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[cw_sasuke]

Considering how much people are willing to pay for the Switch as it is, actually, that's a fine solution.

Im not saying that they couldnt get away with selling a higher priced Switch with bigger internal flash memory considering the current demand. For me as a customer it would be the worse choice. Ill always prefer just being able to expand my storage to fit my persona needs.

I rather spend 50 bucks on a 256gb card during a Amazon Black Friday sale or just use the 64gbcards i have from my LG phone/Samsung tablet instead of getting a couple extra GB of expensive internal flash memory,

I would understand the complain if it was some propitiatory expensive solution like we had on the Vita.....but micro-sd cards ? Everyone with a non-Apple phone, tablet or camera has them lying around...and if not you can get them for quite cheap nowadays.

Maybe the mindset is different in the US because of Apple marketshare compared to other devices but at least here in europe owning or having access them is a non-issue so im a bit surprised when people refuse to expand when the system is clearly built with that in mind.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

And this is why they should have included more memory for game installs. If Switch is supposed to be a modern console, it needs to storage space to back that up. 32GB is pathetic.

 

[Yazuka]

Give us the choice to buy those bigger games on a bigger card, with a higher price. I would gladly pay it. Other who don't want to pay more, can download the digital version.
Choices are always good...

 

[KtSlime]

I'm sure it will be a fine game, and I am in favor of fully functioning games coming on their media, however if some small part of this game needs to be downloaded so what? It's a sports game, and so probably won't be played after the next version comes out next year, and game shops will have stopped even buying back and selling the game long before Nintendo stops the server to download the additional content.

It's really not a big deal as some are making it out to be, however I guess if you don't wish to support this kind of business practice good for you.

MatrixMan.EXE: How many games did it take you to fill up your Switch?

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Give us the choice to buy those bigger games on a bigger card, with a higher price. I would gladly pay it. Other who don't want to pay more, can download the digital version.
Choices are always good...

The choice between a $60 download or an $80 cart is honestly not a very good one. It's also a decision that would likely harm retail relations with larger publishers, so don't expect it to happen very often.

I mean, almost every single physical game I buy now has additional content that I have to download. It's unfortunate sometimes, but that's just the modern industry for you. It's something I was able to accept quite awhile ago.

 

[mieumieu]

Give us the choice to buy those bigger games on a bigger card, with a higher price. I would gladly pay it. Other who don't want to pay more, can download the digital version.
Choices are always good...

This ignores the fact that bulk purchase is always cheaper. If the print run is too small the price would have been even more expensive.
Unless there is a service at GameStop or the likes where your games are burned into the cards on site. Something like what Blockbusters and Sega had before

https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/2b6iod/sega_and_blockbuster_had_an_on_demand_service/

 

[Caronte]

That's really awful, honestly. What's the point of buying a physical copy then?

 

[Gamezone]

That's really awful, honestly. What's the point of buying a physical copy then?

The point is far gone.

 

[mieumieu]

I doubt it. Zelda is the only Nintendo game bigger than 10 GB, and it's really only 13 GB. Maybe thanks to their handheld experience, but they know how to properly compress games.

I always see this and it is a grossly incorrect representation of game development.

Nowadays data compression is a standard process. You use your zlib or lz4, mp3 or ogg, H.264 or VP9, DXT5 or BC7.
Other than properly organizing data to avoid redundancy while minimizing seeks, there is no clever tricks that can magically same space.

The real reason is that Nintendo games usually don't have large FMVs, LPCM audio for the full cast, or 4k textures, as those are not what they priortize. When they do, they still end up with large games. Just look at Xenoblade Chronicles X.

 

[Stevey]

This seems ridiculous, they should either increase the cart size or provide storage in the console itself.

 

[KtSlime]

That's really awful, honestly. What's the point of buying a physical copy then?

The point is that it takes up less storage space than a digital download, and you can sell it once finished playing. Pretty much the same with all other physical copies.

 

[coughlanio]

I always see this and it is a grossly incorrect representation of game development.

Nowadays data compression is a standard process. You use your zlib or lz4, mp3 or ogg, H.264 or VP9, DXT5 or BC7.
Other than properly organizing data and how they are sequentially read, there is no clever tricks that can magically same space.

The real reason is that Nintendo games usually don't have large FMVs, LPCM audio for the full cast, or 4k textures, as those are not what they priortize. When they do, they still end up with large games. Just look at Xenoblade Chronicles X.

Of course there's special tricks. If you're using two different wood textures for a barrel and a box, you could use the same texture for both and save half of the space. Might be a poor example, but you see what I mean.

There's always tricks that can be used, and Nintendo tend to use much flatter textures to save space, which lends itself to the Nintendo look and feel.

 

[mieumieu]

Of course there's special tricks. If you're using two different wood textures for a barrel and a box, you could use the same texture for both and save half of the space. Might be a poor example, but you see what I mean.

There's always tricks that can be used, and Nintendo tend to use much flatter textures to save space, which lends itself to the Nintendo look and feel.

This you are right. Even when textures are already in a compressed format like DXT5, simpler textures can receive better compression rates in zlib/lz4.

But they are not 'magic' tricks. When you design a game from scratch you need to consider all of these, but when you port an existing game it can be much more difficult to achieve without sacrificing image quality.

This is what people praising small size Nintendo games won't get until they actually got to do the job themselves.

 

[boo]

For me this is simple: I will not buy a game if the entire game is not on the cartridge.

Nintendo and retailers better beware though. They will be confronted with angry customers wondering why the cartridge does not include the entire game. At least I hope they will.

I am actually surprised that there are some people defending this shit.

Customer satisfaction? No, let's go for corporate satisfaction instead. Use a smaller cartridge that include an incomplete game, make people buy extra storage to download the rest of the game, and thereby move the expenditure over from the publisher to the poor bastard being duped into purchasing an incomplete game.

I hope that people catch on fast, so that publishers trying to sell an incomplete game on a too small cartridge, and are not willing to pony up for a cartridge that can hold the entire game, will see their sales crater.

 

[mieumieu]

For me this is simple: I will not buy a game if the entire game is not on the cartridge.

Nintendo and retailers better beware though. They will be confronted with angry customers wondering why the cartridge does not include the entire game. At least I hope they will.

I am actually surprised that there are some people defending this shit.

Customer satisfaction? No, let's go for corporate satisfaction instead. Use a smaller cartridge that include an incomplete game, make people buy extra storage to download the rest of the game, and thereby move the expenditure over from the publisher to the poor bastard being duped into purchasing an incomplete game.

I hope that people catch on fast, so that publishers trying to sell an incomplete game on a too small cartridge, and are not willing to pony up for a cartridge that can hold the entire game, will see their sales crater.

Yes, this is my baseline too.

I can accept hires texture packs, multiplayer DLC, etc. because you still have your base game intact (and you need Internet to multiplay anyway). But locking content on the Internet is a no-go.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing 64GB in a model sooner than later.

64GB base is still pathetically small. Let's go with iPhones and have 256GB. Faster than external storage too!

 

[KingBroly]

And this is why they should have included more memory for game installs. If Switch is supposed to be a modern console, it needs to storage space to back that up. 32GB is pathetic.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing 64GB in a model sooner than later.

 

[Aureon]

Nintendo typically has very efficient code, so their file sizes are pretty small. Wasn't Mario 3D World like only acouple GB?

Heavily stylized games are much, much, much smaller than photorealistic games which pack detailed models, tons of textures (including metallic\specualar\AO maps), lightmaps, etc. And obviously, tons of voice work.
You can't really compress data that well. There's no way to make xcom2 a 2gb game, no matter how skilled you are at packing textures and shit.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

64GB base is still pathetically small. Let's go with iPhones and have 256GB. Faster than external storage too!

You aren't getting this for $299. 64 GB is probably the best you'll get at that price point.

 

[mieumieu]

You aren't getting this for $299. 64 GB is probably the best you'll get at that price point.

Of course not at 299. Have a tier model like iPads too!

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Of course not at 299. Have a tier model like iPads too!

I'm sure a premium Switch will happen eventually, but it's going to need to offer more than increased internal memory. It's not expensive at all to greatly increase your current storage with a microSD card.

 

[cw_sasuke]

I have a feeling we'll be seeing 64GB in a model sooner than later.

I doubt it - they want people to expand the storage via micro sd if they need to...not have people thinking that installing multiple big games on the internal storage is the way to go.

Then again who knows what might be 2-3 years from now - i still dont think that any gamer who regularly uses his Switch will be able to get through without using a micro sd card at some point. The system is built around micro-sd support.

 

[nightside]

Before the switch launch didn't they say that the carts could go up to 128 Gb?

Anyway the idea that Nintendo should have gone with much higher internal memory is kinda pointless. I mean, it would be cool to have 128 Gb on board from the beginning but not only it would have made the console waaay more expensive but rather impossible to find due the nand shortage.

 

[ggx2ac]

Before the switch launch didn't they say that the carts could go up to 128 Gb?

No, you must be confusing it with the microSDXC card storage which can go upto 2TB.

 

[AzaK]

For a few dollars more they could have had so much more storage inside, or for a few cents and bulk buying they could have given users a 32-64GB card in the box.

 

[Santar]

And there goes the reason to buy those games on cartridges.

 

[jts]

Oh no.

This is just like day 1 10GB patches. Nintendo has caught up to the market.

 

[FreedomFighter]

Is it too late to change the box art to Kyrie in a Celtics uni?

 

[Xando]

This was always gonna happen.
Either pay more for a expensive 64GB cart or only have part of the game on the cart and download digitally.

Nintendo is not willing to eat the additional cost of bigger carts and third parties sure as hell won't.

Oh no.

This is just like day 1 10GB patches. Nintendo has caught up to the market.

More like 30GB day one patch

 

[jts]

This was always gonna happen.
Either pay more for a expensive 64GB cart or only have part of the game on the cart and download digitally.

Nintendo is not willing to eat the additional cost of bigger carts and third parties sure as hell won't.



More like 30GB day one patch

Has the download size been told? I'm assuming if they aren't using a 32GB cart they are at least using a 16GB one, which to the 25GB I read about the filesize of this game, would be about 9-10GB.

 

[Lonely1]

And this is why they should have included more memory for game installs. If Switch is supposed to be a modern console, it needs to storage space to back that up. 32GB is pathetic.

This is a technological barrier and reality of handheld hardware vs stationary one, IMHO. 64GB would have been better than 32, that much is true. But It wouldn't have done much to close the gap in the big schemes of things when the target platforms have 1TF drives.

Even in the PC realm, 256GB SSD are starting to become insufficient when you need 160GB free just to patch Gears of Wars 4.

 

[Xando]

Has the download size been told? I'm assuming if they aren't using a 32GB cart they are at least using a 16GB one, which to the 25GB I read about the filesize of this game, would be about 9-10GB.

Last years version was 47GB at release and is close to 60GB with patches.
SInce Switch is feature complete and is based on the same engine it should still be around 40-45GB without patches

 

[Shiggy]

Last years version was 47GB at release and is close to 60GB with patches.
SInce Switch is feature complete and is based on the same engine it should still be around 40-45GB without patches

The devs said its around 25GB on Switch.

 

[ggx2ac]

Last years version was 47GB at release and is close to 60GB with patches.
SInce Switch is feature complete and is based on the same engine it should still be around 40-45GB without patches

Game Informer interviewed the devs, they said they are getting the game down to 25GB in size by release date.

 

[pokéfan]

Luckily I brought a 128GB micro SD card while it was on sale during Amazon prime day. Not really bothered by this move, if any game needs additional storage my Switch is ready. I usually buy my games physically, unless there's heavy discount on the Eshop, so pleanty of space.

 

[Xando]

The devs said its around 25GB on Switch.

Game Informer interviewed the devs, they said they are getting the game down to 25GB in size by release date.

Did they say where the missing storage compared to PS4 version comes from?

Interested in buying this on switch, i know it has some lower quality assets but 25GB in lower quality assets?

 

[tsab]

The announcement by Nintendo is what I (want to) believe a temporary measure, as gaffers mentioned the 64GB chips will drop in prices and probably they would want to go this route instead.

I am not a fan of this practice but we are talking about a basketball game. I don't think Fifa or NBA 2k with their are yearly releases are considered collectable by most gamers. Maybe that's the reason I am not pissed right now for this practice but it makes lending/borrowing NBA 2K a little bit of a hassle.

A little bit of topic, anyone remember the 3DS' final cart capacity and if a game used it?

 

[Hermii]

The announcement by Nintendo is what I (want to) believe a temporary measure, as gaffers mentioned the 64GB chips will drop in prices and probably they would want to go this route instead.

I am not a fan of this practice but we are talking about a basketball game. I don't think Fifa or NBA 2k with their are yearly releases are considered collectable by most gamers. Maybe that's the reason I am not pissed right now for this practice but it makes lending/borrowing NBA 2K a little bit of a hassle.

A little bit of topic, anyone remember the 3DS' final cart capacity and if a game used it?

Actually the game is 25gb, but they are using 16gb carts to save costs.

 

[ZombiePlatypus]

Why can't we have games spanning multiple carts outta the box like they did with discs? Does cart tech not allow this?

 

[Hermii]

Why can't we have games spanning multiple carts outta the box like they did with discs? Does cart tech not allow this?

Carts are much more expensive to produce.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Why can't we have games spanning multiple carts outta the box like they did with discs? Does cart tech not allow this?

That wouldn't be cheap. 2K wouldn't even need to do that with this game, as they're apparently not using a 32 GB cart. They simply don't want to eat the extra cost and they're not willing to charge more than $60.

Once Switch cartridge costs come down, more devs will be able to use 32 GB carts without much issue.

Are we sure about that?

The IGN article didn't confirm anything, that's why I was looking around like the Game Informer article where they interviewed the devs but there was no mention about the physical version not having the full game.

Well, if that's true, disregard a portion of my response earlier.

 

[ggx2ac]

Actually the game is 25gb, but they are using 16gb carts to save costs.

Are we sure about that?

The IGN article didn't confirm anything, that's why I was looking around like the Game Informer article where they interviewed the devs but there was no mention about the physical version not having the full game.

 

[-shadow-]

So they could have gone for a 32GB size cart, they just chose not to? Well good thing I wasn't planning on getting this, because that would've killed the deal.

A little bit of topic, anyone remember the 3DS' final cart capacity and if a game used it?

8GB, but I think Revelations is still the biggest games with 4GB cartridges.

 

[Maintenance]

 

 

[tsab]

Actually the game is 25gb, but they are using 16gb carts to save costs.

I know. I edited my post a few times and this was lost

 

[Shiggy]

So they could have gone for a 32GB size cart, they just chose not to? Well good thing I wasn't planning on getting this, because that would've killed the deal.


8GB, but I think Revelations is still the biggest games with 4GB cartridges.

I believe the largest is Xenoblade Chronicles with 3.68GB, followed by Bravely Default with 3.24GB. Resident Evil was just 3.15GB.

4GB is also the largest size that is available.

 

[ggx2ac]

Well, if that's true, disregard a portion of my response earlier.

The problem is whether the statements in the article were referring to needing an SD card because post release content will be very large or the worst case scenario, NBA 2K18 couldn't be put on a 32GB game card despite being 25GB.

That's why further clarification is needed, the NoA rep didn't confirm that 2K went cheap.

 

[-shadow-]

I believe the largest is Xenoblade Chronicles with 3.68GB, followed by Bravely Default with 3.24GB. Resident Evil was just 3.15GB.

4GB is also the largest size that is available.

I completely forgot about Xenoblade being a thing, I own it but I still associate it with the Wii. And is Bravely Default that big? How!?

 

[KtSlime]

Only difference is that they don't come with 32GB.

There is one other difference, all games on the HD consoles have mandatory installations, and Switch only needs to provide storage for downloaded games, updates and additional content.

If you take the average required installation of a game on an HD console and calculate how many instances can be installed on the 500gb HDD, and compare that to the average space required for updates on Switch games and calculate how many instances can fit on the 32GB internal storage, that would give you a much better idea of how their storage solutions compare in real world usage.

My guess is that both the 500GB PS4 and the 32GB Switch can hold somewhere around 20 games (excluding small downloadable ones) without needing additional storage based on typical expected usage.

 

[frankie_baby]

Looks to me like a terrible article, based on a press release about an SD card partnership deal and throwing in unfounded speculation about nba2k18

 

[L.O.R.D]

Switch has 32GB game cards.

Switch has 25GB of usable internal storage.

So the only way you can ever 100% NEED an SD card if if the game is over 57GB.

Ja?

what if the publisher is using 8GB or 16GB card to cut the cost?
i know switch can use 32GB cards,but that is up to the publisher.