Collectors got off easy with Warned Collectors as they ran away with the money shortly after opening preorders for multiple games.
Before their arrival on the scene, the other players in the space were reliable...to a certain degree. Top of the **** list is First Press Games; it's well known that I am not a fan, no need to expound on that point. Companies such as Gamefairy.io and Ultra Collectors haven't listed new product in a while. Now even those companies I would've qualified as reliable are failing in their production and expected delivery dates. Stalwarts such as Strictly Limited and Limited Run are dipping a toe into those FPS-infested waters of doubt and concern.
Limited Run have a seal of quality similar to Nintendo's, which is to say it's extremely loose.
Special Reserve at least does a good job of communicating to their customers regarding production progress.
Super Rare is the lone standout company who delivers product on a consistent basis.
Switch Physical Collection - 1,459 games (as of June 16th, 2025)
Switch 2 Physical Collection - 2 games (as of June 9th, 2025)
There's an unmistakable decline in demand for smaller physical releases and collecting Switch physical games.
Premium Edition Games and Super Rare Games, who previously were exclusively publishing Nintendo Switch games, are now also doing PS4 and PS5 releases.
Strictly Limited Games have downscaled all of their production, smaller print runs that seldom sell through now.
Special Reserve Games in the meanwhile, I don't believe they've opened any new pre-orders since Inscryption at the end of 2022? They're fully focused on Cult of the Lamb, and shipping the long overdue Broforce. We're still waiting on a physical release for Katana Zero, even now.
Just earlier today, I got a email about a distribution title sale being held at Videogamesplus for buy-two-get-one-free on a range of titles, many of which are Red Art Games. https://videogamesplus.ca/collections/vgp-distro-promo
There's an increasing trend of bundles, sales and promotions from companies that keep stock up for sale.
These are all heralding the end of the Switch system's lifespan as consumers readily anticipate the next major system. A new system with new physicals will breathe new life into these boutique sellers for sure anyway.
I'll put in a good word for iam8bit. They've done a great job of keeping the number of releases down and the quality high.
LRG just don't seem like a boutique publisher any more to me, now that they're putting out so many games. My mind boggles at the prospect of collecting a complete set from them given all the shovelware you'd be getting.
Demand seems to have fallen, which is real shame as there are a lot of digital games I would love to get physical releases.
@Magician I was hoping Gamefairy.io would release the sequel to Far: Lone Sails.
Super Rare Games are doing well, but I have only ordered 2 games from them this year, whilst last year I ordered 8 or 9. It's personal taste, but I have just not been as interested in their releases - hopefully this changes.
Special Reserve I have found to be mixed, the wait for Broforce has been really disappointing, but we'll end up with a complete on cart game, which is great. Maybe their communication early on could have been better. Broforce is now listed on Amazon and is releasing next month, so there's a chance people could get that version before the people who have waited for Special Reserve.
I'll put in a good word for iam8bit. They've done a great job of keeping the number of releases down and the quality high.
LRG just don't seem like a boutique publisher any more to me, now that they're putting out so many games. My mind boggles at the prospect of collecting a complete set from them given all the shovelware you'd be getting.
Oh, 1000%. I love almost everything iam8bit is doing, and for them to release a game physically makes it feel like it actually is quality. I think FanGamer does great work too.
Limited Run is starting to feel... just kinda there? Like others have said, there's sooo much shovelware they're putting out, and it feels like a load of BS when they put out a somewhat bigger game.
All this comparing and contrasting boutique publishers makes me want to start a thread about ranking them. Sounds like a fun thing to do on my lunch break.
Switch Physical Collection - 1,459 games (as of June 16th, 2025)
Switch 2 Physical Collection - 2 games (as of June 9th, 2025)
Honestly, they need to have a faster turnaround from the date they announce to the date they ship their games. Interest was bound to wane when people kept having to wait months or years for their preorder.
@judaspete
For smaller publishers in the business, they have to wait a bit longer to get cartridges manufactured.
Otherwise, the manufacturing times for Switch cartridges are actually fairly long, and that's the only part Nintendo does. Packaging and everything else, even the plastic case falls on the publisher.
This is part of why any boutique with an open pre-order system takes so long to fulfil orders. They don't put the order for manufacturing cartridges in until after the open pre-orders have closed.
LRG are still notorious for taking extra long to get things together though, they have too many releases in the pipeline simultaneously and get silly with their collector's editions.
Super Rare Games hides these long production times from the consumers by only putting stock up for sale when it's available, or nearly available. Their collector's editions take longer to ship and they're transparent about that.
This production model is riskier, as it means they need to accurately estimate demand for a release ahead of time, and have to eat the production costs way ahead of when sales open.
Strictly Limited Games on the other hand, they open pre-orders for a limited quantity of games, way ahead of when they start manufacturing them. This is likely to help secure the funds needed to cover the costs earlier.
Limited Run have a seal of quality similar to Nintendo's, which is to say it's extremely loose.
This 1000 times. I see them praised sometimes for 'keeping physical alive' or 'preserving old classics' or some such. Even so, game preservation shouldn't be about exorbitant CEs tailored to manufacture nostalgia/profit.
There's man all over for you, blaming on his boots the faults of his feet.
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Topic: It feels like the physical boutique business is imploding.
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