Will we see cartridge gaming return next generation?

Since flash memory is getting so much cheaper now, and I don't expect Microsoft or Nintendo to adopt Blu Ray, do you think they'll revert to cartridge gaming next generation?
Or do you think they'll develop their own high capacity disks like the Gamecube did?

I mean it's becoming obvious that next generation consoles won't use standard DVDs with HD games taking up more space, and they'll have to move past the 9 gigs that standard dual layer DVDs are limited to.

Pros to flash memory:
Speedy, almost no loading times
More resilient than discs.
Simple to load onto them.

Cons:
Cost about three times as much per gig as Blu Ray

Heavens no, silly goose.

And collecting games would feel special again.

if given a choice between 64GB of flash memory for a couple of dollars each or a 50GB Blu-ray for pennies I think the choice is pretty clear.

If all games just came on an SD card, I would be happy. The loading times for blu-rays can be frustrating, and Microsoft's pricing structure for their HDDs is ridiculous.

Highly doubt it.

I think consoles are more than just gaming machines today. They are more like entertainment centers, thus choosing anything other than Bluray would be a mistake: at least I would find it a huge step backward having to buy a standalone Bluray player again, because my new console decided to take a leap in technology back into the 90's.

That would be pretty awesome. But, I don't see it happening.

if given a choice between 64GB of flash memory for a couple of dollars each or a 50GB Blu-ray for pennies I think the choice is pretty clear.

Only if companies go back to playing up how many bits and/or megs their cart has. I remember some SNES games having the amount right on the front of the box like it was some huge deal.

No, next evolution is digital download onto large capacity hard drive on the console itself.  They won't waste money developing new media formats.  They'll just pack the games onto multi-DVD packages for those who choose not to adopt the digital future since it's alot cheaper that way.

@Zidd said:

if given a choice between 64GB of flash memory for a couple of dollars each or a 50GB Blu-ray for pennies I think the choice is pretty clear.

If it only costs pennies to make dual layer Blu Ray disks, then Sony is ripping everyone off. I mean $50 for three disks at Best Buy for something that you say costs them pennies?

That makes lot's of sense actually, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the "cafe" ends up using flash based cartridges, hell I bet they could make 32GB cartridges cost effective if they mass produce it, that'd be sweet.

@Zidd said:

if given a choice between 64GB of flash memory for a couple of dollars each or a 50GB Blu-ray for pennies I think the choice is pretty clear.

If it only costs pennies to make dual layer Blu Ray disks, then Sony is ripping everyone off. I mean $50 for three disks at Best Buy for something that you say costs them pennies?

Wow dude, no way.  the solution is to have huge hard drives on the console and sell all games digitally.  Of course MS will include a Blu ray drive, I can't see how they won't.  Of course digital distribution can piss off important partners in selling hardware like Gamestop because well that cuts into people going to their store to buy new games and it also means less used game business.

No, next evolution is digital download onto large capacity hard drive on the console itself.  They won't waste money developing new media formats.  They'll just pack the games onto multi-DVD packages for those who choose not to adopt the digital future since it's alot cheaper that way.

At some point in the future, yeah, it's just still too expensive for them at the moment. Especially considering they make losses (or very little profit these days?) on console hardware, need to have decent margins on the games. 

I still think there is still too much life in blu-ray at this point that it would be silly for at least Microsoft to adopt the technology.

The Blu-ray drive in the PS3 is extremely out-dated. Newer devices have been able to load data from discs much faster, and I would assume that new consoles would do the same.

Hell no. The next generation will probably have discs, but it may be the last one before everybody just moves onto digital distribution.

That would be pretty awesome but I doubt it

Project Café and the next Xbox will use blu-ray, I guarantee it. 

If its still expensive, then we won't see it, but I support it nonetheless.

It has an obvious advantage and I have the feeling all my cartridges will never cease to function yet my dvd's barely last a generation...

Nah bro.

Not likely, nope.

@wh4tshisface: The price of cables is another discussion altogether. I can sum it up in a single sentence though. You will get the same picture and sound quality with a coathanger as you would with a nitrogen and unicorn blood infused unobtanium silver alloy monster cable.

That'd be rad, if each game came on like a 3inch by 3 inch flash card.

@Commando said:

@Zidd said:

if given a choice between 64GB of flash memory for a couple of dollars each or a 50GB Blu-ray for pennies I think the choice is pretty clear.

If it only costs pennies to make dual layer Blu Ray disks, then Sony is ripping everyone off. I mean $50 for three disks at Best Buy for something that you say costs them pennies?

That's Best Buy ripping people off. Newegg has sales of dual layer discs all the time that come out to about $2.50 per disc. Imagine a disc-pressing company that purchases tens or hundreds of thousands of discs at a time, instead of just 20-disc spindles. No way they're paying more than $0.50 per disc, if even that.

Since flash memory is getting so much cheaper now, and I don't expect Microsoft or Nintendo to adopt Blu Ray, do you think they'll revert to cartridge gaming next generation?

@wh4tshisface: none of those blu-rays in the 4 pack contains a 50 million dollar game.

That would be pretty awesome but I doubt it

@Yanngc33 said:

That would be pretty awesome but I doubt it

Aw yeah man, I love paying more for games! RADICAL

@Burzmali said:

@Commando said:

@Zidd said:

if given a choice between 64GB of flash memory for a couple of dollars each or a 50GB Blu-ray for pennies I think the choice is pretty clear.

If it only costs pennies to make dual layer Blu Ray disks, then Sony is ripping everyone off. I mean $50 for three disks at Best Buy for something that you say costs them pennies?

That's Best Buy ripping people off. Newegg has sales of dual layer discs all the time that come out to about $2.50 per disc. Imagine a disc-pressing company that purchases tens or hundreds of thousands of discs at a time, instead of just 20-disc spindles. No way they're paying more than $0.50 per disc, if even that.

I have yet to see that. The cheapest single dual layer disc on Newegg is $12.99. A 10 pack is $81.99 which is $8.20 per disc.Yes most games don't need dual layer anyways, but dual layer is still a lot more expensive than people think.

And collecting games would feel special again.

no, i hope that doesn't happen. it would suck if that happened. it would be pretty crazy for that to happen. the next thing is going to be digital where you have to download the games.

Negative...
It costs more.
From what I hear, companies don't like when their product costs more to make.  ; )

That would be expensive.

I think if anything MS will set the tone. My guess is that Nintendo follows the traditional route, MS trys a different approach in something that makes blu ray seem obsolete, and trying not to be outdone Sony takes another giant leap (unless they've learned from this last generation)

@TheHBK said:

Of course MS will include a Blu ray drive, I can't see how they won't.  Of course digital distribution can piss off important partners in selling hardware like Gamestop because well that cuts into people going to their store to buy new games and it also means less used game business.

No platform owner is going to switch to digital distribution until retail is diminished. The two main reasons not to go download-only are that you'll disenfranchise an enormous section of the market who don't have adequate internet access and you'll scare off publishers who are much happier selling millions of units to retailers than selling individual units to consumers. No home platform will be download only until it's the only solution for all platforms.

And Microsoft are unlikely to buy in to blu-ray. That would mean giving Sony free money for every xbox built and every copy of every xbox game pressed. That would be beyond stupid.