{"video_id":"pVkBf99XBTQ","title":"WTF Happened to Game Cartridges?!","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2019-05-06T14:58:16Z","duration_s":346,"segments":[{"start_s":0.16,"end_s":6.64,"text":"hey guys this isn't Linus so what's one of your favorite childhood memories","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":4.96,"end_s":10.559,"text":"maybe eating sugary cereal while watching saturday morning cartoons","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":8.72,"end_s":15.759,"text":"sucking capri sun out of a pouch or getting weird love notes from that super","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":12.96,"end_s":19.119,"text":"awkward kid you know who you are well if you were like me it's blowing dust out","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":17.359,"end_s":22.48,"text":"of my old game cartridges which would magically make them work if they'd been","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":20.48,"end_s":27.68,"text":"misbehaving and because all of our old consoles the nes sega genesis gameboy","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":25.519,"end_s":31.039,"text":"etc all use cartridges this is a near universal rite of passage for young","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":29.279,"end_s":35.28,"text":"gamers back in the day but fast forward to modern times and game cartridges have","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":32.96,"end_s":39.36,"text":"largely disappeared nintendo is still using cartridge-like game carts for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":37.2,"end_s":43.44,"text":"their 3ds and switch consoles but the ps4 and xbox one which are meant to stay","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":41.6,"end_s":47.76,"text":"in the living room still use optical discs and so did all of the predecessor","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":45.44,"end_s":51.68,"text":"consoles it's actually been a long time actually was the n64 was the last time","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":49.52,"end_s":54.96,"text":"that there was a proper game console that was based in your home that still","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":53.6,"end_s":60.239,"text":"use cartridges cds guys they're the future","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":57.84,"end_s":63.68,"text":"water so why have they disappeared and why were they popular in the first place","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":62.239,"end_s":67.439,"text":"well although we usually think of game cartridges as older tech do you remember","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":65.6,"end_s":71.68,"text":"how quickly games used to load compared to modern titles on optical media i mean","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":69.76,"end_s":75.04,"text":"right now you take a game you put in your xbox and now you have to install 50","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":73.84,"end_s":78.96,"text":"gigs to your hard drive then you have to download another 20 Gigabyte patch","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":76.88,"end_s":83.28,"text":"whereas with super mario on the nes you just put it in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":80.64,"end_s":83.28,"text":"and you play","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":88.24,"end_s":93.28,"text":"please don't use that well not only were the cartridges relatively durable other","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":91.439,"end_s":97.04,"text":"than the aforementioned dust issues but the way they interface with the console","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":94.88,"end_s":100.72,"text":"made them very fast you see when you insert a cartridge into a console the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":98.96,"end_s":104.64,"text":"system effectively treated its content as part of the system's memory imagine","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":102.72,"end_s":107.439,"text":"how fast modern pc games would load if they were just sitting on a stick of RAM","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":106.159,"end_s":113.52,"text":"that you insert in your motherboard instead of a hard drive or SSD with slower loading times of course it's not","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":111.28,"end_s":117.759,"text":"a perfect comparison game cartridges contained mostly read-only memory or rom","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":115.84,"end_s":121.36,"text":"that stored the code for the game itself whenever you saved your progress the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":119.36,"end_s":124.719,"text":"save file will be stored on either a small amount of volatile memory that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":123.119,"end_s":128.479,"text":"needed a coin battery to maintain the data or a special memory chip called an","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":126.88,"end_s":132.319,"text":"eeprom that doesn't need a constant supply of power but could only hold a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":130.56,"end_s":136.64,"text":"very small amount of information so if cartridges were faster and could hold","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":134.4,"end_s":141.04,"text":"save data unlike optical disks then why did they almost disappear unsurprisingly","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":139.2,"end_s":145.2,"text":"as with many great things in life a huge part of the equation is the cost gain","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":143.28,"end_s":148.72,"text":"cartridges and the rom they contain is a lot more expensive to manufacture than","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":146.879,"end_s":152.64,"text":"optical disks which can be produced for only a couple bucks including their","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":150.16,"end_s":155.84,"text":"packaging and documentation although to be fair they don't really include much","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":154.0,"end_s":160.4,"text":"documentation these days you gotta be eco aka cheap and not give me a cool","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":158.4,"end_s":164.239,"text":"manual to remember how to beat the boss or something i don't know","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":162.319,"end_s":168.4,"text":"what to figure i don't really ever think i found any use at all in manuals","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":166.879,"end_s":171.92,"text":"even though data discs are much more susceptible to things like breakage and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":170.16,"end_s":175.84,"text":"scratches it was a worthwhile trade-off for the console manufacturers especially","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":174.08,"end_s":179.68,"text":"considering that it's a lot easier to create a high-capacity optical disk than","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":178.0,"end_s":183.68,"text":"create a high-capacity cartridge when games became more complex the optical","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":181.599,"end_s":187.599,"text":"disk also allowed the likes of sony and microsoft to push more games to market","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":185.68,"end_s":191.2,"text":"prior to digital distribution because those optical disks were so much cheaper","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":189.44,"end_s":194.48,"text":"to produce if you released a game that turned out to be a giant dud in terms of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":192.8,"end_s":199.36,"text":"sales it didn't automatically mean that you were going to be a completely bankrupt company of course physical","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":197.519,"end_s":203.2,"text":"media isn't exclusively in the form of optical disks these days anyone who","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":201.36,"end_s":206.959,"text":"owned a sony disk within the 90s will know just how much of a pain taking an","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":204.879,"end_s":211.28,"text":"optical disk on the road can be so for portability reasons the aforementioned","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":208.72,"end_s":214.319,"text":"nintendo 3ds and switch use game cards something that nintendo has been able to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":212.64,"end_s":218.72,"text":"get away with thanks to the following costs of solid-state storage and their","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":216.239,"end_s":221.519,"text":"high margins on the first party titles and i guess third-party titles too if","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":220.08,"end_s":225.28,"text":"you think about it i wonder how much nintendo makes for every switch game","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":223.28,"end_s":229.76,"text":"they sell i bet it's a lot at least seven","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":227.68,"end_s":233.2,"text":"what seven dollars seven percent","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":230.959,"end_s":236.799,"text":"seven cents at least okay but it should be noted that modern game","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":235.12,"end_s":240.56,"text":"cards are quite different from the game cartridges of yesteryear they don't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":238.879,"end_s":244.159,"text":"become part of the addressable memory for the console as instead they're much","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":242.239,"end_s":248.239,"text":"more akin to something like a modern sd card that means load times can still be","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":245.92,"end_s":251.68,"text":"slightly long but there is good news nothing stopping you from blowing the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":249.68,"end_s":255.68,"text":"dust off of those nintendo cartridges and living the days before your failed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":253.599,"end_s":258.4,"text":"relationships and crippling student loan debt but if you want to get that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":256.959,"end_s":264.0,"text":"self-confidence back after you've been dumped for the fourth time then you might want to check out the sponsor of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":260.799,"end_s":264.88,"text":"today's video do you want to uh treat","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":264.0,"end_s":269.84,"text":"your uh brain well then check out brilliant a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":268.08,"end_s":274.0,"text":"problem-solving website that teaches you to think like a computer scientist","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":272.4,"end_s":279.12,"text":"instead of passively listening to lectures brilliant allows you to master","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":276.4,"end_s":282.88,"text":"concepts by solving fun and challenging problems and it provides the framework","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":281.04,"end_s":287.12,"text":"and tools that you need to tackle the challenges brilliant's thought-provoking","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":285.12,"end_s":291.52,"text":"content is based around breaking up complexities into bite-sized","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":289.44,"end_s":296.24,"text":"understandable chunks that will lead you from curiosity to mastery and you'll be","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":294.16,"end_s":301.199,"text":"in the company of over five and a half million members who share your curiosity","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":298.72,"end_s":305.04,"text":"and love for math and science so what are you waiting for you can support","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":302.96,"end_s":308.96,"text":"techwiki and learn more about brilliant by clicking the link in the video","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":306.24,"end_s":313.36,"text":"description or going to brilliant.org techwiki and signing up for free the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":311.52,"end_s":317.52,"text":"first 200 people to go to the link will get 20 off an annual premium","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":315.28,"end_s":322.16,"text":"subscription so be sure to check it out so thank you for watching this very","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":319.44,"end_s":325.28,"text":"non-Linus edition of techwiki if you enjoyed then you know you can hit the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":323.6,"end_s":329.199,"text":"like button if you didn't enjoy you should hit the like button anyway because that's the way that works and of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":327.68,"end_s":333.84,"text":"course you check out some of these other videos like this one and this one you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":332.0,"end_s":338.639,"text":"can also go subscribe to our new channel this is over on youtube","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":336.0,"end_s":342.96,"text":"or you could just sit here and stare at me as i awkwardly wait for you to click","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":340.479,"end_s":346.96,"text":"on one of these videos it's your choice but","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":344.08,"end_s":346.96,"text":"that one's pretty good","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"hey guys this isn't Linus so what's one of your favorite childhood memories maybe eating sugary cereal while watching saturday morning cartoons sucking capri sun out of a pouch or getting weird love notes from that super awkward kid you know who you are well if you were like me it's blowing dust out of my old game cartridges which would magically make them work if they'd been misbehaving and because all of our old consoles the nes sega genesis gameboy etc all use cartridges this is a near universal rite of passage for young gamers back in the day but fast forward to modern times and game cartridges have largely disappeared nintendo is still using cartridge-like game carts for their 3ds and switch consoles but the ps4 and xbox one which are meant to stay in the living room still use optical discs and so did all of the predecessor consoles it's actually been a long time actually was the n64 was the last time that there was a proper game console that was based in your home that still use cartridges cds guys they're the future water so why have they disappeared and why were they popular in the first place well although we usually think of game cartridges as older tech do you remember how quickly games used to load compared to modern titles on optical media i mean right now you take a game you put in your xbox and now you have to install 50 gigs to your hard drive then you have to download another 20 Gigabyte patch whereas with super mario on the nes you just put it in and you play please don't use that well not only were the cartridges relatively durable other than the aforementioned dust issues but the way they interface with the console made them very fast you see when you insert a cartridge into a console the system effectively treated its content as part of the system's memory imagine how fast modern pc games would load if they were just sitting on a stick of RAM that you insert in your motherboard instead of a hard drive or SSD with slower loading times of course it's not a perfect comparison game cartridges contained mostly read-only memory or rom that stored the code for the game itself whenever you saved your progress the save file will be stored on either a small amount of volatile memory that needed a coin battery to maintain the data or a special memory chip called an eeprom that doesn't need a constant supply of power but could only hold a very small amount of information so if cartridges were faster and could hold save data unlike optical disks then why did they almost disappear unsurprisingly as with many great things in life a huge part of the equation is the cost gain cartridges and the rom they contain is a lot more expensive to manufacture than optical disks which can be produced for only a couple bucks including their packaging and documentation although to be fair they don't really include much documentation these days you gotta be eco aka cheap and not give me a cool manual to remember how to beat the boss or something i don't know what to figure i don't really ever think i found any use at all in manuals even though data discs are much more susceptible to things like breakage and scratches it was a worthwhile trade-off for the console manufacturers especially considering that it's a lot easier to create a high-capacity optical disk than create a high-capacity cartridge when games became more complex the optical disk also allowed the likes of sony and microsoft to push more games to market prior to digital distribution because those optical disks were so much cheaper to produce if you released a game that turned out to be a giant dud in terms of sales it didn't automatically mean that you were going to be a completely bankrupt company of course physical media isn't exclusively in the form of optical disks these days anyone who owned a sony disk within the 90s will know just how much of a pain taking an optical disk on the road can be so for portability reasons the aforementioned nintendo 3ds and switch use game cards something that nintendo has been able to get away with thanks to the following costs of solid-state storage and their high margins on the first party titles and i guess third-party titles too if you think about it i wonder how much nintendo makes for every switch game they sell i bet it's a lot at least seven what seven dollars seven percent seven cents at least okay but it should be noted that modern game cards are quite different from the game cartridges of yesteryear they don't become part of the addressable memory for the console as instead they're much more akin to something like a modern sd card that means load times can still be slightly long but there is good news nothing stopping you from blowing the dust off of those nintendo cartridges and living the days before your failed relationships and crippling student loan debt but if you want to get that self-confidence back after you've been dumped for the fourth time then you might want to check out the sponsor of today's video do you want to uh treat your uh brain well then check out brilliant a problem-solving website that teaches you to think like a computer scientist instead of passively listening to lectures brilliant allows you to master concepts by solving fun and challenging problems and it provides the framework and tools that you need to tackle the challenges brilliant's thought-provoking content is based around breaking up complexities into bite-sized understandable chunks that will lead you from curiosity to mastery and you'll be in the company of over five and a half million members who share your curiosity and love for math and science so what are you waiting for you can support techwiki and learn more about brilliant by clicking the link in the video description or going to brilliant.org techwiki and signing up for free the first 200 people to go to the link will get 20 off an annual premium subscription so be sure to check it out so thank you for watching this very non-Linus edition of techwiki if you enjoyed then you know you can hit the like button if you didn't enjoy you should hit the like button anyway because that's the way that works and of course you check out some of these other videos like this one and this one you can also go subscribe to our new channel this is over on youtube or you could just sit here and stare at me as i awkwardly wait for you to click on one of these videos it's your choice but that one's pretty good"}