Topic: Game-Key Card Boxed Release List

Been looking around to buy some games to play on my Switch 2 when it arrives in a few weeks (pending any cancellations or theft in transit from dodgy couriers who know that Switch 2 is being delivered to masses across the country on a specific day and think "No one will care if this one gets 'lost'")

Anyway, I'm shocked to see that most 3rd party titles are key-cards, that is not good for collectors. It's not such a bad concept but what happens in say 15-20 years time when Nintendo decide to turn off their Switch servers forever? Key-cards will be worthless as you won't be able to download the game anymore, future retro gamers will be gutted.

If they insist on using key-cards then they should at least have an SD-card slot built in, sort of a 'user creates their own physical cartridge' games downloads on to the SD-Card and you have your physical game that you can do whatever you want to do with it etc, make them more collectable.

I don't know, I'm rambling on now. But no I don't really like the concept, it's bad for collectors.

At least LRG are stating that every numbered release on the Switch 2 will be with the game on the cartridge.

https://bossrush.net/2025/05/11/pax-east-2025-news-limited-ru...

That's a ray of hope.

Their distribution of the Raidou Remastered Collectors Edition is not a good start.

@Zuljaras - And honestly, and this pains me to say it;

I hope LRG really cranks these out. Cause LRG, in spite of all their flaws, may be the only ones doing this when compared to major third parties.

I was hoping this might push devs to make more compilations. But Game-key Cards seems to squat all over my hopes.

And the image of the day is...

@Magician yes but it is just a distribution. They can't control the manufacturing and the also can't say NO to money

@Paraka LRG are the only ones that have strong relationships with the big devs. The others focus mainly on indies.

I expect to see DooM The Dark Ages reprint by the end of the year made by LRG.

@Zuljaras - I am betting many MS published games will go through LRG on the Switch 2. Even the rumored Halo Master Chief Collection and Killer Instinct.

Let's see how Limited Run will deal with the issue of only 64 GB Switch 2 cartridges being available.
The price will increase, it's inevitable.

@Rodolfo6493 - I read elsewhere about that. And some comment that makes sense about it. Technology is far outpacing what the market can afford, a decade ago we had 4 and 8gb SD cards. We have neither of those now in most stores. Nothing only takes 4 gb of space anymore. Not phones, not cameras, not games (exceptions excluded).

This genuinely sucks, because the 32gb cart from Nintendo should been heavily considered.

@Paraka @Rodolfo6493

I am ok with the high prices for selected games that I want. After all LRG is always about we paying the price for the manufacturing as their releases include this cost.

I remember that the LRG basic copy (I can't remember if there was a deluxe or something like that) of Divinity Original Sin 2 was 60$, same with DooM Eternal regular copy.

So, I am expecting Switch 2 64GB releases from LRG to be around 80$.

I'm not sure how enthusiastic I'd be to spend $50 to $60 on a Switch 2 copy of Saturday Morning RPG. I assume that would be their first numbered release. If that's the case, I'll probably be more choosey about their releases, rather than chasing a complete set.

@Magician - In all honesty, people like SEGA and 2K Games are making it easier to collect on Switch 2 by basically opting out of fully playable carts put the gate. SEGA alone is saving me 300 dollars. Almost certain the numbered release at LRG is going to be budgetable.

@Paraka

True, I'll also be saving quite a bit of money as third party publishers opt for game-key cards.

So some odd news from the grapevine; Apparently the popular licensed shovelware companies like OG Games and GameMill, are also opting for keys on most their games.

Anyone as a diehard collector probably just saved a whole bunch not having to worry about them.

@Paraka
Oh, glad to hear because I never bothering the Switch version of games by Outright Games as I knew they will be the worst condition compared with PS4 / PS5 version.
All my games purchased by Outright Games are PS4 & PS5 version, NO Switch version at all (Maybe ZOIDS for Switch only version is the only one I have to get since there is NO PS4 physical version).
And when I heard Outright Games will cheapen out for Switch 2 with game key card, i'm not surprised and definitely will not ever consider the Switch 2 version when the games have PS5 version with game data inside the Blu Ray disc.
Their games are mostly small GB size, so by putting their games on game key card, it just straight disrespect toward me as the Outright Games supporter.
Anyway, thanks for the warning message.

@maxrpg it’s called forced obsolescence and is a practice many companies are adapting, and not just in the videogame industry. They don’t want you to keep using their product many years later, they want you to keep buying their newest product.

If the below tweet is to be believed, Street Fighter VI's Game-Key Card will only contain the base game. You will have to redeem a time-expiring code to get the DLC.

It just keeps getting worse and worse, as if the fact that the "key card" release is still incomplete wasn't enough of a monumental red flag.

It almost makes me regret buying any of Capcom's Switch releases (most of which I had to import anyway, as they evidently hate Australia/Europe).

@Anti-Matter - I wouldn't sign entirely off on the PS4/5 either, they may pull the same "key-disc" any other publisher has done. EA has a timed kill switch on all their sports games with it.

@Dimjimmer - I swear, it feels like they are going out of their way to make LRG, SRG and others looks like champions blessed by gods.

I'm not sure how credible that tweet is because of two things:
– How does this person already have a copy of a Switch 2 game box which isn't out yet until June 5th?
– Why would a Japanese game box have the download instructions in English even though all the other text on it is in Japanese?