Switch 2 updates episode 2

 We have an absurd amount of means of getting out information nowadays, and yet somehow Nintendo's communication with the public is as bad as ever. Literally every rumor and bit of misinformation out there is because Nintendo simply hasn't been clear in their messages to the public.

That being said, it does now appear the Switch 2 versions of Switch games actually DO contain the full game on cart, with those releases like Mario Party Jamboree and Kirby and the Forgotten Land also include the new Switch 2 content on the cart. That's a big relief for me.

Though I will say I'm very angry over Nintendo Breath of the Wild for Switch 2 at $70, WITHOUT the DLC included in any form. So they're re-releasing an 8 year old game but they can't even give you the DLC (that's been out for almost as long) with the Switch 2 version? So you have to pay $90 to download the DLC if you want that as well, and you can't get it all on the cart, even if you pay that.  Ridiculous. Nintendo has even released the BOTW + all DLC for the Switch all on a physical cart in the past in Japan/Asia.

 Damage already done. Not even scrapping them, just delaying. Every company now sees this policy is subject to change every single day for the next 4 years. He could wake up tomorrow and hear Fox News ragging on some random nation, tossing another tariff on that country. Companies will likely still adjust their prices upward on the U.S., assuming these tariffs, and possibly more will happen. Government by clown shoes from a guy with a "economics degree." 

I leaned heavily towards Sony during the PS3-early PS4 days. They lost me when their strategy shifted to a tiny handful of massive AAA games, abandoning nearly every past franchise, and their pivot towards digital.

Nintendo won me back in a big way with the portability and excellent third party support with the Switch. The Switch 2 rollout has been a mess, bit I'd still say Nintendo is better positioned against Sony and vastly better positioned against Microsoft (who I don't know will even make another console). Though I'm not happy with the key card BS, which I do think a lot of third party developers will opt for who otherwise would have released physical games.

Let's face it: Which game can you really still publish physically and get the full game on that medium? When was the last time you got a complete Game on a PS5 disc? I think the Key Card is a perfect solution to a problem that is not changeable anymore. Street Fighter 6 is even named Year 1 & 2! What happens when Year 3 and 4 are released? An update has to be downloaded and the game isn't complete anymore.

Now let's look at the economic side of this. The Switch 2 has new cartridges that have a faster reading speed, which makes them more expensive in production, especially at the beginning. I do think that this is a factor that is calculated into the variable price strategies that they've put in place. I'm not a fan of this method, especially for games like Bravely Default, which shouldn't get too much DLCs, but it's a thousand times better than a Code-in-a-Box-BS.

Nintendo ripped off the band-aid with MKW and it's 80$/90€ price tag, but we knew it had to come with all the rampant inflation around the world and this being the newest console that has to stay on the market for at least the next 7 years and has to be profitable in the long run. (GTA VI and 100$ says hello!)

Furthermore, Game development got really expensive and you can see that with MS and Sony, whom cannot hold their exclusive games exclusive anymore, as the budget ballooned so astronomically, that even 5 Million copies sold at 70 bucks isn't feasible anymore and puts them in the red. Nintendo doesn't want that and it would be their death sentence if they'd go 3rd-Party.

The price for the console also seems fair to me. If you look into the pc aftermarket, where you can "snatch" a 7 year old graphics-card for 250$ and how these chips just don't fall in prices anymore as they used to, we're stuck with ever rising prices of these high quality chips.

What would have happened if Nintendo raised the prices midgen for all games? Can you imagine the backlash that would erupt? Nintendo made some strange moves in terms of communication, but I think they're doing most things right here.  

Oh, they definitely do. I leaned heavily towards Sony during the PS3-early PS4 days. They lost me when their strategy shifted to a tiny handful of massive AAA games, abandoning nearly every past franchise, and their pivot towards digital.

Nintendo won me back in a big way with the portability and excellent third party support with the Switch. The Switch 2 rollout has been a mess, bit I'd still say Nintendo is better positioned against Sony and vastly better positioned against Microsoft (who I don't know will even make another console). Though I'm not happy with the key card BS, which I do think a lot of third party developers will opt for who otherwise would have released physical games.