Poll: On the rumors around the Nintendo NX

[False Messiah]

So the rumors about the Nintendo NX will be Cartridge based are back. Neogaf user Atheerios has found new Nintendo trademark documents that include the term "video game cartridges" for the Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1238179&page=1

What are your thoughts about this? I would love it if consoles went back to cartridges, maybe with writable space on them so saves can be stored with the game and updates/dlc can be stored on the media itself instead on a hard drive.

 

[tippy2k2]

...maybe technology has advanced enough that it has re-overtaken the cost of disc but how in the hell could you have a cartridge based game with enough storage to hold everything that a modern game now needs?

Unless someone can answer that question, I'm going with a "there's no way in hell this is real" answer. It makes sense with handhelds since it doesn't require the same space requirements and by their nature, they're going to be portable and moved and discs don't work well in that environment but for a console, what is the pro Nintendo is getting out of it?

 

[circularlogic88]

I mean, I think that's smart from a design aspect where you're not reliant on an optical drive motor, so theoretically you'd be using less power for the system overall. However, knowing how Nintendo is always looking at ways to prevent piracy and have exclusive mediums which they are the sole proprietor and distributor of, I don't think this is going to endear them to many 3rd party devs who will have to buy Nintendo's carts to publish their games.

OT: yes, I would buy them.

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

...maybe technology has advanced enough that it has re-overtaken the cost of disc but how in the hell could you have a cartridge based game with enough storage to hold everything that a modern game now needs?

I thought you were use to it? Think, what is the device that uses plug and play, as well as being used as large data storage?

Spoiler

Same technology can be easily converted to used for such purposes.

That being said, I will go with no. Almost as plausible as using punch cards for games again.
Let's see the downsides.
1. Unpatchable.
2. If bricked you are f***ed.
3. too slow. Loading times will be asinine. Either that or prices for those will be insane.
You can only pick one - speed or price.
4. DLC?

 

[tippy2k2]

...maybe technology has advanced enough that it has re-overtaken the cost of disc but how in the hell could you have a cartridge based game with enough storage to hold everything that a modern game now needs?

I thought you were use to it? Think, what is the device that uses plug and play, as well as being used as large data storage?

Spoiler

Same technology can be easily converted to used for such purposes.

I get that the technology exists but my question is is that thing significantly more expensive for a company than a Blu-Ray disc?

According to the internet, Uncharted 4 takes up about 50GB of space. So you would need a cartridge that can handle (at least) 50GB of space on it. Again, maybe I'm wrong on this but to me, it would seem that a Blu-Ray disc would be far cheaper than putting the games on flash drives or other "cartridge" based media.

I know this is internet prices so I'm sure it would be far cheaper for a company to buy them but the cheapest 50GB+ Flash Drive I can find is $15 and while a 50 pack of 50GB Blu Ray discs is $100 (or $2 a disc).

I certainly can be wrong as I'm sure Nintendo has their own ways of constructing cheaper items than me buying it off of Amazon but a cartridge based media player just seems like it would not be all that cost effective with how big games are...

 

[Mr.Mattress]

Now I don't know if I believe anything from NeoGaf (right now, especially related to the NX), but I'm a huge fan of Cartridges. I'd be supportive of a new Cartridge based Console.

Of course, this could mean anything. It could mean that there's gonna be a Breath of the Wind 3DS port...

 

[DefunctTheory]

That being said, I will go with no. Almost as plausible as using punch cards for games again.
Let's see the downsides.
1. Unpatchable.
2. If bricked you are f***ed.
3. too slow. Loading times will be asinine. Either that or prices for those will be insane.
You can only pick one - speed or price.
4. DLC?

Those are all pretty much the same complaints one could say about discs. So... not quite as far a step back as you think.

 

[Fox12]

Oh, I'm sure third parties would love that. Lets add motion controls and VR, and while we're at it the game will only work if you stand on one leg while patting your stomach under a full moon. I swear, if Nintendo has been trying to build a wall between themselves and the rest of the industry, they've done an excellent job. They could teach Pink Floyd a thing or two.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

It wouldn't be that much a leap considering how flash memory has evolved leaps and bounds ahead of discs in terms of storage capacity. Heck, Nintendo has never moved away from carts with their handhelds. The one thing that makes me hesitate is that this would call into question is backwards compatibility. Nintendo has always been consistent with that starting with the GBC and the Wii. Why throw away all those years of games when there are still people who play them regularly (like Splatoon and Smash Bros.)

 

[circularlogic88]

It wouldn't be that much a leap considering how flash memory has evolved leaps and bounds ahead of discs in terms of storage capacity. Heck, Nintendo has never moved away from carts with their handhelds. The one thing that makes me hesitate is that this would call into question is backwards compatibility. Nintendo has always been consistent with that starting with the GBC and the Wii. Why throw away all those years of games when there are still people who play them regularly (like Splatoon and Smash Bros.)

Why not? They phased out the GB cart segment of the DS even though GB/GBC/GBA games still existed. I play my WiiU more frequently than most but I have no doubts that if they decide to ditch motion controls or a second screen function on the NX, I won't be able to play most if not any Wii or WiiU games, much like how the Wii eventually phased out GameCube compatibility with its later models. This is all speculation though, but Nintendo isn't above ditching prior software and hardware interface to promote their newer software and hardware.

 

[FalloutJack]

Can we nix the NX? I haven't given Nintendo much of a damn in a long time.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

I'd be surprised if they went cartridge, due to both costs and technical factors, but I also don't care since it's Nintendo.

Why doesn't this poll have a "Douglas" option for me to vote for?

 

[Tanis]

If they can pull it off?
I hope they do it.

Think how HOW MANY games NEED to be installed to your HDD because of load times.

I'd LOVE to see Nintendo bring to home consoles what they have in handhelds.

'Updates' and 'Patches' can still be on the HDD, but to have the original game...hell, maybe even some added space for updates, on the game itself?

FUCK.YES.PLZ.

 

[ScaredScorpion]

1. Unpatchable.
2. If bricked you are f***ed.
3. too slow. Loading times will be asinine. Either that or prices for those will be insane.
You can only pick one - speed or price.
4. DLC?

1) Cartridges have been patched in the past (Pokemon Emerald contained a patch for a bug in Ruby and Sapphire), I'm not actually sure how they did it. Besides, the entire thing wouldn't just contain ROM more likely it's just normal memory with software controlling if it's writable.
2) Same thing if a disc gets scratched. But if a cart gets bricked because of an update provided by the developer then they'll likely be required to replace it (Definitely by a lot of consumer rights regulations in various countries but possibly also by Nintendo as a condition of letting it on the system).
3) Actually the advantage of cartridge systems is you don't have to load anything, the cartridge is effectively used as RAM. Of course that requires the memory to be fast enough but I'll get to that at the end.
4) same as 1

If they do have carts I imagine they'll use some kind of flash memory (I've considered 3D Xpoint but that's only in development now so unlikely to be used for a while).

 

[Something Amyss]

Maybe it's just because I'm old enough to remember when cartridges were called "Nintendo tapes," but I don't make much of this.

Honestly, though, it does seem quite like Nintendo to move backwards while everyone else is embracing digital storage.

It wouldn't be that much a leap considering how flash memory has evolved leaps and bounds ahead of discs in terms of storage capacity.

Yes, but not storage capacity vs cost. The 3DS caps out at what, 4 GB carts? And those are aren't common, still. In fact, when I looked it up, it appears that the 3DS has a max capacity of 8GB and Nintendo has a soft cap of 2.

High-capacity cartridges are still mad expensive. If they're going for a system with a capacity of like, 4-8 GB, carts are awesome. If they want something comparable to a modern console, or even a Wii U, they need to go at least 25 GB.

 

[go-10]

while I don't like the whole cartridge system I guess it would make sense with the whole "works as a portable machine" rumor

I mostly only buy digital games so this won't affect me in any way but cartridge technology has advanced enough to where it can hold a lot of data. Sony has a tape that can hold 185TB (http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201404/14-044E/) and the cost is almost the same as a regular blu-ray disc so I don't think storage is really going to be the problem. The overproduction of cartridges though would drive up the price of plastic and other components that are needed to make a it, so eventually it won't be a cost effective measure.

 

[Yoshi178]

i hope it is cartridge based.

fuck load times.

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

3) Actually the advantage of cartridge systems is you don't have to load anything, the cartridge is effectively used as RAM. Of course that requires the memory to be fast enough but I'll get to that at the end.

That doesn't make any sense. Mainly because RAM prices are insane. Use few gigs and price will easily top $20. Only grace here is that cartridge may use inferior speed RAMs... because any RAM (DDR3 assumed) can outdo other data medium. However it will still be expensive.

Other factor that convinces me that it doesn't make sense is that cartridge is battery powered. What happens if it runs out?
Ha ha ha. You don't want to know.

Hint: RAM becomes empty without power.

 

[Yoshi178]

i hope it is cartridge based.

fuck load times.

Holy shit, Xenoblade NX without load times, that will be heaven.

Well Xenoblade X didn't have load times in the first place aside from cutscenes and quick traveling but yes, a cartridge based system will help them have a massive world with no load times even more.