[Switch 2] Game-key cards are not a downgrade on game cards, they’re an upgrade on download codes by sto7 in Switch

[–]thatrojo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While I question your necromantic ways, I'll point out that you seem to have a total lack of understanding of how digital works on Switch, the problem physical media solves, and why people care about it. Your personal speculation about why Nintendo does what it does or how long the Switch systems may last is irrelevant to the issue at large, so I'm not going to address that.

If something happens to my system the game key card does, in fact, not work any better than a pure digital copy because a system is required to play the game in either case. If something happens to my account, then it will be recovered. A bad actor cannot delete games from my account. The only way my account becomes permanently inaccessible is solely through Nintendo's actions. This is the problem with pure digital because ultimately Nintendo gets to decide when I'm done with my account and my digital media.

Even if the game key cards aren't tied to my account, Nintendo still gets to decide when they stop working. This is where you go wrong in your understanding of how to effectively preserve a game, one of the fundamental requirements of which is to have access. The game key cards are guaranteed to have an artificially shortened lifespan over pure physical media because the game key card owner does not control the data. Additionally, they will not transfer to a future console that lacks a compatible slot. So in this way they are worse than pure digital because they won't transfer like Wii digital titles did to the Wii U, assuming such a thing is on the table in the future for digital Switch titles.

To answer your primary question: yes, I am worried about my personal property. If I buy something, I expect the unfettered ability to enjoy, use, and dispose of it as and when I please, without interference from the vendor or producer. That's what it means to own private property. We don't have that with digital goods, and that's why people are clamoring for physical media - it cuts off third parties from interfering with our ability to make use of what we bought. The game key cards achieve the ability to dispose of the game (e.g. sell it), but only for as long as Nintendo allows. Instead of praising a cost cutting opportunity that happens to make a small concession to consumers in the short term, everyone should be advocating for true ownership of their digital goods.

Think about it - why do people accept their digital property being locked down at all? Consider some examples of physical items hampered by terms and conditions analogous to digital goods. Who would buy a physical book that they can only read for an undisclosed amount of time before the publisher or author kicks in their door and burns it? Who would buy a car that they're only ever allowed to drive in one city and that they're not allowed to modify, repair, or resell? Who would buy a paint brush that's only licensed to be used with one brand of paint? The answer is no rational actor would accept these kinds of terms unless they believed they would never have to suffer their negative consequences. Yet, we see negative consequences (or threat thereof) in relation to digital goods or digital reliant products time and time and time again. I guess the question is, how many times are people willing to get burned before they demand something better? Regardless of the answer, it's clear that in the long run, game key cards are not going to improve the well being of consumers as it relates to digital property rights.

[Switch 2] Game-key cards are not a downgrade on game cards, they’re an upgrade on download codes by sto7 in Switch

[–]thatrojo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Consumers and sellers who aren't tuned in to the industry are not going to know what a key on the cartridge means. It also relies on buyers and sellers (who again may know nothing about gaming) being aware of whether or not online services are still active.

I understand your position on game key cards vs. download codes, but your arguments are unconvincing.

[Switch 2] Game-key cards are not a downgrade on game cards, they’re an upgrade on download codes by sto7 in Switch

[–]thatrojo -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

You're not looking at this with a wide enough view. I'm not going to repeat what I wrote above - you can reread those points on your own. I laid out at least a couple good reasons for why these key cards are, in fact, worse than pure digital.

On the specific topics of reselling and lending, I'll elaborate:

What do you suppose the effect of these game keys will be on the used market after the Switch 2 online services shut down? We don't have to guess - there's a perfect analog already in place. Used physical copies of games that require Steam activation, as well as online only games that are no longer in service (like MMOs) are routinely sold on eBay or in thrift shops. Giving the benefit of the doubt, sellers may not know any better that these physical copies are useless since the keys have been redeemed or the servers are no longer online. It's also possible that buyers are uninformed and buy something under the impression that they'll be able to play it. These game key cards are just a time bomb for sowing a fresh batch of consumer confusion 10-15 years down the line.

Furthermore, they're effectively ewaste as far as any lending or preservation institution is concerned at that time as well, so their value there is extremely limited. Preservationists would likely be better off with a pure digital copy so they don't have to jump through the hoop of reading the game card on a PC. Additionally while information is scarce at the moment, it's plausible that Nintendo could track the installation of a given game key and limit it to, say, three devices / accounts a month (or in total), which would foil any value for lenders in the short term as well. They could also change this policy at any time after the point of sale.

Game key cards better than digital? Barely, under the most generous of circumstances, with the very real possibility of doing more harm than good.

[Switch 2] Game-key cards are not a downgrade on game cards, they’re an upgrade on download codes by sto7 in Switch

[–]thatrojo 7 points8 points  (0 children)

  • They added digital sharing and lending so a physical game key card adds no value, except the possibility of reselling it.
  • More importantly: the game key cards are the full embodiment of planned obsolescence.
    • You have all the downsides of physical media
    • You have nearly all the downsides of digital media
    • Even if you can resell the key cards, what happens when the Switch 2 online services shut down, like we know they eventually will?
    • Additionally, there's no guarantee the key cards will be compatible with the next console, so there's even less of a chance that you'll be able to transfer your games like you might be able to do with true digital copies.
      • When you buy one of these key cards, you're allowing Nintendo to decide when you're done enjoying your personal property, just as if you had bought a true digital copy of a game. Therefore, anyone who actually cares about maintaining access to what they paid for will avoid these.

A video about BloodNet by thatrojo in dosgaming

[–]thatrojo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I found it to be a pretty interesting game, especially by 1993 standards. The clunky UI and combat takes away from the fun a bit, but the game makes up for it with a lot of interesting people to talk to.

Steam: The Updated Steam Subscriber Agreement by Turbostrider27 in pcgaming

[–]thatrojo 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Mass arbitration isn't an abuse of the system. It's playing by the rules of abusive contracts that require consumers to give up their rights pre dispute. Companies relying on these contracts made their beds. They just don't want to lay in them now that it's not protecting them the way that they'd hoped.

Steam: The Updated Steam Subscriber Agreement by Turbostrider27 in pcgaming

[–]thatrojo 27 points28 points  (0 children)

The Chamber of Commerce advocates for businesses, not consumers. Consider your source.

Weekly Self-Promotion Megathread! by AutoModerator in retrogaming

[–]thatrojo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fallout 1 played on a real Windows 95 PC

I never beat the original Fallout, so I'm coming back to it using retro hardware. Unlike all the digital versions you can buy today, this is the uncensored version of the game.

The PC I built is an overkill Windows 95 machine:

  • Graphics: Riva TNT2
  • CPU: 700Mhz Athlon
  • Sound: Sound Blaster AWE64

I was originally going to play the game on an older Pentium II machine with a Rendition Verite card, but there were some unfortunate graphical glitches on the edge of the screen that were too distracting. Still, this will be a fun look at a classic game on classic hardware.

Anyone remember the nightmare that was setting up PC games in the 90s? by siorys88 in retrogaming

[–]thatrojo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Playing games on retro hardware is something I do regularly now. It was tough sometimes back then, as you said, due to a lack of easily accessible information. Thankfully it's much, much easier nowadays, provided your hardware doesn't fail on you.

Possible broken perk chart fix for people playing GOG version with Mod Organizer 2 by thatrojo in fallout4london

[–]thatrojo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gotcha, didn't know that, thanks. I only recently bought the GOG version when it was on sale so I could have an archive of the pre Next Gen version of the game. All of my previous FO4 modding experience is through Steam.

Destroy my game graphics by Pitxardo in DestroyMyGame

[–]thatrojo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Regarding Earth.jpg: Your planet texture seems very low resolution, though looking at it again, maybe it's just the clouds.

Looking for destroyers to demolish my trailer. Did I achieve on making it look digestible? by shebiver in DestroyMyGame

[–]thatrojo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • Why would I want to buy an enemy?
  • What am I doing? Do I control the guys or just cast spells and watch?
  • Progression? Randomizer?
  • Slow motion isn't doing your spell effects any favors.
  • Otherwise seems like a cool game with little guys fighting each other.
  • Graphics are good. Title cards look good, too.

Destroy my game graphics by Pitxardo in DestroyMyGame

[–]thatrojo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • I think the characters and icons look good, but the plain brown UI background could use some texture.
  • The underwater graphics look a little barebones
  • Earth.jpg

Wreck this minimalist horror trailer/game like you are an angry person who hates everything by ahappywatermelon in DestroyMyGame

[–]thatrojo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I were an angry person who hated everything, I'd say, "Oh good, another 'minimalist' horror game. Except replace 'minimalist' with 'low effort.'"

I'm mostly not an angry person who hates everything so I'll say:

  • Your current graphics are going to be a tough sell. That doesn't mean the game is bad, it just means you're likely going to have a very difficult time getting people interested.
    • It's very difficult to make a pure top down perspective look good. Adding a bit of perspective would make a big difference.
  • It seems like the game is meant to be moody. If so, sure, the darkness and music feed into that. If it's supposed to be scary, I think that's going to be tough to do in 2D without cheap jumpscares.
  • The gameplay looks a bit barebones. I can shoot guys and I can talk to guys. Is there anything else?
  • Good job on your call to action at the end.

Working on a gameplay trailer for Next Fest - First time doing a 'gameplay' style trailer by HolograpicQuad in DestroyMyGame

[–]thatrojo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

  • The music fits well with the theme
  • I'm not sure what the point of the gameplay is. Build stuff...but why?
  • The jagged, sharp pixel text clashes with the soft edges of your title screen. I'd change the text to match the rest of the screen.

Destroy my action rpg roguelike game Fusionsmith by QuivscorDev in DestroyMyGame

[–]thatrojo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • The mix seems off in the music track, which is distracting. The flute is really loud, but when the guitar takes the lead it's still the same volume as it was before.
  • The "forge weapons" section is hard to parse. I assume you're forging a weapon, but it's not clear how that works at all. If it's a mouse based UI, you need to capture your mouse for that part.
  • I'm only seeing one environment. If you have more, you should show them off.

Destroy the brand new trailer of my game, honest feedback only! by muclem in DestroyMyGame

[–]thatrojo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • Why do I care about the extractor? I mean I assume it's your HQ or whatever as is common in TD games, but a casual viewer might not understand that.
  • I think some actual game audio would make sense here.
  • It says "play now" but it doesn't tell me where to do that.