>>718248130
>They're completely empty game cards that trigger a download of the game when inserted
Yeah, I got that part

>the game can only be played while the empty card is inserted.
Yeah, I got that part too, but regular physical media isn't any different. Then there's the fact companies have been selling carts/disks that require a large portion of the game to be downloaded anyways. So to me, key cards aren't really much different from what we've been dealing with since around 2017.

>It's basically the worst of both physical media (having to actually have the damn thing in the system)
Correct

>and digital media (requires an internet connection to use and enough SD card space
Correct. I would agree that the requirement of needing the storage space is bullshit, but we've been dealing with this shit for an extremely long time now. The situation hasn't really changed.

>Only upside is that you can resell it/lend it despite being a digital game
So no different than a normal physical game.

Just to reiterate. Sounds like the only true difference is needing an internet connection (again, I imagine there's a grace period if your internet ever goes out), and needing storage to download the full game. This has been a requirement for ages. I understand this shouldn't be the norm. I'm not arguing that it should be. I'm just stating that this has been reality for about 10 years now. As for the internet requirement, is it really that big of an issue when we're connected or have access to an internet connection 24/7. It also sound easier than ever to share games. I don't have to wait to see someone to hand them my game. Sharing digitally will eventually auto return it to me at some point so I don't risk having it stolen or just forgetting I lent it, and I could always immediately share it again with the person if they want more time.