Nintendo explains why Switch cartridges taste nasty

Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/03/02/nintendo-explains-why-switch-c.html

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Know Your Audience…

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I was annoyed when aerosol duster cans started adding bittering agents to prevent inhalant abuse, since it’s hard to avoid getting a whiff of it when spraying them (and it is pretty nasty).

But I really think that, had I purchased a Switch, I would have gone my whole life without noticing that there was such an agent in its game cartridges.

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That’s actually pretty interesting.

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How are the going to combat those customers with an anal fixation instead of an oral one?

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. … … … … … … … …

The fact that you had that comic standing by to answer the question a mere 6 minutes after it was asked proves that you have a sibling.

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I have a new thing to do when getting access to a wish in my D&D campaign…

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Have you seen the size of those cartridges? Pretty sure a teacup maltese could pass one without too much difficulty. :slight_smile:

THE DEVS THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING

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But can you still get a mushroom high from licking them?

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“Mario, we need to have a talk about consent. You can’t just lick people with out permission.”

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If you think he’s got a problem then wait until you see Yoshi.

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I have something to admit. When everybody else has huffing on their NES cartridges trying to get them to work, I would lick mine. The small strip of saliva did the trick…and it tasted nice and metallic like licking a 9-volt battery but without the tingle.

I’m sure I did way more damage to the carts (and brain) that way but it worked at the time.

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I could have SWORN that I learned about “terrible-taste-as-a-service” brand of denatonium benzoate “Bitrex” from BoingBoing.

Anyhow: Bitrex! It’s added to all kinds of things that shouldn’t be eaten:

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Does it get on your fingers after handling a cartridge?

Yep. Denatonium benzoate is often used in Denatured Alcohol (ethanol) to discourage people from drinking it.

Note, though, that most most formulations contain genuinely poisonous denaturants as well - usually methanol or pyridine, or occasionally acetone or MEK or isopropanol. Something toxic and difficult to remove.

(So I guess that’s “to prevent intentional poisoning”, eh?)

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