Final Fantasy VII Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi has talked to Automaton all about Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards which have proven to be a hot topic online. Given the size of Final Fantasy VII Remake on the Nintendo Switch 2 it wouldn’t have fit on a traditional 64GB cartridge and Mr. Hamaguchi has spoken about the benefits of delivering graphically intensive games on Game-Key Cards, such as how the game data loads on the new and controversial format compared to a traditional cartridge.
“There’s simply no way around key cards in certain respects. If you compare loading directly from a game cartridge (containing all game data) to loading from the Nintendo Switch 2’s internal storage, the load speed difference is roughly double.
Some have expressed concern that multiplatform development may impose constraints not only on graphics, but even on game design itself. However, this is precisely why we didn’t choose a cartridge.
Our game design isn’t built around loading all data upfront, with nothing further being loaded afterward. Even during gameplay, data is constantly swapped in and out, and given that premise, the loading speed from a game card would inevitably be insufficient, leading to stress for the player. In addition, with currently available cartridge capacity, there is the practical limitation that the full game data simply wouldn’t fit in the first place.
However, as long as we can secure the high-speed storage read speeds such as SSD or UFS (on Switch 2), the design we’re aiming for becomes achievable within the scope of optimization for each platform. For the third game in the trilogy, we’re proceeding with development with the goal of delivering a large-scale experience similar to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, so please rest assured on that point.
In the past, when faced with practical issues related to load speed and storage capacity we couldn’t resolve, we had to decide not to release on Nintendo systems. However, Nintendo Switch 2’s performance is impressive, and with a key card format like FFVII Remake, releasing the games became possible. I believe the only thing I can do is continue to sincerely communicate that fact to users.”
Makes sense. PlayStation hasn’t ran games off of discs in generations for this same reason. Excited to double dip on Rebirth for the portability!
Collectors don’t care about game loading speeds, that’s a problem for the players. They just need to grow their personal Nintendo archive and publishers should recognize their traditions.
They could just release it only digitally if that was their main concern, seeing that a key card is just a digital release with an extra step. It’s not ownership, it’s not even the illusion of ownership.
Why release it only digitally when they could sell it in more places than only on the eShop? Wouldn’t that limit potential sales?
Some people like a box and a physical cartridge, so it gives you that. Also good for gifting the game, you have something to wrap up. It also allows players to resell the game or let friends borrow it (in a much better way than the virtual game card nonsense). So there are advantages vs digital.
Disadvantage – you need to insert the cartridge to play the game.
Exactly I do t know why people are so uptight about keycards. They are great in the sense that you can resell or give to someone else.
how is it not the illusion of ownership? lol
You can resell a keycard. While its digital, you can only play it when its inserted.
Game key cards are not hot topic. Its basically a small mistake on Nintendo’s part.
What you’ve got to remember is a lot of people( and I mean a lot of people) bought a Nintendo switch for its portability, but they also purchased it for its ideal platform for physical game collection, that includes Sony players too, so when this starts to get thrown out the window with switch 2 it’s upsetting for a lot of people. Don’t get me wrong key cards are better than just download only, but it’s not ideal and still won’t last forever.
Switch consoles are very popular for physical media, you’ve only got to start typing in a game on the ebay search bar that’s available on most platforms and the auto type always comes up with said game … switch first before other formats, but key cards will change this
Square and every other company are outting all of their games in ksy cards no matter the size. These people are full of it. It’s a Financial choice.
Steam Deck/SSD it is……..
But let’s be real.
These people treat FF like some majesty franchise, so they’re never going to scrub their games to fit on a cartridge/disc.
But what if other companies start acting the same way, even with the smallest indie games? Then physical media will REALLY be dead.
In that case, as long as the necessary storage devices (microSD and SSD) are affordable, abundant, and not proprietary.
But physical media is dead… Haven’t you realized it yet?
Look on PC: are there really still physical games for it? People complain about Nintendo key cards, yet they don’t complain about Steam, Epic Games Store, or GOG…
It’s just ridiculous…
Key cards are a compromise between physical and digital media, and I think that’s very good, but there will come a time when everything will be digital, it’s obvious.
Foi por causa de cartucho que FFVII não foi lançado pra N64 e a história agora é praticamente a mesma 🥲
What they should have done instead of key cards is game install cards, where the full game would be present on a much cheaper 128gb switch card, but would then require an installation to the internal storage, instead of a download. You would still need to use up your much of your internal storage like this unfortunately, but at least the internet is no longer required this way
The core issue here to me is the base storage of the switch 2.. 256 GB only the system UI takes a chunk and games like FFVII remake takes 90 GB, resident evil 7,8,9 coming in a week.. if all of them gonna be keycards then realistically I need 1TB storage SDexpress card expansion and they are not cheap.. and no deleting and reinstalling 90GB games everytime to save storage is not organic and a chore.. say that the switch 2 came with 512gb-1TB option and I can have 10+ games on the system at a time that would be reasonable
To my understanding , mind you its minimal at best, storage seems to be the real issue with keycards in that while you do have, technically, physical possession of the game, its on your storage drive in stead of a game cartridge.
That being said ive had more storage drives fail on me than game carts. Actually ive never had a game cart fail on me and at least one HDD stop working.
so doesn’t that make the real concern whether or not we have enough dedicated storage devices for these games?
and as youve said SDexpress cards arent cheap.
once the servers, where the game is initially downloaded from before it gets stored locally (if im understanding that correctly) are done with, and whatever drive you have the game saved on fails, they key card is useless. you either have to have access to the latest remake on the latest console or have access to another storage drive that you saved on.
so as the idea of the key card seems less of an issue with “ownership” today, it seems like more of an issue of accessing what i paid for in the future.
and that is something that, really, has existed since the begin of every purchase ever. and i get it, nothing lasts forever. but my atari 2600 has lasted almost 50 years WOW! playing mario kart 7 online with friends lasted…13?
so im still in the dark on how this works.
The cart itself is like a license verification key that tells nintendo its ok for this software to be downloaded and stored on this hardware?
so now when i boot the game, using this key card inserted in the console, it boots from the internal storage on the switch?
it only comes from nintendo servers that first time and then you have the game locally for as long as you long delete that software?
as long as you dont delete…*