Cartridges or Discs?

Which are better?

Cartridges are normally big and ugly and hard to store but normally remain in good condition (especially DS games).
Discs are easy to store and cool looking, but break just by putting it into a console. (Don't say I don't take care of my discs... I got Bioshock a week ago, took good care of it, and now it's really laggy and messed up for some reason).

What do you guys think?

Hmm its a tough call. I take good care of my disks but they still get scratched. Once that happens its gone unless toothpaste works. With a cartridge all you have to do is blow out the dust. Works like a charm every time.

The future of media is "cartridges" though its better called flash media.XaosII

Digital Distribution>Cartridges>Discs

The future of media is "cartridges" though its better called flash media.XaosII

Agreed. No loading for the win!!!

Well, discs store a lot more data so I'll always prefer them, but I have heard that cartridges load faster.MKHavoc

Discs don't hold more data. You could make a cartridge the size of a Blu-Ray disc. The only problem is the cost to do that. There isn't more space on discs, it is just much less expensive to have 10 GB on a disc than in a cartridge.

I like discs because the games can have more things in it and it thin, with the cartridge it's balky and your limited to what youcan put on it.mosa922

Uh the last carts I saw on discovery were 2/3 the size of a credit card and about 5 cards thick and held about 60 gigs. Not exactly bulky.

cartridges and to those who complain it cant hold alot sure it cant but lets compare older games on cart that has had more levels etc on it than the succesor that has been on dvd\

the most noticable one is perfect dark zero six characters alot less guns and levels and missions , compare that to its prodecessor which is on a n64 cartridge

next , i will go with any 007 game made after goldeneye, goldeneye had 20 missions each with 3 difficulty settings plus a bonus self edited setting and 13 multiplayer levels , lots of guns and characters compare to any ea bond game you want, you wont find any better then it as far as things on media

compare halo to goldeneye again not as impressive

what else is there to compare. hmm rush 2 to rush la lol

my point is why have the space and not use it,

Which are better?

Cartridges are normally big and ugly and hard to store but normally remain in good condition (especially DS games).
Discs are easy to store and cool looking, but break just by putting it into a console. (Don't say I don't take care of my discs... I got Bioshock a week ago, took good care of it, and now it's really laggy and messed up for some reason).

What do you guys think?

hhcash

you need to clear the cache before playing Bioshock.

I think discs give games that "high quality" feeling, in terms of being clear, and most of all good graphics. When I think of cartridges, I think of bad N64 graphics. When I think of discs, I think of smooth-running games, like DOA.PitaGriffin

Hm... That's funny, because when I think of discs, I think of low polygon counts and long loading screens like on the Playstation, and when I think of cartridges, I think of huge, expansive worlds like in Ocarina of Time in which you never had a loading screen and could see from one end of the world to the other.

Discs are worse in every possible way except cost. If anything is ghetto from a technological standpoint, it's the disc.

The future of media is "cartridges" though its better called flash media.XaosII

discs is the best way to because to can storge them better then cartridgesjcbis2005

But with the advancements they are making in respect ot flash media, cartridges may be on the rise again. I can only see Nintendo adopting them though tbh.

Music on cartirdge...meep...meep meep...beep

Music on disc...superb orchestral score...superb orchestral score...whirr scree bang there goes the disc

I loved cartridges... especially the "blowing" into them (the old ones)... but discs are going to be around for a long time...

Discs, obviously, even with all its scratching, cleaning, and maintenence.

Cartridges are the idea, IMO, for portable gaming, even though PSP games would be impossible or just to expensive without UMDs.

Discs just hold more memory and makes better games.

Music on cartirdge...meep...meep meep...beep

Music on disc...superb orchestral score...superb orchestral score...whirr scree bang there goes the disc

james28893

1. I haven't heard of music on cartridges, cassetes but not cartridges.

2. Technology has advanced SO much, get out of the n64 days, it's 2007.

3. why do you think there were so many games for the ps1? MONEY and the fact that they were cheap to manufacture.

Music on cartirdge...meep...meep meep...beep

Music on disc...superb orchestral score...superb orchestral score...whirr scree bang there goes the disc

james28893

Wow glad that my MP3 player sounds like Road Runner from Looney Tunes.

Discs, obviously, even with all its scratching, cleaning, and maintenence.

Cartridges are the idea, IMO, for portable gaming, even though PSP games would be impossible or just to expensive without UMDs.

Discs just hold more memory and makes better games.

ASK_Story

But what if you had a 40 GB Cartridge and a 40 GB Disc and they are both cheap to manufacture?

[QUOTE="PitaGriffin"]I think discs give games that "high quality" feeling, in terms of being clear, and most of all good graphics. When I think of cartridges, I think of bad N64 graphics. When I think of discs, I think of smooth-running games, like DOA.AtomicTangerine

Hm... That's funny, because when I think of discs, I think of low polygon counts and long loading screens like on the Playstation, and when I think of cartridges, I think of huge, expansive worlds like in Ocarina of Time in which you never had a loading screen and could see from one end of the world to the other.

Discs are worse in every possible way except cost. If anything is ghetto from a technological standpoint, it's the disc.

[QUOTE="james28893"]

Music on cartirdge...meep...meep meep...beep

Music on disc...superb orchestral score...superb orchestral score...whirr scree bang there goes the disc

Dencore

Wow glad that my MP3 player sounds like Road Runner from Looney Tunes.

Discs, obviously, even with all its scratching, cleaning, and maintenence.

Cartridges are the idea, IMO, for portable gaming, even though PSP games would be impossible or just to expensive without UMDs.

Discs just hold more memory and makes better games.

ASK_Story

But what if you had a 40 GB Cartridge and a 40 GB Disc and they are both cheap to manufacture?

No worries cuz` that will never happen. :P

[QUOTE="Dencore"]

But what if you had a 40 GB Cartridge and a 40 GB Disc and they are both cheap to manufacture?

ASK_Story

No worries cuz` that will never happen. :P

By 2009 the cost per Gb for flash will fall to about $9. Still nowhere near the price of disks but when you think about the almost instantaneous load times provided by flash media, it would be a worthy investment for companies like Nintendo which are making a profit on their console. As long as there is more investment in this technology it will eventually become as cheap as disks.selbie

Bingo.

digital downloads can BITE ME. i like being able to resell my games.i will be so pissed when that day comes. and i prefer the more durable cartridges, however only when they are cost effective.OneWingedAngeI

I totaly agree with this statment. It's great to be able to resell your games that you no longer want. With digital downloads you won't be able to do so.

[QUOTE="selbie"] By 2009 the cost per Gb for flash will fall to about $9. Still nowhere near the price of disks but when you think about the almost instantaneous load times provided by flash media, it would be a worthy investment for companies like Nintendo which are making a profit on their console. As long as there is more investment in this technology it will eventually become as cheap as disks.Dencore

Bingo.

Nintendo seems to prefer small, proprietary medium to large formats, so I wouldn't be surprised if they stuck with carts but unless disk technology stands still flash mediawill never catch up. 9 dollars a gigabyte is vastly more expensive than the costs of modern disks. Today, DVDs cost appoximately fifty cents to manufacture,andBlu-Ray and HD-DVD disks cost a little less than a dollar.

http://wesleytech.com/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-replication-costs-revealed/111/

Nintendo seems to prefer small, proprietary medium to large formats, so I wouldn't be surprised if they stuck with carts but unless disk technology stands still flash mediawill never catch up. 9 dollars a gigabyte is vastly more expensive than the costs of modern disks. Today, DVDs cost appoximately fifty cents to manufacture,andBlu-Ray and HD-DVD disks cost a little less than a dollar.

http://wesleytech.com/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-replication-costs-revealed/111/

CarnageHeart

I think the point I'm trying to get across is that as time goes on flash media will only get cheaper and cheaper and holding more space. As of right now discs are better, but in 20 years or so flash media will become superior for the sheer fact that $9 per GB will slowly go down in price, thus making the price difference between the CD and Flash Media not big enough to not prefer the advantages of flash media such as lightning fast load times and durablity.

Basically I'm looking at the comparison in the long term when both medias have matured more so then comparing them as of right now.

I mean sure discs will always be able to store space but what's the need of having 80GB's of storage if you only need a fraction of that?

I think the point I'm trying to get across is that as time goes on flash media will only get cheaper and cheaper and holding more space. As of right now discs are better, but in 20 years or so flash media will become superior for the sheer fact that $9 per GB will slowly go down in price, thus making the price difference between the CD and Flash Media not big enough to not prefer the advantages of flash media such as lightning fast load times and durablity.

Basically I'm looking at the comparison in the long term when both medias have matured more so then comparing them as of right now.

I mean sure discs will always be able to store space but what's the need of having 80GB's of storage if you only need a fraction of that?

Dencore

[QUOTE="Dencore"]

I think the point I'm trying to get across is that as time goes on flash media will only get cheaper and cheaper and holding more space. As of right now discs are better, but in 20 years or so flash media will become superior for the sheer fact that $9 per GB will slowly go down in price, thus making the price difference between the CD and Flash Media not big enough to not prefer the advantages of flash media such as lightning fast load times and durablity.

Basically I'm looking at the comparison in the long term when both medias have matured more so then comparing them as of right now.

I mean sure discs will always be able to store space but what's the need of having 80GB's of storage if you only need a fraction of that?

selbie

So you are both assuming that the need for memory will be the same in 2027 as it is in 2007 and therefore allow flash media to make a big comeback? We'll see (eventually).

So you are both assuming that the need for memory will be the same in 2027 as it is in 2007 and therefore allow flash media to make a big comeback? We'll see (eventually).

CarnageHeart