GameStop CEO says Nintendo NX will use physical media
Still fancy the look of game cases on your bookshelf? Don't worry; Nintendo does, too.
After months of speculation and rumors, the fog around Nintendo's NX console's media has begun to thin. While we don't know if it will use optical media or cartridges, we do know it will use some form of optical media in addition to digital downloads thanks to information revealed during GameStop's recent earnings call.
According to VG247, GameStop plans to be intimately involved in circulating games for the NX. "I would say that the fact that there are rumours of that type just confirms for you that this is an important console for next year," per CEO Paul Raines. "It will have physical media, we will play a role in it, our pre-owned business will also play a role. So we’re excited about that."
Executive VP of GameStop International Mike Mauler added that the possibility of NX running on cartridges won't throw a wrench in how the company buys and sells used games. "The only difference would be on the refurbishment and pre-owned side. And actually, cartridges are much simpler to refurbish and repackage."
Mauler added that "there is somewhat a little bit of an advantage if it went in that direction on used," perhaps referring to the notion that smaller cartridges would come in smaller plastic cases, thereby taking up less shelf space and enabling stores to stock more titles.
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replyDavid Craddock posted a new article, GameStop CEO says Nintendo NX will use physical media
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Nintendo might also be sticking with physical media because their digital infrastructure still shows scaffolding. Like you, I also prefer buying games digitally. But until Nintendo figures out simple things like registering a new console and re-downloading my games and DLC simply by logging in and accessing my past purchases, I'll buy their games on physical media.
(I will also spring for the biggest, most ridiculous Zelda: Breath of the Wild CE they offer, so there's that.)-
I hadn't thought of it, but quite possibly that Nintendo has struggled with expanding into digital since it can (should?) involve becoming a technology house; which is not their core competency. I guess that's probably the safer strategy since doing it poorly would tarnish the brand instantly.
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Yeah. And honestly, buying games on physical media in 2016 is really not that big a deal. Games install rather than run from disc since DVD and Blu-Ray drives are slow enough to become bottlenecks for GPUs and CPUs, so it all comes to the same. And if people still want discs and boxes to show off, that's fine, too. I buy physical media for CEs I want, which is pretty much SoulsBorne and Nintendo games these days.
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Carts would be a better choice than optical media. Flexible storage capacity, faster access times, smaller form factor.
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Digital is an option on all platforms, day-one AAA releases included.
Reselling and trading is an expectation on consoles, which is why I don't think it'll go away. Part of why digital caught traction on PC is because CD keys were such an inconvenience. Tying licenses to accounts made things so much easier-
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all titles on PC and the three consoles (and 3ds / vita) are digital now.
like, every game released is downloadable on release.
at least in the US - i have no idea about weird japanese shit.
but yes - if you buy any console or a PC, you are able to consume everything via download if you want.
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And I believe Nintendo was first to go day-1 digital. It's been that way for a long time.
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Sony started their day-1 in Oct '12, and the Wii U launched with it in Nov '12. Looks like the 3ds beat them by two months with New Super Mario Bros. 2.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Super_Mario_Bros._2
https://www.engadget.com/2012/09/25/psn-day-1-digital-ps3/
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I wouln't expect anybody to go all digital any time soon after the epic shit-storm MS found itself in when they tried.
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Lol. Call it whatever you want. "A collosal p.r. fuck-up" is what I call it. And good luck trying that again for the forseeable future.
The Xbox One would require a persistent internet connection.
The Xbox One wouldn't play used games - you'd put in a disc, install it to the console's hard drive, take out the disc and it would effectively be useless.
http://www.techinsider.io/how-microsoft-bungled-the-xbox-one-launch-2015-8
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Yep, gotta maintain that Wii U (and presumably Wii) backward compatibility somehow. That feature alone is a huge selling point for many folks.
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Why even respond if only to threadshit?
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