Score one for consumer rights.

by ShadowOfTheVoid , South Carolina, Friday, June 21, 2013, 13:36 (4171 days ago) @ MrPadraig08

If I could have current and next gen games on cartridge, I would do it in a heartbeat. Say what you will about it looking more toylike, n64 carts were nigh indestructable... well more durable than a disc.

And they have no load times. And they're harder to pirate. And their data capacity has finally caught up with discs (3DS carts can hold up to 8 GB, comparable to a dual-layer DVD). The only thing standing in their way is what stood in their way back in the 90s: manufacturing costs. N64 carts cost in excess of $10 to manufacture, whereas optical disks cost maybe a buck at most. Those manufacturing costs are, unlike development costs, included in the price of the game, which is why N64 games typically retailed between $60 to $70 while PS1 games typically retailed between $40 to $50. Even though inflation-adjusted game prices are now at an all-time low, lots of gamers still think $60 is "too much," so I think the reaction to console games jumping to $70 or even $80 would be similar to the reaction to the XBO having used game DRM and online requirements. Also, there really isn't a standard for ROM carts, whereas DVDs and Blu-rays are standards, which could have unforeseen impacts on cross-platform development. Carts will likely remain the standard for portable systems, but I doubt we'll ever see them again for home consoles.