The Switch 2’s controversial Game Key Cards will likely forever be a topic of discussion until Nintendo either does away with them or finally allows for installation from cartridges to circumvent data read speed issues. The biggest argument in their favor came from a Ubisoft developer who stated that Star Wars Outlaws simply would not be possible on the platform reading from a cartridge, which makes some sense given the raw numbers behind it. Still, we haven’t seen anyone go to bat for Game Key Cards quite like ex-Capcom composer Masakazu Sugimori.
Speaking on Twitter, Sugimori offered his take on the whole debate, and stated, “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.” While that isn’t entirely true (you cannot play Ubisoft’s The Crew anymore whether you owned it physically or digitally), there is some logic here. Once a physical game goes out of print, it becomes difficult to track down a copy, whereas a digital one can be purchased whenever as long as it’s not delisted. Sugimori’s next claim, however, feels a bit hyperbolic.
“I feel that these moves are largely aimed at protecting the gaming industry and the digital entertainment industry,” he said after explaining how Game Key Cards prevent digital piracy — which also isn’t true. “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.” He then goes on to state that companies making X amount of profit wouldn’t employ a tactic just to make even more money, though history has shown us this is categorically false.
Again, there is some logic to what Sugimori is saying, but a lot of his argument seems to be based on good faith. We already know that companies will sell your personal information for money if given the chance and no one is above raising prices to absurd degrees just to make a few more cents. There is no reason to assume Nintendo is trying to protect anyone with Game Key Cards. Even if there is a technological reason for their existence (such as read speeds), Nintendo could have come up with a better solution than a fake cartridge that doesn’t offer anything on it.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
