Game preservationists say Switch2 GameKey Cards are disheartening but inevitable

Physical vs Digital Ownership

• Physical games depend on console and media lifespan; digital games depend on store infrastructure that is guaranteed to shut down eventually.
• Some users still play old disc-based games, while download-only titles have already vanished. Others point out disc rot and discontinued hardware.
• Many feel PC platforms (Steam, GOG) are more future-proof than consoles, but others note Steam is only “trustworthy” until a business or “black swan” event changes that.

Preservation, Piracy, and DRM

• Several commenters argue that piracy is now essential to preservation: pirates already keep some otherwise-unplayable games alive.
• People recommend backing up or pirating copies of owned games proactively while it’s still easy, because DRM, anti-cheat, and surveillance make this steadily harder.
• GOG is praised for DRM-free installers that can be legally archived; cracked Steam games are seen as relatively easy to preserve if Steam ever “turns evil.”

Patches, Online Services, and Ephemerality

• Modern physical releases often require huge day-one patches; early builds are rarely rereleased, creating “lost” versions even while servers are still online.
• One side claims games are ephemeral and should just be enjoyed now; others strongly reject this as defeatist, comparing it to saying plays or books don’t deserve preservation.

Cloud Gaming and Subscription Models

• Commenters see full cloud/streaming as the worst case: perfect control for publishers, near-zero preservation.
• Game Pass and similar models are viewed as a major step toward subscription-only gaming, though debate exists over how popular or “sticky” they really are.

Nintendo, Switch Media, and Pricing

• Nintendo is seen as paradoxical: strong demand for old titles, but frequent re-releases and tight control over preservation and emulation.
• Physical Switch games are often cheaper than digital, suggesting Nintendo still values retail presence, resale, and price discrimination.
• Concerns arise about flash-based cartridges degrading over time; some already report failing handheld carts.

Switch 2 GameKey Cards

• GameKey cards are widely criticized as “activation dongles”: if e-shop servers close or storage is full, the physical card becomes useless.
• Some note they at least preserve a transferable license vs pure digital, but many see this as erosion of the “pop in and play, fully offline” experience.
• There’s worry that piracy will again offer a more durable, fully offline product than what paying customers get.

Policy, Archives, and Server-Based Games

• Multiple comments argue governments or major libraries should be able to demand unencumbered copies (including server code) for archival as a condition of copyright.
• Others highlight the cost and expertise required to keep server-based games running; critics respond that for preservation you only need small-scale, not commercial-scale operation.
• Petitions and legal initiatives (especially in the EU) are mentioned, but expectations for meaningful change are low.

What Deserves Preservation?

• Some argue that if a game isn’t designed to be preservable, it’s not worth playing or saving; others counter this is unrealistic in a future where almost all big-budget games are online services by design.
• There’s also a recognition that the sheer glut of games, plus the social nature of many modern titles, makes “perfect preservation” impossible—even as many still want better safeguards than GameKey-style schemes provide.