Topic: Physical vs Digital my take 2 years later

@SwitchForce Well yes I am aware of that.

And I am only talking about a future where they force me into what I call "rental" of games.

@Zuljaras same here but I've been seeing indie developers some embracing physical cart and those for Switch when offered don't stay available for long both on their site or on KS. Any KS Switch that has physical options will garner my cash. Only exception is if the volume is too low then that's my exception. And seeing Amazon JPN and EU get physical while NA gets the SHAFT for the same game only Digital lately.

It's like a lot of things where the convenience may come with a price down the line. Maybe not now or even for a few years, but much later.

Honestly, I used to be a dedicated "cartridge only" guy, but it makes less sense these days when even cartridge based games regularly receive large post-release updates, so while you could technically play the game from just the cartridge alone, it will often be feature incomplete and contain sometimes significant bugs. I still prefer cartridges because I can get my games used for a discount and can resell games I've finished playing (something I have occasionally regretted doing in the past when I suddenly get the hankering to replay a game that I thought I was done with), but lately, I have come to appreciate the convenience of being able to switch from one game to another without having to rummage in my case for the cartridge — which is perfect for something like Animal Crossing which I often boot up several times a day to play for a few minutes between other games.

I've long since gotten used to digital only on my PC (I think the last time I bought a game on DVD was about 10-years ago), so I'm not sure why I've been so hesitant to embrace digital only for my Switch purchases.

My only misgiving is that there's no convenient way to archive my games like I can with my digital music and book libraries which are DRM free and easily backed up. Our only way to play some games in the future may depend on the efforts of software pirates — case in point, the entire Commodore 64 software library would have vanished decades ago if not for the hundreds of pirated copies floating around the internet — which is ironic because one of the reasons publishers have pushed for digital is to thwart software piracy.

Considering this little rant of yours, I'm curious, do you only buy games that never receive patches or content updates and can be played entirely from the cartridge? Because if that's the case, then you must have like only two or three games. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I bought a game for the Switch that didn't require an update the moment I put the cartridge in the console.

It's certainly, sadly, entirely possible to make it so any game that currently can be played from the cartridge will say, next time you try, that it needs an update & refuse to play without it .... I have to say, I don't see why you wouldn't be as worried by that as by the potential problems of purely digital games Buy physical if you prefer, like I do try to, particularly with Switch games. For certain people who say they'll pirate games if they go that way, they realise that protections against that will get better? Just saying

@BruceCM It is more that Physical releases are worth more than pure digital. You buy something and you own it. You have something tangible.

Also everything will be hacked in the end so there are no worries.

Updates are nice and I update my games. But I want the base. Nintendo servers are the worst of them all. We saw that with the Wii. And now people are forced to pirate games that never got physical form. Wii U is next. Then the 3DS.

Same will happen with the Switch in 10-15 years.

At least the hackers care about game preservation.

I wouldn't want to try jail-breaking my Switch, if it gets to that point, @Zuljaras.... The only part I want for the games I keep is to be able to play them
While if it gets to the point that you can't actually play the physical ones, any trade-in value disappears Like I pointed out, it is possible to make a game insist on an update to play. So, if they want to, when they're closing the eShop, they can have that for every game
Only the servers go down & you now can't play any of the physical games. If you want to worry about losing digital ones, worry as much about that

@BruceCM
That's the thing that would be interesting to make a list of: games that literally will not play without an update(s). I wonder if there are any on the Switch right now? The cartridge would have to be pre-loaded with a command to lock gameplay unless connected to the internet and/or some update is detected.

Especially if you're trying to play them on a hacked console. I remember when Nintendo dealt with the Homebrew Channel on the Wii (which, let's be honest, the vast majority of people used for playing cracked software) with an "update" that bricked the system if the channel was detected. People started complaining, and Nintendo sent out a notice saying that they would repair any bricked console for free if it did not have unauthorized software installed; otherwise, they would charge you full price for the repair. As I recall, almost nobody got their console repaired for free. The safest bet is to use emulators on your PC.

To thread - I'm almost digitally exclusive. I have 2x 512gb microSDs full of games, one for smaller indies and one for the grunty ones (Switcher, I'm looking at you Mr. 30+GB). I have mk8d and botw physical, and I think that's it.

As a general question, with updates etc. downloaded is there any reason I couldn't play these well into the future? They're 'physically' downloaded to the cart and tied to my eShop / Switch account. It never even crossed my mind that at some point in the future they would stop working because I can't see the possible methodology?

Unlike my XBONE, which requires an internet connection to do anything (or at least did...haven't played it since 2018 - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) and runs a DRM check on boot, I haven't noticed any such behavior with Switch.

@BruceCM "Like I pointed out, it is possible to make a game insist on an update to play. So, if they want to, when they're closing the eShop, they can have that for every game"
I doubt they will ever do that. This is extreme anti-consumer tactic that will scare people away.
I have noticed that people hate DRM. Even the ones that buy games multiple times.

Only the most die hard gamers will stay and endure such practice if it ever occur.

Let us not forget the outcry when they announced thay for the Xbox One and they had to change thay in the last moment.

I mean what kind of person will stay and use such anti-consumer products?

I missed all that stuff before XB1, @Zuljaras .... Just saying, if you're able to consider the eshop disappearing so that you don't have access to your digital games, physical ones aren't actually any safer.
Yeah & they'll be cracking down on any sites hosting whatever the ISO's or ROMs are for Switch games, @Mountain_Man

@BruceCM I was stating my opinion

I just do not understand why there are people against physical. I have read even on this site people saying "I hope physical go away soon" or "the only future is digital". I mean I am a physical collector and I would never wish for digital to go away.

Those people act like those vegans that force you in their ways.

I simply want both to exist and that is it.

But most arguments on the matter are in either extremes.

Oh, I'm definitely not against physical, @Zuljaras .... But there's games that were available digitally quite awhile before anyone offered physical releases for them & plenty that still aren't getting them There's eshop sales, too & I was just addressing the apparent point about digital games disappearing when the eshop goes down, eventually

The only time i buy digital is when i can't make it to a store and want a game really really bad. I don't get why people say physical collections are too much clutter and they start selling their games or systems. What is your house so full of games that every room has stacks all the way to the ceiling? I've been collecting since i knew what videogames were and i still only have maybe less than 1000 physical games all located within a single room of my house. I don't see that as a problem.

You guys with every game released on every console just for the heck of it are the ones with a problem. If it's gotten to the point of getting a guest appearance on hoarders then yeah it might be time to go digital.

@Zeldafan79 Fair enough, just for some of us our house is one room

@Zuljaras I think there are more people on this site taking the stance. 'no physical, no purchase from me'. I see that comment a lot.

I think people being anti physical, are just commenting to annoy those who are anti digital. Apart from the environmental impact of all the unnecessary plastic, and money going to a 3rd Party like Game or Gamestop, what's the harm in a physical release.

I buy both physical and digital. I personally prefer digital, due to the convenience, and my wife would kill me if I filled the house with all the games I buy.

I normally prefer physical, but since COVID times, I like digital more. I hate waiting for hours to play my game. On the other hand, I hate getting up to change the cartridge. I’m divided!

@Zeldafan79 Agreed with most of what you said. I do very much prefer physical.
But, having said that, I also don't want to blindly stick to that, and deprive myself of some really good or cool games that just so happen to only be available in digital form, so even though I am predominantly a physical games owner and collector, I've by now also amassed a pretty healthy collection of digital titles, on various systems.