Topic: Game Key Cards... What is the point?

I read that there will be 4 kind of games
1. Physical Games : The game is in the cartridge. To play you have to insert the card. No download needed.
2. Digital Games : The game is digital so its downloadable and you can play it instant after the download.
3. Code in the Box : The game is digital. In the box there is just a code to use in the Nintendo eShop
4. Game Key Card: WHAT? A dummy card that need the whole game to be downloaded as a digital. You will have to have the cartridge inserted to play even though the game is digital.

So... Why on earth someone will choose a game in that category? Its the worst of both worlds. It holds up space AND needs a cartridge.

Can someone explain the idea behind this?

Number 4 is a good options as you can resell the game or give it away when you no longer need it. It's not tied to your Nintendo Account. Options 2 and 3 are tied to the Nintendo Account and you can't re-sell it or give away when no longer needed.

FYI Nintendo says from EN side:
https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Hardware/Nintendo-Switch-2/Nin...

I was thinking like this.
Game key card is creating illusion which the digital games you download without tied to account become pseudo physical games with inserted game key cartridge to play the games that mimicking actual physical cartridge.

@Anti-Matter The problem arises when you get a 50g game that will eat up your 256g internal and or external exSD card either way. That won't take long to fill up or longer depending the game size. It will be a matter of time before this happens. They will have to delete games no longer needed if they remember to do this.

Is there a reason that the video game companies have to put their games on these? Don't they hate the used-game market? So why would they give us the ability to sell digital games rather than just sticking to code-in-the-box or no physical at all? Not that I'm complaining about being able to sell my digital games if I want, I was just wondering.

@Xyphon22 Your not selling your Digital games it's the "Key" cart your selling that holds the "Key" to download the game that must be insert like the cart to play the game. We all need to take a step back and read what the Nintendo site says what the "Key" cart says. Their messaging about it on Treehouse isn't good but the site says what the "Key" cart means and what it does.

Switch cartridges were one of the biggest vulnerabilities of the system (games leaking online 1 month before launch...)
Key cards won't have this problem, theoretically.
But, I'm sure they were created to reduce as much as possible the expense that developers would incur with physical versions.

My guess here is that the "code in the box" was going away and being replaced by the key card. And frankly if you can't understand the reason behind the key-card then I don't know what to say. It's a physical licence key, the same as any other physical game. They're just distributing the game content itself digitally. Buy any game on PS/XB over the last decade, buy a fair number of games on Switch for that matter, basically the same thing. Physical game purchased, mandatory download

Also might I add that despite all of the commentary around this stating confusion and lack of clarity I'm not sure that's at all the case. When I look at the retail listings of these games, in Australia at least, they're VERY clear about what you get in the box

Some examples:
Street Fighter 6:

Game-Key Card
50GB full game download via the internet is required.

Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don’t contain the full game data. Instead, the game-key card is your "key" to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.

After it’s downloaded, you can play the game by inserting the game-key card into your system and starting it up like a standard physical game card.

Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade details

Support for the ZELDA NOTES game-specific service via Nintendo Switch App*
Improved frame rates and resolution
Faster load times
HDR support**

This Nintendo Switch 2 Edition comprises the Nintendo Switch game and the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade.

*Nintendo Account, persistent internet and compatible smart device required. Data charges may apply.
**HDR-compatible display required when playing in TV mode.

Super Mario Party™ Jamboree:

Super Mario Party™ Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV Upgrade details

New way to play exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2: Jamboree TV
New modes that use mouse controls, microphone and a compatible USB-C® camera (sold separately)
Players appear within the game via CameraPlay using a compatible USB-C® camera (sold separately)
GameShare compatibility for local multiplayer
WQHD (1440p) resolution in TV mode*, Full HD (1080p) in tabletop mode and handheld mode (Jamboree TV only)
Visually enhanced with improved frame rate

*Requires a TV that supports the specified resolution.

I know it's the internet and people want to get worked up about this stuff but.... maybe just take a step back and actually look at the information that's being given to us. Just because YouTube is getting clickbait milage out of the faux outrage on anything Switch 2 doesn't mean there's anything to it

First step to have real owned digital games.

If companies want to go digital, at least we should be able to sell our games.

@Akeratsu I only buy games that I like to have and never sell them. So I dont find a value to this.
Well tbh If I want a digital I will buy it Digital. This new option has the worst of both worlds.

@Flugen for me it's almost as same as what I'm doing with my little brother's PS5 just instead of installing whole game from that Physical copy you need download it which requires have internet connection to at least for download it part! And plus I not live alone that means I can still share it with my younger brothers!

For those of us who prefer physical copies is it better to buy Switch 1 versions of Metroid Prime 4 and Pokemon ZA then buy the upgrade for Switch 2 instead of the Switch 2 versions? For Switch 2 games it’s probably better to just buy digital since the “physical” copy doesn’t have game data on it and just takes up unnecessary space?

@Don
Well we don't know how those games will be structured and I would note that this topic is about the game key cards not Switch Enhanced updates. There's a different. In any case if I was to guess I would say that the Switch 2 Editions of Metroid and Pokemon Legends ZA will be the same as TotK and BotW and other Enhanced games

There will be Switch versions of the games, there will be Switch versions of the game which come with a download code for the Switch 2 Edition upgrade. Then there will be the ability to just download the Switch 2 Edition upgrade from the eShop as DLC for either the physical or digital copy. It may well end up not being like that..... but that's how the Switch 2 Edition games we've had so far work

@Don
Good advice.
We will vote with our wallet.

John from Digital Foundry made a good point in favor of these:
Small developers would be enabled to get shelf space (as Nintendo is not going to give up their physical presence in stores anytime soon, it's great marketing), even though they can't afford the cost and risk of manufacturing actual cartridges. Counterpoint: it could lead to a flood of physical boxes for shovelware, more than any "Mediamarkt" could ever showcase.

Then the re-selling aspect: I'm sure you're right, Nintendo and the other companies don't like used sales. But they acknowledge that not being able to sell a game holds many back from buying digital. So this is likely a compromise to win them over.

And on the topic as a whole: I've been a physical buyer up to now, but I do agree with:

You bring up a really good point storage on exSD will become a real estate problem later on. And currently they aren't cheap to get. And not everyone deletes every game all the time or forgets that they have limited storage and needs to remove game and not delete the Saved Games folder data. I've read people say they use more then more microSD on current Switch v1 to store their games-talk about loosing your microSD and loosing all your "Saved Data" by loosing or damaging the microSD cart if not stored properly when switching them back and forth. This is way too much micromanaging to just enjoy Switching.

This is the elephant in the room as games gets bigger the exSD has to grow to meet demands. I would at least have them put a 32g on cart if with DLC and download extra/DLC onto Internal or exSD storage.

Switch v1 owners are aging already just like me. I hope they don't forget Digital games aren't the only seller for Switch console. The "Key" carts tells one they don't like going Digital eShop as people can't sell or give away games they no longer want or need anymore. There will be Digital eShop sales that's a given still but having them on "key cart" is a change.

It allows for resale unlike a digital game and shelf space which brings in sales via foot traffic/ sight. As to why they exist, nobody is gonna pay for cartridges large enough to hold modern games and keep the price down. Y’all think Mario Kart World is “bad”? Make every game physical on the card and games are gonna be 100 dollars a pop. Publishers are not gonna eat that price. As others have mentioned games have been like this since the PS4/Xbone era.

I just bought AC Shadows for my Series X: 2 blu ray discs and I still had an over 20GB day 1 download (game will not work without it) and I have to keep the disc in my series x to play. People wanted Nintendo to catch up with Sony and MS… this is part of that. Especially since S2 pseudo emulates Switch games and most switch games have a digital version and accounts carry over.

And MS and Sony are looking more and more to digital only. The PS5pro is digital only out the box. The disc drive is an add on. The series s is digital only. S2/PS5/Series X are probably the last physical focused systems in gaming. All three companies have been putting storage more and more on the customer (which I have no issue with). Wiiu/PS4/PS5/Xbone/Series/Switch/Switch2 all have some form of bring your own storage. Will not be surprised if the system after Switch 2 is digital only.

@Poco_Lypso
I had x2 full 2tb mSD on Switch but I bought hundreds of games. Most people could get by all generation with a 2tb card. Some using just a 1tb card.

So I'd get a 1tb mSD Express and down the line if you need to upgrade, do so.

"Game keys" are no different to the current crop of releases with forced downloads. If anything, it's a little worse, because now there's almost no data on the cartridge at all, while some past releases contained at least a few gigs of data.

It's still better than buying a digital copy in my eyes as you can resell the game and/or use it across multiple consoles. Unfortunately you'll need to allocate space on each console, and with Express cards being required, I'd rather just pay an extra tenner for a full cartridge instead.

I'm extremely disappointed that third parties seem to be defaulting to this from the get-go, and I can't see myself ever buying any such releases unless they're really cheap, but even then, I'd might as well buy such games on PC instead (if available without DRM).

And even more insulting is that many of these game key releases will also have paid DLC, further adding to the size and cost of the game.

Publishers do not like used games. However, engagement is more important than ever. These days more games have recurring revenue, dlc, and microtransactions. Better than a one-time use code-in-a-box, maybe whoever purchases a game-key card game might also purchase a season pass, dlc, or microtransaction.