Thanks to the design decisions made by Nintendo in the development of its new Switch console, the game industry is seeing a problem it hasn’t seen in two decades: the cost of manufacturing game cartridges versus that of manufacturing optical disks.
This doesn’t matter so much for big games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but it does for mid-range stuff. GamesIndustry gets into the weeds on this with a look at the upcoming game from Tequila Works, Rime, which costs $10 more on the Switch than it does on other consoles due to the cost.
Further complicating this is that Nintendo, like its competitors, has a policy requiring that games in its eShop be priced the same as their physical counterparts – a concession made to keep the still-necessary retailers happy.
GamesIndustry notes that some developers have considered giving games Switch-exclusive features to offset the price difference, but gamers tend to be completionists, platform-loyal, and often entitled. The reaction to platform-exclusive features in games has often been negative.
A digital-only future, but not by choice
At a risk of losing possible customers, then, Switch devs are unintentionally being pushed toward digital-only releases, which allow for them to price their games competitively with other platforms. Nintendo already has problems courting third-party developers. In fact, those problems began when Nintendo refused to budge from cartridges for the sake of the increased capacity of CDs on the Nintendo 64.
GamesIndustry also notes that if developers indeed are pushed toward a digital-only release – or even skipping the Switch altogether as a result of these complications – that means less games on the shelf at retail and less offerings for consumers to persuade them to pick up the system. In other words, no one wins here.
Check out the source link below for the full piece.

Disguise your little one with the help of a themed costume
From avocado halves to hoppy bunnies, costumes speak to every child's unique spirit. And we've collected our favorite options.

Add magic to your living space with these string lights
String lights add personality and soft light to your living space. Here are some of the best.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
The Galaxy S20 Ultra supports up to 100X zoom, which Samsung calls Space Zoom, but is it any good? Can a phone really product usable photos at 100x zoom? We've got our Galaxy S20 Ultra already so join us to find out!

These card games will make for a great game night
There's such a wild and impressive variety of card games available right now, from your classics to some that were born on Kickstarter. Here are some of the best card games you can buy.