topsekret

@Automated_Unit_4937 Nothing can wake me up from my slumber on Game-Key Cards.

Awesome! Hopefully LRG will rescue Square Enix's Switch 2 catalogue from Game-Key Card hell.

@DKG-85 Depends on who you ask.

There was a news story several weeks ago about how Capcom considers key cards as digital sales for their financial reports.

Collectors like me consider them as closer to digital games rather than physical games.

But for this UK sales chart, they are just tracking games sold at retail, and key cards are indeed sold at retail. The sales chart doesn't really care whether or not the game is physically on the cartridge.

I don't see a "physical" PC version on Amazon UK either, and I doubt it was carried in any shops, so it has the same visibility problems as the Switch 2 key card. So it's not impressive that the Switch 2 "physical" is only 1% behind PC "physical." And I'm sure the digital PC version is crushing the Switch 2 digital version in terms of sales.

@AmplifyMJ Yeah, I'm wondering if it's basically a code in a box in a collector's edition or something. I can't imagine any publisher selling a physical PC game on a disc in this day and age.

@DKG-85 This is the chart for physical UK sales. The physical PC version outselling the physical Switch 2 version (even if just by 1%) is pretty pathetic. I didn't even know they still made physical PC games.

Game-Key Cards strike again. When will they learn that people who buy physical don't want Game-Key Cards?

On the flip side, very happy to see Daemon x Machine with 72% of physical sales on the Switch 2. Looks like Marvelous is being justly rewarded for putting the game on a real cartridge.

Because Square chose to screw over consumers by putting this on a Game-Key Card on Switch 2 and not offering an upgrade path for Switch 1 owners, I'll wait to pick up the Switch 1 version physically when it's on sale. Based on the price history on Deku Deals for the remake of III, it should hit $35 in less than a year.

@kmtrain83 I don't really care to get into a semantics debate, so I'll just say the way Sony and Microsoft "handled" this problem is better than the way Nintendo "handled" it.

@vitaminj "digital is the same price as physical because otherwise brick and mortar stores would go nuts and refuse to stock anything. And perhaps local authorities that look at monopoly situations would start raising eyebrows too."

I've seen this claim spouted a lot to defend high digital game prices, but I couldn't help but notice that physical versions of No Sleep for Kaname Date have an MSRP of $50, but digital versions have an MSRP of $40.

So I don't think this myth is actually true. Big companies just want you to think this so they can get away with much higher profit margins from digital sales.

Sony and Microsoft solved this problem a long time ago by allowing you to install physical games to the digital storage of the console.

Too bad Nintendo wasn't smart enough to think of that. That would also allow them to use a cheaper storage medium (like Switch 1 cartridges) for games that require an install. Cause the whole reason Switch 2 cartridge cost so much is the need to support much faster read speeds than Switch 1 cartridges.

Obviously, I'd still prefer running the games directly from the cartridge where possible, but installing games from a slower cartridge would have been a much better compromise than Game-Key Cards.

Best I can do is a 4 with all the Game-Key Cards. I'd probably give it a 7 if all the Game-Key Card games had real physical releases instead.

I like the idea of specializing the shooters a bit more.

Brella rework sounds interesting. Definitely more support-focused with better inking and more reliable chip at max range. Excited to give it a try.

Also hyped for the Douser Dualies buff. One of my favorite weapons. Picked it up again recently, so the timing on the buff is perfect. I think faster shot velocity is exactly what it needs.

@Supervideoman22 I haven't tested this myself cause I don't own the game, but I heard you can set your docked output to 1080p instead of 4k in the Switch 2 system settings to fix the performance issues, as the game renders at whatever resolution the Switch 2 is set to output.

And if you have a TV that supports 1440p, that would also be worth trying as it's possible the game may be able to hit that resolution at 60 FPS.

Good luck trying to sell this $70 Game-Key Card.

Since it's a Game-Key Card on Switch 2 and there's no upgrade path for Switch 1, I'll pick up the Switch 1 physical version on a deep sale. Square Enix needs to do better if they want my full support.

@flighty Yeah, those sorts of things require patches and those generally require dev kits. Though tbh, even without a Switch 2 dev kit, smart devs could do things like add simple resolution and framerate cap options to their games so that Switch 2 players could manually enable those settings.

@Sylamp Welp, there it is. I skimmed over that and assumed it was just specifying that it required a TV that supports that resolution.

I guess maybe 1080p docked is still an improvement over Switch 1? Maybe that was 720p...

@flighty 3rd party dev kits have nothing to do with these sorts of fixes. These fixes are from Nintendo fixing bugs with the Switch 1 to Switch 2 translation layer as part of the more recent system update.

That said, I do agree that fixes are coming at a much slower rate than I expected. It's like they just have 1 guy at Nintendo working on this now.

I'm still waiting on them to fix the issue in Raiden III causing the background music to cut out.

(Though I'm glad this update fixed issues with Melty Blood and Touhou Artificial Dream in Arcadia.)

@breach187 There's no "physical" release for FFT on Switch 2 anywhere except for in Japan, where it will be a code-in-a-box.

On the bright side, it is getting a real physical release on Switch 1 and a free Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack. So this is the most consumer-friendly Switch 2 release from Square Enix so far. I think this is worth supporting over the upcoming Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D and Octopath Traveler 0, which are on Game-Key Cards on Switch 2 and have no upgrade path.

Behold: Nintendo's genius plan to not send out dev kits and to instead tell devs, "just stick with Switch 1 lol."

And knowing Sega, if/when Lizardcube does get Switch 2 dev kits, they'll make a totally separate Switch 2 version on a Game-Key Card with no upgrade path for full price.

@Riku3456 Yeah, i also saw that the website said it's supposed to be 1440p on Switch 2 when docked. What gives, Nintendo? Was this webpage written by the same guy who wrote the page claiming that VRR was supported when docked?!

"Unsure if it'll be at launch, and my guess is it'll be a different version with different tech, sorta' like the 360 / PS3 & Wii / PS2 era, since some features of Requiem like ray tracing are focused on modern platforms."

Uh-oh, I'm getting Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop vibes from this...

@jolteon23 Yep, cancel your Switch 2 pre-order cause it's a crappy code in a box. Instead, get the Switch 1 physical and then download the free Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack. 👍

Hope this fixes more backwards compatibility issues like the last system update did. Though if it does, Nintendo should really be more forthcoming with this information instead of just leaving people to figure out what, if anything, was fixed.

@horizonisland I want it to happen eventually, though I think they should prioritize remaking/remastering the games that have never had official English releases first. (Still waiting on that rumored Genealogy of the Holy War remake...)

I would've purchased it at launch if the Switch 2 version got a true physical release. Or even if there was a free Switch 2 upgrade for the Switch 1 version (which is getting a true physical release).

But because of Square Enix's anti-consumer practices, I'm skipping the game for now. Might consider picking up the Switch 1 physical once it hits 50% off.

So bizarre, especially given that for the upcoming FFT remaster, they are offering a free Switch 2 upgrade. I've already pre-ordered the Switch 1 physical because of that.

Hopefully the bean counters at Square Enix get the message that they'll make more money by not actively trying to screw over their customers.

I'll echo what a lot of others are saying that the driving physics feel pretty stiff. Not nearly as good as Mario Kart.

Also, maybe this is just years of Mario Kart muscle memory, but not tapping the drift button to trick feels so wrong to me.

That said, I do really like the ring system. It's fun trying to collect 100 of them to hit max speed, and I feel like in this game getting that 100th ring to reach max speed feels way more impactful than getting that 20th coin in Mario Kart World. I think the visible speedometer also helps with that (Mario Kart should bring this feature back). I also like how you get punished for colliding with walls by losing rings.

Time Trials also have an interesting twist compared to the usual Mario Kart formula. Instead of starting with 3 boost items, you have to collect them on the track as you race. So you also need to incorporate picking those up into your route.

Gonna hold out for the Switch 2 physical. Hopefully they get it running at a solid 60 FPS!

@MysticWangForce Awesome, glad I could help! Video Games Plus is one of the best ways to get hard-to-find games thanks to their reprints, imports, and catalogue of limited print games.

@GrailUK There is a physical release from Limited Run Games, but preorders already closed July 27. Might have a chance to scoop it up later from Video Games Plus or something (they sometimes get LRG releases).

@Sylamp @Arawn93 Third parties are way more consistent about offering free upgrades from PS4 to PS5 than Switch 1 to Switch 2.

For example, Konami offered a free upgrade for Suikoden I & II HD on Playstation, but not on Switch.

Another example is Sega, who offered a free upgrade for Sonic x Shadow Generations on Playstation, but not Switch.

Both of these companies are expecting you to pay full price again for the Switch 2 versions, but are willing to give PS5 upgrades for the same games for free.

@coolioam Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of Nintendo's free patches improve texture quality. Their free updates generally just increase output resolution and/or frame rate cap.

Nintendo charges money for all of their full-on Nintendo Switch 2 Editions (which is what this is).

B-b-b-but nO oNe BuYs PhYsIcAl AnYmOrE!!!11!!1!

@TKundNobody If you already own the game either physically or digitally, then yes, the delisting doesn't affect you one way or the other.

But the point is, what about people that don't already own the game, but might be interested in picking it up in the future? Maybe they don't have a Switch yet. Maybe they don't know this game exists yet. Maybe they have it on their wishlist, but they don't keep up with video game news, so they miss the delisting announcement.

I've seen this first-hand in the shmup community. Last year, 3 classic CAVE games were delisted from the eShop. I frequently see new players asking for shmup recommendations on the Switch, and fortunately, because those CAVE games got physical releases, I can still point those people to the physical versions. Had those games not received physical releases, then it would be impossible for new players to enjoy them on Switch after the delisting.

@TKundNobody "I can’t see why this is worse for digital than physical?"

"Only the standard digital limitation: no second hand market applies here."

You answered your own question.

"But definitely Nintendo fans could take a look at Bloober Team"

No, I don't think I will. Put the games on real cartridges, then we'll talk.

@imgrowinglegs I've kinda come to terms with the fact that we probably won't ever get the original Sky trilogy on Switch, but at least we'll have the remake of the 1st game. And you would think that remakes of the other 2 will follow.

Cold Steel I & II are the ones I'm most concerned about since they came out 4 years ago on Switch in Japan, so it seems pretty unlikely we'll get them at this point. Guess it's an issue of Xseed (the company that did the original English localization) not being able to work out a deal with CLE (the company that did the Switch port in Japan) to split profits for a western release.

Awesome! I had a feeling we'd get this eventually given that Xseed brought over Felghana earlier this year. And in classic Xseed fashion, there's a nice day one physical edition!

Hopefully we eventually get the rest of the Ys back catalogue on Switch, along with Cold Steel I & II.

No Game-Key Cards in the top 10! Wonderful!

This is sounding like a great port. The only way Square Enix can mess it up now is if it's on a Game-Key Card.

Respect to the devs for holding their ground. I'm interested in Dark Deity II, but I'm gonna wait to see if there's gonna be a physical version. I'm assuming it'll get a Limited Run release like the first game.

@AmanPikon Unfortunate that the native Switch 2 version won't be available. I'm guessing the Switch 1 version will run at 30 FPS, which isn't really ideal, especially when competing against players on other platforms running at 60 FPS. Might still give it a shot just to get an idea for how the game plays to see if I'd be interested in picking up the eventual Switch 2 version.

@AussieMcBucket Yep, you got it.

Though one thing I'd like to clarify is that because frame rate is inversely proportional to frame time, how much of a difference 10 FPS makes varies drastically depending on the baseline. This is why when discussing performance optimizations, engineers prefer to measure changes in terms of milliseconds instead of FPS.

This is just a repost of some data from my last post, but I'll go ahead and add 120 FPS to the table:
30 FPS -> 33.33 ms / frame
40 FPS -> 25.00 ms / frame
60 FPS -> 16.67 ms / frame
120 FPS -> 8.33 ms / frame

Even though there's only a 10 FPS difference between 30 and 40 FPS, it's about an 8.3 ms difference in frame time.

On the flip side, even though there's a massive 60 FPS difference between 60 and 120 FPS, there's only about an 8.3 ms difference in frame time.

Essentially, the difference in frame time from going from 30 FPS to 40 FPS is the same as the difference in frame time from going from 60 FPS to 120 FPS.

@AussieMcBucket 40 FPS is more smooth and responsive than 30 FPS without being as difficult to maintain as targeting 60 FPS. It's basically a good compromise.

30 FPS -> 33.33 ms / frame
40 FPS -> 25.00 ms / frame
60 FPS -> 16.67 ms / frame

Higher frame rates are better because they result in smoother motion and lower input latency. But it's harder for games to target higher frame rates cause that means they have to finish all the work for a frame in less time.

The reason you never heard about 40 FPS on Switch 1 but are starting to hear people talk about it on Switch 2 is because it wasn't possible on Switch 1, but it is on Switch 2. The reason it's possible on Switch 2 is because Switch 2 supports 120 Hz display output, while Switch 1 only supports 60 Hz display output.

Framerate caps are implemented by essentially declaring how often the game will have a have a new frame ready compared to the display's refresh rate. (If the game updates at a lower rate than the display refreshes, the display will simply continue to display the old frame till a new one is ready.)

For a 60 Hz display:
1 frame update for every display update -> 60 FPS
1 frame update for every 2 display updates -> 30 FPS
1 frame update for every 3 display updates -> 20 FPS
1 frame update for every 4 display updates -> 15 FPS

For a 120 Hz display:
1 frame update for every display update -> 120 FPS
1 frame update for every 2 display updates -> 60 FPS
1 frame update for every 3 display updates -> 40 FPS
1 frame update for every 4 display updates -> 30 FPS

Essentially, your frame rate cap has to evenly divide the display output frequency, so because the Switch 2 supports a higher display output, it also unlock a new frame rate target that is in between 30 and 60 FPS in quality.

Based on the Digital Foundry analysis, they really need to fix VRR in this game.

@Pillowpants Not exactly hard numbers, but we do have an ordered list of the best-selling games on Switch/Switch 2 in the US for the month of June.

EDIT: [img] tag seems busted, so here's the link: https://i.imgur.com/vuek7e8.png

As you can see, all 5 true physical Switch 2 games available at the time beat out all the Game-Key Cards.

Good. Game-Key Cards belong in a landfill, not a library.

Doesn't matter how well it performs if it's on a key card. Ball's in your court, Square Enix.

Really hope it's a general Direct this time so we can at least get some nice 1st party physical games as palette cleansers between all the 3rd party Game-Key Card trash.

Ehhh...sometimes.

Nintendo really misread the room with their Game-Key Card initiative.

They also refuse to make it easier to let people play traditional tracks online with randoms in Mario Kart World (the patch that supposedly "fixed" the issue basically did nothing).

I wasn't super excited to pick this game up again (original still doesn't feel that old), but I'll go ahead and get it now to support real physical releases. Not like it has a whole lot of competition in that department on Switch 2.

The fact that small companies like Playtonic/PM Studios can afford to put the whole game on a real cartridge for $50 (same price as all the other versions) but Sega, Square Enix, Capcom, Bandai Namco, NISA, etc... can't is embarrassing. I will continue not supporting these greedy publishers on Switch 2.

@Dr_Awkward Game-Key Cards replaced real physical releases, not digital releases. Therefore, they should be compared to real physical releases to see if they are an adequate replacement (spoiler alert: they aren't).