Skellig Gra
Member
Sign me up, would be awesome if true. Disc drives are a relic at this point.
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Speculation based on trademark minutia: Nintendo NX to use cartridges
- Thread starter Smellycat
- Start date
Theanine3D
Member
Yup. The games themselves will be hybrid and cross-play, while the portable and console will still be completely separate devices with vastly different spec levels. That's my take on it.
You don't want a hybrid. It'd be the cons of both gaming experiences and the benefits of neither. Heavy, battery-draining, weak.
Now, a console and a handheld that share software is probably what you want.
lukeskymac
Member
It would be too expensive to have carts with both enough storage capacity AND speed to justify the switch. Not happening.
stan423321
Member
The only reason for that is that made it slightly harder to make a (hacked) DS talk with a 3DS card. They don't bother with region locking, they don't bother with N3DS/DSi/GBC exclusives, they won't bother now - if the shared media isn't the entire gimmick of the system, that is, they could easily disallow making platform exclusives. But even if they allow some, they'll just show an error.
Jonneh3003
Banned
I'm fed up of installing games on PS4 so sign me up! Didn't take long at all to fill up 500gigs.
Arthr2ShdsJcksn
Banned
NX using cartridges would be the biggest selling point for me, but only if they're NES or SNES formfactor.
Skittzo0413
Member
Except manufacturing cost of the media has little to do with MSRP.
Quoting my post about $40 3DS cards vs $60 Wii U discs:
Not really. I mean, sure, compared to old Wii/Gamecube games, probably most of WiiU games, but PS4 and Xbone have internal harddrives and they install part or all of the game to it, to make loading faster.
AFAIK most flash memory has read speeds in the ranges of optical media; you eliminate seek times, but actually reading the data is slow compared to an hdd.
Bots are better than you
Banned
Doubtful that cards will prevent huge-ass Day One patches, though. I always thought that games install pretty fast on PS4, now patches dl and installing on the other hand.
But the install times on XOne are the most dreading ...
Folk saying it's just about nostalgia are off the mark.
I bought nearly all my Wii U games digitally, so them being on discs didn't really effect me.
I am excited about the idea of cartridges primarily because it indicates a shared library between the handheld and console.
That and the home console will be smaller/quieter/better performing. Having to fit a disc drive into a home console requires a bunch of compromises that will be eliminated if you go cartridge.
I bought nearly all my Wii U games digitally, so them being on discs didn't really effect me.
I am excited about the idea of cartridges primarily because it indicates a shared library between the handheld and console.
That and the home console will be smaller/quieter/better performing. Having to fit a disc drive into a home console requires a bunch of compromises that will be eliminated if you go cartridge.
stan423321
Member
you know what would be cool, if they included some wiring in the case so that people who want their big cartridges could just enter the whole case into a separately purchased big slot. probably not going to happen, but it's nice to think about it
3DS games use a 75nm production node. Macronix is moving to 32nm soon though, right in time for NX launch.
Nintendo uses mask ROM (technically NROM) for their games though, which is generally cheaper than flash memory. 3DS do include a small pool of flash on the card for saves though.Obviously, I don't know the numbers, but I'll put this chart, ripped from the internet, this is a study of final consumer prices on computer memory. So, you see that by 2017, flash memory will cost to a final consumer (to you, buying from newegg or a store) about $1/10GB; imagine how much cheaper Nintendo can get flash memory that is read only. A non issue, really.
Vita uses flash memory for everything though (EEPROM) and just reserves space for saves.
Hybrid platform yes, hybrid device no. When Iwata denied NX being a hybrid he was referring to the latter, and basically telegraphed the former with the iOS and Android comparisons.
Jonneh3003
Banned
Yeah thats true actually, I'm constatly reinstalling games to make space but certain games stay on the drive simply because of how large their patches are.
TLZ
Banned
Really now?
stan423321
Member
Actually I think there are two types of 3DS cartridges. One has small flash or something for saves and a "fake ROM" chip that is Macronix specialty, one uses flash for everything. The latter is used in ex. Pokemon because of big saves and/or big amount of files. The idea was introduced with WarioWare DIY on DS, but that was a one-time deal while it apparently happens relatively frequently on 3DS.
I don't know, ask the pirates.
It's possible. I know DS games also used different memory types for saves depending on the size needed.
TLZ
Banned
That's not happening. At all.
Lights and Waves
Member
Can games launch off of SD cards?
They do on the 3DS.
:Motorbass
Member
3DS does this
stan423321
Member
Games can launch off everything.
On PC that is.
Actually I don't know what this question really is. Some platforms can (3DS), some can't (Wii except for the System Menu's autocopy shenanigans). Is it viable? Depends on the game I guess
TLZ
Banned
Gross, just gross. I'd be okay with if it's for the handheld games...
Why though? 3DS carts for instance look much better than these massive discs and save a lot more room too. Even if they go smaller size and closer to SD/micro SD cards it's better.
I'm done with discs tbh. They're so 90's. Not very reliable. I wish all consoles ditch them.
Already Torn
Banned
I'm basically expecting SD cards, maybe a little bigger. I think calling them cartridges is sort of missing the point.
fabricated backlash
Member
I really doubt it. The handheld yeah, the home console most def. not.
If anything I'd say the only cross compatible games will be the digital purchases, to give further incentive to go digital.
Physical library is separated, digital is shared.
If anything I'd say the only cross compatible games will be the digital purchases, to give further incentive to go digital.
Physical library is separated, digital is shared.
stan423321
Member
you know what would be cool, if there was a third party selling big carts into which you can put your small carts and then you could put the big carts into the big slot that you insert first into the small slot. probably not happening, but hey, it's nice to think about it
you know what would be even cooler, a speaker below the cart slot that would make it sound like the cart is spinning, due to some safety regulations, like with cars. probably not happening, but hey, it's nice to think about it
you know what would be coolest tho, ninny could make a cartridge that would have a disc drive! to be compatible with handheld version, the disc would spin outside tho. then I could put that on an nx handheld, put some sawblade onto the disc drive, and visit the white house like a boss
you know what would be even cooler, a speaker below the cart slot that would make it sound like the cart is spinning, due to some safety regulations, like with cars. probably not happening, but hey, it's nice to think about it
you know what would be coolest tho, ninny could make a cartridge that would have a disc drive! to be compatible with handheld version, the disc would spin outside tho. then I could put that on an nx handheld, put some sawblade onto the disc drive, and visit the white house like a boss
Too big for the handheld so missing the point of carts in the first place.
lukeskymac
Member
Did you seriously use 8GB SD cards with shitty bandwidth to make a point? For cartridges to have an advantage against installing from a disc onto an HDD like PS4/XB1 on a CONSOLE like the NX, you'd need both higher density and higher speeds than that. And that's REALLY expensive.
Gameboy sized carts would be my ideal. Maybe slightly smaller.
If Nintendo are going through the effort I doubt full console/handheld cross compatability would be something they'd limit to digital. It would be a selling point, and to limit its appeal for no good reason wouldn't make sense. "Hey retailers, sell the less appealing versions of our games", nope.
sixteen-bit
Member
bring back that nostalgic clack-clack of digging through carts
bobbychalkers
Member
If it circumvents longer load times and required game installing...I'm 100% cool with that! It also has the benefits of less moving parts, HD/Disk drive failures and a smaller box size all around.
digoutyoursoul
Member
And noisy drives
Hero of Legend
Member
No, guys, the NX will use karts. Mario Kart confirmed!
Pancakes R Us
Member
I wasn't very keen on the length of the Wii U, just looks odd.
stan423321
Member
Wii U has on-board NAND, it would not be shocking if they threw in something like that for use as a cache.
Also I just realized that when this gets officially announced the Retro VGS jokes will write themselves.
20cent
Banned
SD card transfer speed is worst than DVD/BD ? Whatever the SD format, SDHC,SDXC, etc, I don't think so...
Disc less reliable than carts... Do you use them as coasters or frisbees? :0
I've never had a disc crap on me, and my ps1 discs still work. On the other hand some of my carts, and sd/micro cards are dead.
As for space, yeah they're bigger, but the size of the cases are about the same nowadays, I don't see how you would be saving that much space if it made the switch, and if you're worried about space, you can allways get those cases to put all your games in. I have them for my ds/3ds carts, and my older disc games(psx/ps2/xb/gc).
Worldshaker
Member
Day one if true. I hate discs, and would love SD Cards/Carts.
lukeskymac
Member
Current gen consoles don't read from disc to run games. They're all installed to internal storage, which is much faster than all of those.
You can get 32GB micro SD cards with over 70MB/s read speeds for under $10 retail from major manufacturers. Now consider those are consumer retail prices and for a more expensive type of memory than what Nintendo uses for their cards.