Nintendo plays catch-up, will offer downloadable versions of 3DS, Wii U retail games

Nintendo finally seems to be getting serious about digital distribution on its systems, announcing that retail games will be available as downloads, soon on the 3DS and from the day of launch on the Wii U.

<a href='http://meincmagazine.com/gaming/news/2012/04/playing-catch-up-nintendo-to-offer-downloadable-versions-of-3ds-wii-u-retail-games.ars'>Read the whole story</a>

 

[Entegy]

Do they have a redownload system too?

 

[Blue Adept]

Perhaps the bigger news is not that they're continuing to support game downloads but rather that they are also continuing to tie it to your hardware rather than a network account (see XBox Live, PSN, Steam, and iTunes). They have had way too many years of people rebuying their old games, and they just don't want to give it up.

Also, they make no remark about tying downloads to the Wii U like they did with the Wii. If they have this in mind (and it would be a change in approach not to), perhaps they left that out not to provide another reason why the Wii U will disappoint foreign gamers. Or maybe they haven't decided.

 

[puddleglumm]

Are they just pretending iPhone/iTunes/iCloud doesn't exist? The bare minimum expectations I have for downloadable games is that they are tied to an account, not a device, and can be re-downloaded at will.

 

[heartburnkid]

Everybody's playing catch-up with Steam at this point.

 

[Ulf]

Are they just pretending iPhone/iTunes/iCloud doesn't exist? The bare minimum expectations I have for downloadable games is that they are tied to an account, not a device, and can be re-downloaded at will.

Yup, until they do this they are not getting a single cent from me.

 

[Xavin]

Are they just pretending iPhone/iTunes/iCloud doesn't exist? The bare minimum expectations I have for downloadable games is that they are tied to an account, not a device, and can be re-downloaded at will.

++ I won't buy downloadable games from Nintendo until they start acting like they have a clue what they are doing.

 

[sword_9mm]

Everybody's playing catch-up with Steam at this point.

this.

nintendo should've partnered up with steam for the wii-u/3ds. let the steam guys handle the online stuff kinda like that crappy gamespy shit we see every now and then, just good.

oh well. nintendo, it was fun but you guys keep your heads way to far up your asses for me to spend my money on your products. guess they don't care.

 

[Nitestorm]

From what I recollect the Nintendo Network does feature player accounts not tied to hardware for the Wii U, so downloads likely aren't tied to the system in that case.

I don't understand why they want to keep it tied to the hardware in the case of the 3DS though. Perhaps its a hardware issue, but I imagine that could be changed with a firmware update.

 

[AndreaFaulds]

Do they have a redownload system too?

Yep, as well as a system for transferring game ownership from one system to another when you get a new 3DS/next generation DS.

 

[AndreaFaulds]

Are they just pretending iPhone/iTunes/iCloud doesn't exist? The bare minimum expectations I have for downloadable games is that they are tied to an account, not a device, and can be re-downloaded at will.

++ I won't buy downloadable games from Nintendo until they start acting like they have a clue what they are doing.

They are tied to one device at a time, but you can move your "account" to a new device (you can't use the old device with it after that, though).

And you can redownload games.

 

[Donnicton]

Hopefully they'll also eventually learn that basing your purchases on console id rather than user id is just as stupid and anachronistic as their previous stance on their eStore has been, then we'll have something worth buying from.

 

[AndreaFaulds]

Hopefully they'll also eventually learn that basing your purchases on console id rather than user id is just as stupid and anachronistic as their previous stance on their eStore has been, then we'll have something worth buying from.

Well, you can optionally link to your Club Nintendo account, and move the purchases to a new system.

 

[one8kevin]

What's not mentioned in the article but was stated in the investor meeting is that retailers can set their own price for the game download codes. I imagine Nintendo sells the codes wholesale so we're likely to see discounts from retailers on digital titles. I haven't heard of Sony doing this nor do I know if eShop will offer discounts to satisfy customers who only buy through eShop.

 

[1800doctorb]

For all the hand-wringing about 'MS and Sony' consoles having offered a d/l selection for years... I fail to see where anyone in the home console realm has offered a digital version of the game the same day the physical copy is available in stores.

 

[Reyes H]

wow big deal, what about online gaming Nintendo?

 

[OrangeCream]

They are screwed.

Forget Steam, Steam isn't a mobile gaming platform (yet), they are competing with iTunes and their ability to download, redownload, and share apps on multiple devices.

Nintendo can't ignore that, yet they are.

Why would I buy a DS or 3DS if I can't migrate my games to the next iteration? HW cycles are now every other year thanks to smartphones and games need to respect that.

 

[Kyle Orland]

Do they have a redownload system too?

The current eShop games let you delete and redownload a title as many times as you want, assuming its to the same system each time.

 

[Kyle Orland]

What's not mentioned in the article but was stated in the investor meeting is that retailers can set their own price for the game download codes. I imagine Nintendo sells the codes wholesale so we're likely to see discounts from retailers on digital titles. I haven't heard of Sony doing this nor do I know if eShop will offer discounts to satisfy customers who only buy through eShop.

I'm actually looking into this very issue for a more in-depth piece.

 

[Kagenin]

If digital-downloaded games are cheaper than their "game card" (cmon, it's a cartridge) counterparts, then it's a good idea. If I'm paying the same, then the physical version is probably a better investment, since you can RESELL it. The advantage DD has over Physical distribution, is, ideally, lower logistic overhead - you don't have to move physical objects, just bits. These savings SHOULD be passed on to the end-user, especially since you cannot resell a downloaded title without selling your whole DSi/3DS.

 

[Kagenin]

They are screwed.

Forget Steam, Steam isn't a mobile gaming platform (yet), they are competing with iTunes and their ability to download, redownload, and share apps on multiple devices.

Nintendo can't ignore that, yet they are.

Why would I buy a DS or 3DS if I can't migrate my games to the next iteration? HW cycles are now every other year thanks to smartphones and games need to respect that.

There's a Steam Client for Android. It's only a matter of time.

 

[OrangeCream]

If digital-downloaded games are cheaper than their "game card" (cmon, it's a cartridge) counterparts, then it's a good idea. If I'm paying the same, then the physical version is probably a better investment, since you can RESELL it. The advantage DD has over Physical distribution, is, ideally, lower logistic overhead - you don't have to move physical objects, just bits. These savings SHOULD be passed on to the end-user, especially since you cannot resell a downloaded title without selling your whole DSi/3DS.

I don't care about the price nearly as much; the cost of the game is the cost of the game, but the card has the advantage of being moveable across systems where the download doesn't appear to (trivially at least).

If you're crippling it in that manner then you should charge less for it. The value isn't the cost of the components, it's in the game+features.

 

[pullathomas]

Tied to the system? What is this 1998? How does this encourage me to consume more content? If anything is encourages me to go buy the physical disc so when my system goes to hell I can still play my game. What garbage

 

[Kagenin]

Everybody's playing catch-up with Steam at this point.

this.

nintendo should've partnered up with steam for the wii-u/3ds. let the steam guys handle the online stuff kinda like that crappy gamespy shit we see every now and then, just good.

oh well. nintendo, it was fun but you guys keep your heads way to far up your asses for me to spend my money on your products. guess they don't care.

Oh, Nintendo cares about online experiences, but their focus is on protecting children from nasty language and predators. That's why the experience sucks. Then again, when I fire up something like Mario Kart DS, I don't have to deal with your average n-word-spouting 360 online player... It's the little things, I guess.

 

[VideoGameTech]

At least they're using standard SD cards for storage, instead of robbing people for overpriced proprietary storage cards like Sony. But unless the digital download is less than the physical game cart, no thanks. I buy the occasional Steam game on sale because the discount offsets the rights digital takes away.

 

[Cen-Sin]

I'm hoping their use of more "open" memory formats will trash Sony's proprietary crap.

 

[hansmuff]

I buy the occasional Steam game on sale because the discount offsets the rights digital takes away.

Well, Steam at least lets you download your games as often as you want to as many machines as you want. That is a tremendous plus compared to those console game stores.

 

[HeyWaitASecond]

Tied to the system? What is this 1998? How does this encourage me to consume more content? If anything is encourages me to go buy the physical disc so when my system goes to hell I can still play my game. What garbage

Yeah I hated how downloadable games were tied to my N64. I can't believe we haven't moved past that.

 

[NeoTechni]

UPDATE: In a statement provided to Joystiq, Nintendo clarified that a "majority" of first-party 3DS and Wii U games would be available as both retail and downloadable releases on launch day.

So, they're on par with PSP go

Microsoft and Sony have been offering a limited selection of their console retail games as downloads for years now, and Sony's Vita became the first major system to offer a same-day digital download option for every retail release earlier this year.

I'm glad you included Vita in that. IGN purposely worded their article to disclude Vita, claiming Nintendo is the first to do this