Topic: Game-Key Card Boxed Release List

Hell, even Namco is getting in on this.
I still had hope that the imminent Tekken 8 would come complete on the cartridge. It's over.

Heard Play-Asia and VGP are pushing back on some publishers about reprints and possible first prints in the future to avoid key-cards.

Could be social media fluff posting, but we will see.

The boutique limited print space for Switch 2 is altogether interesting.

Which of them (Limited Run, Super Rare, P-A, Strictly Limited, Fangamer, iam8bit, etc.) is going to have the first Switch 2 release? Limited Run have the easiest avenue because they're owned by Embracer Group and are an official Microsoft partner. But is anyone aside from LRG going to offer complete-on-cartridge AAA releases? AA and indie game releases from everyone other than LRG is just expected.

Are LRG going to disregard their previous Switch 1 releases and regurgitate their 290+ releases again or (from this point forward) are they going to insult our intelligence and offer us Switch 1 and Switch 2 releases for the same game simultaneously?

How long until Nintendo cease production of the Switch 1 cartridge? A few more years I assume.

A curious situation. So many questions.

I'm salty about these game keys. I want to play Yakuza 0, but I prefer physical and I don't want to play full price for a digital game. The game keys are stupid; they are digital games that remove the one positive thing about downloads: convenience of not needing to switch out game cards. The resell argument is weird to me because I don't see these game keys having a hot resale market, the most you'll get is $4 from Gamestop.

I know digital games are the future, but I hate spending more than $30 on a download. And Yakuza 0 is supposedly 50 GB or so even if I buy the physical version I need to have that space on my system.

So I would have probably purchased the game new at full price if it was a normal game card, but instead I'm going to wait for a major sale and buy it digital and still feel bad about it because it won't be a game on my shelf.

@Taya This is why one should get a extra exSD card to just download your "Key-Card" games only and another exSD to just for your game updates/DLC so you won't waste used up your exSD card storage capacity. I did also order Yakuaz0 Director but I will wait for the exSD when I can find them and then use that for the storage for the "Key-Card" games. This won't be cheap but will save your exSD.

No I am not wasting money on a game key card, I refuse to buy them. If I'm going to buy a download game, I might as well go full digital and wait for a significant sale. There is no benefit to these key cards.

There are benefits if you have family members or friends with a Switch 2. With a key card version you can share a game with them without needing to buy more than one copy. Can't do that with a fully digital game.

@Taya That will be a choice you make but "Key-Card" will become the future except Split-Fiction will die as result of what EA did to them. I still want full cart games but there will always game updates that will always happen.

Just ordered Bravely Default Flying Faery HD Remaster (Nordic country), and everything is on the physical cartridge, as confirmed by customer support (without hesitation), still, could be a placeholder or they have incorrect information. But will see when I receive the game on release date, but currently it seems like some might be fully physical (not 100% confirmed).

The official European cover of Bravely Default says it's a key-card release and you need to download the game:

And video game news sites such as Nintendo Life have reported the same. So it seems the customer support you talked with had the wrong information.

This generation, the customer service of Nintendo is more misleading than the clickbait.

@Polvasti Fully aware of this, hence why I contacted the store's customer support whom confirmed that the edition included everything on it. Of course, I know that isn't the same as getting the news straight from the publisher, but I definitely will hold on to my order until then. Going to wait until half of may, then contact them again and press on them to just make sure. The cover is even different on that one. I would post the image, but I have no idea how you do it on here.

Whilst I don't support this practice of selling key-cards, I have ordered a couple for launch as I got very good deals on both Street Fighter 6 and Bravely Default. If Amazon don't honour the order, I will make do without as I have also ordered Cyberpunk 2077 and want to support that practice.

I find it funny how many are upset to the point of saying they’ll boycott the Switch 2 or third party games because of the Game Key Cards. The thing is, Xbox physical games are all launchers that download the game. They just don’t tell you. Most PS5 games are probably the same other than maybe exclusives. At least you know what you are buying with Game-Key Cards because it says on the front of the box.

@TAndvig

Does the box art you're referring to have USK and Pegi ratings on the front box art?

The game-key card notification was probably moved to the back box art due to a lack of space.

Edit: Yeah even the USK and Pegi box art for Bravely Default managed to squish the game-key card notification below the publisher notation according to a page on Hit. I'd post the image but I don't know if the site is trustworthy.

@Magician None. Black background, a fairy with wings, the title covered over the creature, which is why I thought it was and -still- think it's just a placeholder, and they probably will tell me it's a Game Key Card, but so far their customer rep hasn't and I trust the store. Also considering the laws and consumer authority in my country and the store's country are very strict on these sort of things, they can't sell it without providing such information. Gonna wait until mid-may when they have the actual product in storage, and then contact them again to re-confirm.

@FragRed I get what you are saying but not putting games that are clearly able to fit on a Switch 2 as a game-key release just smacks of laziness/greed on the 3rd party publishers. Nintendo are no worse than Microsoft or Sony for allowing this practice. It just takes some getting used to.

@FragRed

Those of us who are upset are plugged into the online discussion. We consume video game news daily. We're the minority. Most casual Nintendo fans and consumers won't care what game-key cards are or what they entail.

Although those filthy casuals are more likely to be upset that the onboard storage for Switch 2 will be eaten up fairly quickly due to game file sizes. Or wonder why they can't use a basic micro sd card in their Switch 2 and are forced to purchase an Express card.

For example, if Oblivion Remastered were ported to Switch 2, assuming the port developer doesn't bother with either paring the port down (like Cyberpunk 2077) or compression, that game alone would eat half your onboard storage.

Half!

Easy. Buy them cheap and used. And when they come out with a complete in cart version I'll keep nice and sealed for the collection. :3

Thank you for this succinct summary of precisely why I have such a beef with these game key carts. More people should read it!

These game keys are such inferior products compared to traditional cartridges - they cost the same, they take up much more of your console's internal memory, and it's the corporations' sole discretion which will determine these cartridges longevity. S2 games of all sizes and publishers are going this cheap route - it's no wonder people are dismayed. XBox and PS gamers may have been coping with this cheap practice for years now, but for many Nintendo gamers, we've blissfully avoided it till now. Just ugh all around.