For those unaware, the Nintendo Switch 2 recently got cracked wide open, and now we have games such as Splatoon Raiders, MarioKart World, DK Bananza, and Pokopia all in a semi-playable state on PC (and even on iPhone in the case of MarioKart World). And with this development, my expectations continue to be confirmed: no matter the game, unless it is a title which is incredibly niche or "lost media", it is an inevitablility that all these games you purchase will be freely accessible via emulation within a few years of release. So, if I want to play my Switch games but Nintendo "stripped me of my ownership" via deleting my Nintendo account or because I didn't reinsert my flash card (i.e., 3DS, NSW1/2 cartridge) in my system in over a decade, then I'll just emulate on my PC.
That said: In an all-digital future, my fear is never going to be whether I will always have access to my legally purchased library of games. Rather, it is the loss of choice (which is easily accessible; i.e., I don't need to go through a custom storefront like Etsy and pay extra for the ability) to own a physical object which represents a game I purchased— especially for games that I hold very near and dear. There really is just something special about having shelves and drawers full of physical media which represents your favorites of the medium, whether that be books, movies, vinyls, and so forth.
What about you? Are you of the belief that physical ownership of a game is necessary to have access to a given game? Or do you believe that your ability to play a game remains unchanges regardless of whether you own a physical or digital copy? I speak as somebody who purchases all Nintendo and PlayStation games (back when I owned a PlayStation 5) physically, so the question of physical ownership is one which is very important to me, but not in the way that it is for others. It is for this reason, in fact, why I do not care whether a game is sold via Key Card (in the case of Nintendo Switch 2) or Required Download (in the case of PS5).
Last edited by firebush03 - 8 hours ago
