Nintendo 3DS to Liberate Gamers from Evil Cartridges

[slopeslider]

The 3ds game will come with ONE installation code in the commercial packaging next to the manual. You connect to nintendo's network, enter the code, register the ONE install to your ds, then install it from the slot.
The code is used and registered to your ds, you can no longer install that specific copy unless you get another code from buying the retail game. At best you can install the game to yours and let a friend use the cartridge.

If you need to transfer the code to a new 3ds xl or whatever, you go back to your first ds and go to nintendo's site, they will uninstall the game from your current ds and you may use the code for a new ds, but only 1 time per model. Anything else and you need your original cartridge. You should have those anyway unless your sharing games left and right, so no need to complain.
Problem solved.

 

[Rect Pola]

I'm partial to hummingbird cake and american curls

 

[shaboinkin]

Let the hacking begin?

 

[Timbydude]

As long as they put in some good anti-piracy tech, this is an amazing idea. How can people even be excited about Kinect and PS Move with this wonder on the horizon?

Seriously, I feel like Nintendo looked at my Wii, saw the dust in which it was covered, then patted me
on the back and said "Don't worry. We'll make up for it."

 

[willsham45]

ok that is pritty cool...but does that mean if i install a game i can no longer use the cartrage on another 3DS?
essentally stopping trading of any type?

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Spoiler: snip

Nintendo 3DS to Liberate Gamers from Evil Cartridges

Nintendo's next-generation handheld will let users install games from cartridges onto internal memory, so you won't need to carry them around with you when you're on the go.

Handheld systems have always been great for long journeys, whether you're plugging away at your original Game Boy in the back of your parents' station wagon in 1990 or playing on your DS on a plane flight in the present day. But when your packing space is limited, it's always been a hassle to take too many games with you - most of the time, you just ended up picking one game that'd hopefully last your whole trip and sticking with it.

Nintendo wants to change that with the 3DS. According to Japanese news source Nikkei, the handheld will feature an optional "software install," which lets you copy a 3DS cartridge to internal data storage. Multiple games can be stored in this manner, and you can then select and play the games from the system's menu screen - as long as they're stored internally, there's no need for a cartridge.

Essentially, this means that the days of needing to bring a cartridge-filled carrying-case with you are now in the past. Before a trip, just install your favorite games, and switch between them without ever having to swap cartridges.

So, let me get this straight: The 3DS has really does work [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101377-PilotWings-MGS-StarFox-Headline-3DS-Lineup], and the control slider is a better version of the PSP's analog nub. And now you're telling me I don't need to swap cartridges on the go anymore to play multiple games?

Good lord. Everything I've heard about the 3DS has been nothing short of fantastic. If this thing isn't too expensive and has a half-decent battery life, we could be looking at the goddamn Holy Grail of gaming. What's next? Will it come packaged with cake and a free kitten?

(Andriasang [http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/06/17/3ds_software_install/])

Permalink

Cartridges have never been a big concern for me. They don't take that much space. Still, having three instantly available games is attractive to me. If the battery life is good, the graphics are as amazing as we are being told about and there is backwards compatibility... I may just decide this is the best handheld ever made. I hope it is affordable, I'm leaning towards it more and more.

 

[Lamppenkeyboard]

Is it backwards compatible like all of their handhelds back to the Advance? Then it is pretty much perfect.

 

[twaddle]

I have always been a sony person mostly and i preferred the psp, but lately sony has been getting their ass handed to them in the hand held market and now nintendo officially does what sony should have done from the start with their psp go?(cartridge and downloadable) In addition the games are also 3d. Sony, as much as i love the graphics and the psp: Game Set Match. Nintendo wins. If they can make it under 250 it's time for the psp to die. better step up sony.

 

[Simalacrum]

This is absolutely fantastic from a consumers point of view, yes, and I celebrate as I am a consumer, but...

Surely this will just encourage piracy? By installing the game doesn't that mean that the cartridge can then be passed onto a friend or something and then BAM! You have two (or a lot, lot more) games for the price of one.

Does the cartridge have some kind of DRM, so you can only download it once?

edit: oh also, even if they do prevent the install tonns of times thingymegig, doesn't it mean that someone can install the game, then immediately sell the cartridge to some friend?

Really, I think from a financial stand point, Nintendo hasn't really thought this through... its nice of them to give us all of this, really great, in fact... but I don't see how this can benefit them in the long run.

 

[tehweave]

I'm not sure if I like this idea... I like the option to have a physical copy of the game, I've had too many hard drives from computers die on me... And now I'm going to have to find a way to back-up the software/games on my DS? Ugh.

It's not a bad idea, I just want to keep a physical copy somewhere. I like the cartridges for DS games (and other games for that matter) in case something crashes.

 

[Worgen]

I think I orgasmed a little, seriously tho thats a fantastic idea, Im surprised no one else really has tried it, I hope its true altho considering how much alot of ppl are bitching about used game sales I have to wonder if your really going to be able to do this, or if after a certain amount of time it will del the game or you will have to put the cartridge in to get it working again

 

[John Funk]

This is absolutely fantastic from a consumers point of view, yes, and I celebrate as I am a consumer, but...

Surely this will just encourage piracy? By installing the game doesn't that mean that the cartridge can then be passed onto a friend or something and then BAM! You have two (or a lot, lot more) games for the price of one.

Does the cartridge have some kind of DRM, so you can only download it once?

edit: oh also, even if they do prevent the install tonns of times thingymegig, doesn't it mean that someone can install the game, then immediately sell the cartridge to some friend?

Really, I think from a financial stand point, Nintendo hasn't really thought this through... its nice of them to give us all of this, really great, in fact... but I don't see how this can benefit them in the long run.

I agree that it seems like a potential fatal flaw, but - assuming there really is no DRM - Nintendo may be viewing this from the popularity of the R4. If they offer the same functionality as the R4 built-in, even if it encourages people to trade and install games, somebody is at least buying that initial copy of the game... which with the R4 isn't happening.

If Nintendo was faced with two prospects: On one hand, someone makes a 3DS equivalent of the R4, people buy it and just download games for free without anyone but one single cracker/uploader buying them... on the other, people buy games and lend them to their friends to install, but people at least aren't buying R4 equivalents for convenience?

I think they'd much prefer the latter to the former. A "lesser of two evils" situation.

 

[starwarsgeek]

At first I thought the new 3DS was going to be a load of crap, well now its a load of golden crap. I don't know if I really trust the 3D aspect completely so ill waist a few mothers post release to consider buying it.

The 3D effects are safe to ignore in your decision. There will be a slider to adjust the intensity as strong or weak as you like. If you don't like the effects, you can just turn them off!

So, just base your decision on features, games, and--when they finally tell us--price.

 

[polarizebeta]

This might be what I buy instaed of the 360. At least I can play this in class with out anyone seeing me

 

[AndreyC]

No, you won't neccessarily be able to borrow your game to a friend and let them install it for free. There's a very easy way for Nintendo to prevent this, without resorting to Internet connection.

To put it simply, catridges are not "read only" media like most CDs. You can write on them too. That's how game saves are stored on them.

When the install occurs, the 3DS will encrypt the content stored on the catridge, so that it won't play anymore. Each 3DS will have a different encryption key. When you decide to have your catridge working again (so you can, let's say, sell it or borrow it to someone else), you'd have to input it in your 3DS and make the uninstall process. The 3DS will unencrypt the content and make the catridge work again.

If they manage to keep the 3DS exploit-free, it will be impossible to install unauthorized content (like the PS3 does for downloadable games, for example). This new feature changes nothing, it won't make piracy easier or harder, unless they implement it really badly.

 

[blarghblarghhhhh]

I have a feeling if this is true it means that the games will come with a one time use install code.

 

[ironmace2.0]

So its also got an R4 card built into it? Damn I really wish this wasent so good now I have to buy it or I cant call myself a gamer.