Ex-Capcom Dev Defends Switch 2 Keycards, Says Physical Format Isn’t Always Longer-Lasting

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"Digital Goods, On The Other Hand, Don’t Have A Lifespan."

Story Highlight
  • Ex-Capcom dev defends Nintendo’s Game-Key Cards, saying they’re meant to protect the industry.
  • He says that digital media will outlive physical media in terms of lifespan.
  • Sugimori further defends Nintendo by saying this act isn’t out of greed, and they have insane cash reserves already.

With major corporations slowly moving towards an all-digital future, gamers are fighting back to preserve physical media. Nintendo has joined the all-digital club, with the latest Switch 2 handheld featuring a Game Key-Card, which acts as a digital key to download the game but does not store data itself.

As such, the Game Key-Cards have been attracting their fair share of controversy and pushback from gamers. Amid this backlash, a former Capcom dev has come forward to voice his support for Nintendo, saying that Game Key-Cards are meant to protect the industry.

Why it matters: Going all-digital risks the loss of media since not every file will remain relevant on the internet forever. Hence, physical media comes into play here, aiming to preserve these precious creations.

capcom nintendo game key card defend
Ex-Capcom Dev Voicing His Support For Nintendo

On X, Masakazu Sugimori stated multiple reasons why digital media prevails over its physical counterpart. Firstly, all-digital games are one of the strongest steps against piracy, as they prevent players from illegally downloading games.

Furthermore, he thinks that Nintendo raising game prices is a good step, so the rest of the industry, which is struggling with inflation, can follow suit. In essence, Nintendo takes the lead in the industry with the rest of the companies following in its footsteps.

Physical things always have a lifespan and will eventually break. Digital products, on the other hand, generally don’t have a lifespan.

Digital media isn’t the future and is anti-consumer. Recent times have only prepared gamers for a worse future where older games are rendered unplayable. The Crew going offline is a prime example, and to top it off, Ubisoft tells gamers to destroy the copies once a game’s license expires.

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Sugimori also dismissed the notion that Nintendo is doing this out of ‘greed’ and that they have enough wealth to keep their employees on the payroll until retirement, even if they stop selling everything now.

What are your views on Sugimori’s opinions? Let us know in the comments, or at the official Tech4Gamers Forums.

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