's old or new. I'm still stuck in the marketing process that makes me buy games as they are released. But I know it's dumb. And I think I will get off that process in 2019.
I've read today somewhere in a topic someone saying "I become fully digital in 2019 : when I'm building a collection, I'm distracted from gaming".
Well I get the point.
But when I see that the Wii eshop Channel will definitly close in 2 weeks, I see the danger of digital.
But (again) when I see that you can illegaly download any Wii game today, I'm thinking that they will always be hackers and fans to prevent any game from getting lost in time. Look at what is done today with old consoles.
So... I still don't know how to act.
If I had a BIG appartment with a room just for games and movies, maybe that won't be a problem. But that's not the case right now
Have fun playing this once the eShop inevitably shuts down!
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