Since Switch 2 launched, one of the hottest topics has been Game Key Cards – physical items which unlock digital downloads.
Critics have said Game Key Cards are anti-consumer, and Japan’s National Library has since decreed that they cannot be considered eligible for preservation, which stands to reason, as the Game Key Card contains no actual game data.
However, a Ubisoft staffer recently explained that one reason developers are choosing Game Key Cards is access speed. More recently, composer and former Capcom developer Masakazu Sugimori has waded into the debate on Nintendo’s side (thanks, Automaton).
Speaking on social media, Sugimori argues that physical items don’t have the longevity of digital ones:
“Do physical items outside of digital products last forever? Most of the time, they don’t, right? Physical things always have a lifespan and will eventually break. Digital products, on the other hand, generally don’t have a lifespan.”
Others would argue that digital items only last as long as they’re available online, and we’ve seen many quite recent games removed from circulation by publishers – which shoots a hole in Sugimori’s debate somewhat. However, he has a point; if digital games were made available forever, then they would certainly outlast physical games, which can be subject to wear and tear.
Sugimori also claims that Nintendo’s Game Key Cards are also a measure “against illegal copying”, as the data cannot be extracted from the cartridge and distributed online (it can still be extracted from the storage of the console it is downloaded to, of course). It also reduces the risk of Nintendo and other publishers holding excess inventory and potentially losing a lot of revenue, as Game Key Cards are far cheaper to manufacture.
“I feel that these moves are largely aimed at protecting the gaming industry and the digital entertainment industry,” he concludes. “It might be a bit too optimistic of a view, but the fact is that because Nintendo takes the lead, other companies can more easily follow suit to protect themselves.”
Greed is often cited as one of the main reasons for the Game Key Card initiative, but Sugimori disagrees on this point. “Do you think a company that’s already made that much profit would do this just to make even more money? Even if they stopped selling anything right now, they have enough cash reserves to support all their current employees until retirement (It’s so incredible it’s almost ridiculous).”
Sugimori composed music for the Ace Attorney and Viewtiful Joe series during his tenure at Capcom, and left the company in 2007 alongside Atsushi Mori, Kento Hasegawa and Masato Kouda to form DesignWave.
