Nintendo has announced that it plans to make Nintendo published games available to download on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U on release day. You’ll either be able to go out and purchase the physical edition or stay at home and download the digital release. The first game which will take advantage of this is New Super Mario Bros 2 for the Nintendo 3DS which will be released in August.
“For our digital business to grow drastically, it is imperative for us to expand the exposure of the digital download products to potential consumers.”
“Starting from [New Super Mario Bros. 2], the company will offer the software titles that Nintendo itself publishes in both packaged and digital download formats so that our consumers can choose the way to purchase them.”
This will also be available “from day one of the Wii U’s launch”.
whoa, not sure if i like this…
why not? its optional which way you choose to buy it
I’m surprised they don’t discount the games if downloaded so they don’t have to pay the middle man but I guess that would potentially put the middle man out of business.
They don’t have to worry about packaging or shipping costs either.
Which is why I will continue getting physical copies. I do love digital ones, but Im not paying full price for it when I can get a physical copy with case and instructions included.
Problem is if they did this, then retail physical wouldn’t be able to sell any copies and therefore wouldn’t stock them.
It wouldn’t end well, not yet at least.
Erm, hello? Steam’s been doing that for ages now, and the middle man is still kicking around. And don’t forget GOG.com and XBL Marketplace…
I know i do!!! So we have an official release date for super mario bros 2 for the 3ds in 3D and digital download…Can anyone here smell a hacking coming on? ^_^
YES! You know what this means for people outside the US? We can get games at US prices (emphasis on US), AT LAUNCH! Granted, I’m going back to the US for college but the few months I’ve lived abroad have been torture. When you see how people have to wait months just to get a game at twice its US price, you understand people pirate not to save money (even when it’s around $100 for a game), but to actually get to PLAY the game.
This is a huge step for Nintendo, and if they pull it off right it’ll do wonders for the company.
I dont know what your talking about but europe seems to be getting games before the US more often now adays… from Nintendo that is.
Once again, you guys are generalizing here. I don’t live in Europe, I live in the US (most of the time). But outside the US, either I make do with patient waiting until I go back to the US (anywhere from 3 weeks to a year) or I buy games in said country (anywhere from $20 more to $50 more).
“We can get games at US prices (emphasis on US), AT LAUNCH”
No you won’t. You will get your region prices which will be the same, maybe $10 less then a physical copy.
You can mark my words.
You’re thinking about Australia/Europe buddy. I’m talking the rest of Asia/Africa. A game that costs $70 here (imported from US) is much more than “$10” more than a $35 digital copy.
Japan has its own eShop does it not? Africa, yeah they prob use America’s. American digital copies are 50-60$. Digital = retail prices because no company wants to damage their relationship with physical retail as they realize the majority still want physical. If you get brand new games at $35 on the American eShop in a different country, then your one lucky son of a gun. If you were in America and those games cost you $35 I’d be amazed (talking WiiU games not 3DS games).
If that is the case, I am jealous.
No, the prices will be inflated, sorry, “adjusted” accordingly, just as they are right now in the eShop.
Depends on where you live. Some countries don’t even have a local eShop, so they have to use the US store. Scratch that; make that almost every country out there. Australia and New Zealand are supposedly under “privileged conditions” for having their own eShop servers/pricing, so they round out the list.
If you have to go get a code at retail than it defeats the purpose of at downloadable st home fucking dumbass shitendo
Or you could, y’know, buy it from your couch with your credit card. Codes bought at retail could be used for gifts and such.
(why am I even replying to this obvious troll?)
Get a life, moron.
Man, this has been a great day for Wii U news today, hasn’t it? I can’t imagine what they’ve got stored for us at E3 this year! Can’t wait!
Damn buying a code at retail smh thats why xbox taking a shit on dumbtendo fuck if am getting a code at store whats the point i might as well buy copy shit its a hassle going outside tardtendo wii u wii u
N’aw, is the outside world a bit scary for wiwwle troll?
Awesome!
But what about Club Nintendo? Will there be full 30 point codes with the digital downloads, too?
Whether it’s from a store or from the 3DS/Wii U Shop, I’m sure a lot of people will purchase games from Nintendo and their third party and independent publishers.
that’s good news to me. hopefully those digital versions aren’t too large in file size.
Sounds good to me.
Sorry for the stupid question but will I be able to buy these games with a debit card? I prefer to use cash and debit rather than purchasing with credit cards…