No Game Card included?

A new trend with Nintendo Switch games is to sell the consumer a game case with no game card included. Instead of a game card these boxes will contain a code to use in the Nintendo E-shop to download a fully digital copy. Fortunately, Nintendo helps the collector and average consumer by printing a large white band with the message "Download Code - No Game Card is Included" taking up a large portion of the cover. While this will help avoid any misunderstandings and complaints to Nintendo many switch collectors believe this ruins the cover art.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood - No Game Card is Included

While this does provide the benefits of digital versions of the games, you loose everything else a physical copy can provide except for maybe providing a nice looking case for the collector who get great satisfaction at seeing the incredible box art covers as you hold the game case in your hands. But this leaves the collector of physical games with the decision of buying an empty box with a sub par cover art or skipping this title all together.

Games with no game card awarded an F Legacy Score

Legacy Score - Because we at Switch Legacy are trying to promote the best physical copy of games possible to be on the game card for long term preservation and consumer satisfaction we automatically award an "F" Legacy Score to any game that does not include a game card inside the game case.

I would rather pay more to get a complete copy of the game inside the game case for my collection rather than obtain a case with no game card and since the higher price may steer away some consumer, it would add to the long term value of buying this title. I do question why a publisher bothers to release these games without game cards in the first place (My theory is below), as this decision is sure to reduce sales especially when there are other cheaper alternative available for those who love to collect cases and those who want the game card will skip this title.

Alternative Solution for Collectors -

5 standard case in which Nintendo Switch™ games are packaged

If you really want to collect only the cases and artwork for a game, you will first need to obtain the case. You can purchase Switch cases on line from many vendors and even directly from Nintendo at the Nintendo Store. The cost of these in July 2019 is 5 cases for $7.99. Another cheaper solution is to ask a local game retailers for spare/empty cases that they use for marketing or for pre-orders. If they are headed to the trash you may even be able to score some of these for free. Once you have obtained your cases you need to find original cover art, alternate cover art or even alternate fan art, some may call these fake box art, that you can print yourself. You will find a wide variety of box art covers are readily available with a quick google search.

The artwork you will find will range from:

• Official artwork found of the Nintendo Rewards Website. They have offered covers for Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion, Octopath Traveller (eight separate versions), Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Three versions one for each house), Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order and Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country.

• Official publisher artwork for games like Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.

• Unofficial wide variety of fan art, this is often the only solution for some of your digital only releases. Another benefit of the fan art is there is alternate cover art that removes the "Download Code - No Game Card is Included" banner at the top of the cover so the collector can the full artwork.

If you want to know more check out my article on making your on game cases.

Why Bother? -

So why bother publish a game with no game card? These games are starting at a disadvantage for sales with many collectors immediately crossing this title off the list, my self included. My best guess is a bean counter, when faced with the "Switch Tax", is making a strictly economic decision and will not take the time to understand how collectors of physical copies think. This bean counter will not calculate the loss of sales caused by not providing a game card or providing any long term satisfaction to collectors. Then the next game comes along they will use the less then expected sales as further justification to eliminate physical copies. Which is a false assumption because the last case provided is not a true physical copy but has been crippled as a hybrid with sub par cover art and a download only code. However, this will in time spiral down the availability of physical copies as they choose not to publish physical games in the future as they are selling less then excepted copies of these games labeled "Download Code - No Game Card is Included".

So what is your thoughts? Is this all a part of the battle between physical and digital? Is there not a place for both physical copies and digital versions to satisfy all consumers in 2019? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.