20 votes

Virtual Game Card – Nintendo Direct 3.27.2025

15 comments

  1. [2]
    doogle
    Link
    Nintendo's gonna Nintendo, but at least this is better than the current system.

    Nintendo's gonna Nintendo, but at least this is better than the current system.

    7 votes
    1. bkbr
      Link Parent
      I feel like this new system is a bit more convoluted than what we have now, but we'll have to see it in practice once the update drops next month. Although I will say, having an actual family...

      I feel like this new system is a bit more convoluted than what we have now, but we'll have to see it in practice once the update drops next month.

      Although I will say, having an actual family sharing system now makes it a whole lot easier to share games compared to what we have right now...

      3 votes
  2. [3]
    EmperorPenguin
    Link
    Well, this is way too complicated for what it is. When I heard the news about this described in passing this morning, and had just seen a few of Nintendo's diagrams describing it, I thought this...

    Well, this is way too complicated for what it is. When I heard the news about this described in passing this morning, and had just seen a few of Nintendo's diagrams describing it, I thought this was a general way to re-sell or lend digital game licenses, and the local network restriction was to make sure people lent or sold games to people in their local community instead of to strangers online, which would make digital way more competitive with the freedom of physical while still keeping it limited. The name and UI make it clearly look like that's what this is.

    But no, this is just... a significantly worse version of Steam's family sharing plan? Just use Steam's implementation, it's WAY more clear what that is supposed to be right on the tin. Any one person in a family can play a game at a time, but if you want any 2 people to be able to play at once, you buy a second copy.

    6 votes
    1. [2]
      stu2b50
      Link Parent
      I say this as a serial abuser of Steam’s family share, it’s too abusable, and I’m shocked they haven’t cracked down on it. I suspect more developers will pull their games from being shareable as...

      But no, this is just... a significantly worse version of Steam's family sharing plan?

      I say this as a serial abuser of Steam’s family share, it’s too abusable, and I’m shocked they haven’t cracked down on it. I suspect more developers will pull their games from being shareable as time goes on.

      5 votes
      1. Gummy
        Link Parent
        Steam has cracked down compared to how it was in beta. My friends have a family share with 4 people in 3 states that is sorta grandfathered in, but ever since it has left beta we haven't been able...

        Steam has cracked down compared to how it was in beta. My friends have a family share with 4 people in 3 states that is sorta grandfathered in, but ever since it has left beta we haven't been able to add anyone and steam says it's because we aren't in the same household. Still a very abusable system if everyone lives in the same city though.

        2 votes
  3. stu2b50
    (edited )
    Link
    The local WiFi requirement is honestly a very clever to reduce abuse of the system, taking advantage of the fact that Nintendo owns the hardware. Categories where publishers want family share to...

    The local WiFi requirement is honestly a very clever to reduce abuse of the system, taking advantage of the fact that Nintendo owns the hardware.

    Categories where publishers want family share to occur: families of adults and dependents where the adults make all the money.

    Categories where publishers don't want family share to occur: groups of adults, blood related or not, who all have full time incomes.

    With the proposed system, adults and their children will be fine - they're dependents, of course you'll see them in person once every 14 days. Probably see them every day.

    5 votes
  4. Eji1700
    Link
    Seems more generous than I expected and a decently good faith effort to actually simulate the advantages of a physical product. Still wary as hell though

    Seems more generous than I expected and a decently good faith effort to actually simulate the advantages of a physical product.

    Still wary as hell though

    5 votes
  5. [3]
    Akir
    Link
    Wait a moment. You couldn't download games to any system with your account before? I almost never bought Nintendo's digital offerings, so this is a surprise to me.

    Wait a moment. You couldn't download games to any system with your account before? I almost never bought Nintendo's digital offerings, so this is a surprise to me.

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      stu2b50
      Link Parent
      You can, but your account can only be active on one switch. So let's say you own Odyssey and BOTW. There are two switches, one for you and one for your child. If your child plays your copy of...

      You can, but your account can only be active on one switch. So let's say you own Odyssey and BOTW. There are two switches, one for you and one for your child. If your child plays your copy of BOTW, you will not be able to play Odyssey (or any game from your library).

      9 votes
      1. hamstergeddon
        Link Parent
        This also extends to non-game apps as well! For example, if my kid is watching YouTube Kids on their switch with my profile (theirs doesn't have online pass or w/e), the only thing I can do on my...

        This also extends to non-game apps as well! For example, if my kid is watching YouTube Kids on their switch with my profile (theirs doesn't have online pass or w/e), the only thing I can do on my switch is play cartridge games. But also like...why on earth does YouTube even depend on Nintendos online service?

        6 votes
  6. trim
    Link
    This sounds much worse than my entire digital library being on my son's switch, and also on my switch, both at the same time, all the time, without issues.

    This sounds much worse than my entire digital library being on my son's switch, and also on my switch, both at the same time, all the time, without issues.

    3 votes
  7. [2]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. mayonuki
      Link Parent
      I don't think you have to load them one by one. This is completely based on assumptions, but I think you could essentially have as many virtual game cards loaded as you want at a time.

      I don't think you have to load them one by one. This is completely based on assumptions, but I think you could essentially have as many virtual game cards loaded as you want at a time.

  8. moocow1452
    Link
    This is an improvement for my situation, but I'd understand that someone who used to be able to download from one account to multiple devices is going to be a little upset. Also, local VPNs are...

    This is an improvement for my situation, but I'd understand that someone who used to be able to download from one account to multiple devices is going to be a little upset.

    Also, local VPNs are probably going to get a bit more popular.

    1 vote
  9. ackables
    Link
    Don't switches have that spot where you can load Amiibos using NFC? Seems like having more of a "tap your consoles together" system would have been less confusing than a bunch of menus with...

    Don't switches have that spot where you can load Amiibos using NFC? Seems like having more of a "tap your consoles together" system would have been less confusing than a bunch of menus with certain restrictions on how you can share digital games. It would also maintain the properties of physical game sharing where you have to meet with someone in person to share a game.

    1 vote
  10. Rudism
    Link
    Previously I think you could link the same account to up to 8 Switches, and you could download your full game library on to all of them. The only restriction is that only one of those consoles...

    Previously I think you could link the same account to up to 8 Switches, and you could download your full game library on to all of them. The only restriction is that only one of those consoles could be actively using your account at any given time.

    This new video says you can manage digital game cards between "up to 2 systems." Does that mean someone with more than two systems, who previously could move between them freely, now not only has to do a magic local networking dance any time he wants to move the same game between consoles, but also now has up to 6 Switch-shaped paperweights that he can't even put his digital games on anymore?

    Smells very Nintendo-y to me.

    1 vote