Zero Punctuation: Fifth Console Generation

[deadish]

The way I remember it, Nintendo stuck to cartridges for the N64 because the games in those were harder to copy than discs.

They were also a lot harder to make. Cost more. Requires a large lead time - months vs weeks of CDs.

CD brought the prices of games down as CDs are a few cent a disc compared to $20-$30 a cartridge - a cost that the consumer has to pay increase the price of the game by a mandatory $20-$30.

Due to the long lead times, you either place a huge order up front and risk going bankrupt if the game doesn't sell and you are left with worthless cartridges that costed you 100s of thousands OR you place a small order up front and cap your sales if your game is super successful - by the time new cartridges get made, newer games would have come out and interested players would have bought second hand.

Low per unit price + low lead times was a dream come true for publishers and developers.

Edit: No the future isn't flash. It's over the internet download. Steam has proven that it's works very very well. Blurays will serve as a backup distribution route - they are after all still just a few cent a disc like CDs before them and are quick and easy to mass produce on short notice.

 

[4Aces]

Here I thought the animator wandered off for a vindaloo burrito at the end, when the "Loading" finally loaded, and coffee is once again part of my typing experience. 11/10

 

[Darth_Payn]

Just now thought of another bit for those developers who switched from Nintendo to Sony: "Konami (back when they still cared about quality games) got off of Nintendo's couch, got in the backseat of Sony's car, and gave birth to twins: CASTLEVANIA: Symphony of the Night, and Metal Gear Solid."