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Nintendo Prepares For Digital Game Downloads At Retail

Former Nintendo UK manager David Yarnton has told MCV that Nintendo is preparing itself for digital downloads for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. The digital downloads will be available on both consoles, but Nintendo also hopes that they will eventually be available to purchase at retail outlets via downloadable codes.

“We want to support our partners and them to support us. So we think there is room for packaged goods as well as digital. When you go out to retail, the exposure a shop can give a game is incredible. Some people want downloadable content for its convenience, some people like having a games collection. There’s room for both.”

“From what we have researched, the download market has grown, but it hasn’t eaten into retail in the way many predicted.”

“At the moment we have the voucher cards – we’re not quite there to let retailers have just codes for a Zelda game. Yes, digital downloads can reduce the inventory risk – but if you give someone a card with a code it still has a value. There are some issues to work through, but it will happen in the not-too-distant future.”

“I can’t speak for them all, but having spoken to places like GAME, they have seen an incredible rise in the sales of digital content. It’s working for them.”

51 thoughts on “Nintendo Prepares For Digital Game Downloads At Retail”

        1. Why can’t everyone just put this as the answer? It would result in a lot less page scrolling. Of course I’m just adding another post. XP

  1. Hey, how about you make it so that you can just go to like Nintendo.com, then using your credit/debt card/whatever to pay for a game. Then that game is bought onto your account and the next time you log onto that account on a 3ds/wii u you get a package to download the game.

    1. I believe they’re actually working on this, in addition to these retails vouchers. It goes with their plan to let you access Miiverse outside of the Wii U. They already have shop.nintendo.com, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where they offer the content digitally.

  2. I have never been too much of a fan of downloading items on Nintendo systems simply because there’s no central or organized network. Yes, there’s club Nintendo, however, when the Wii U ships, will I be able to download all the titles I had downloaded on my Wii?

    The thing I appreciate with Steam, PSN, XBL is that you have one account that can be carried across several networks and devices which keeps track of all your purchases, downloads, and so on.

    I really hope Nintendo improves on this facet when the Wii U drops. I hope it’s implemented with the handhelds as well.

    1. Well Steam/Origin services on WiiU have been circulating a while, it was even pitched by both EA and Valve. It make sense for Nintendo to do that, its could be the reason theyre being so quite when it comes to online, they want to smash the competition, and Steam/Origin would do that, and MS and Sony wouldnt have enough time to react to that, theyd be forced into a harsh expensive situation

    2. I believe they said starting with Wii U they were going to have individual accounts, accessible even from smartphones, and that the transfer of games from Wii to Wii U was going to be ‘relatively painless’

      1. I faintly remember something along those lines, still, I think it would be so much more simple if all Nintendo systems just used our Club Nintendo accounts for everything.

      1. There’s no need to act like an uneducated, ignorant, rude, child in a simple discussion. The other responses were well mannered, why do you desire to instigate with hateful speech?

      1. Transfer as in, I will still need my current Wii to complete the process, or transfer as in, I can download them on the new Wii U without my current Wii.

              1. Yeah. To be honest, i dont have alot of VC console games anyway, and if i wanted to play them, ill just plug the Wii in. The WiiU is more interesting to me because its having GC games on the store

        1. I think that’s how the “Friend Code”* will help, at least with downloaded content. Since it’s associated with an account and not a system, you could potentially enter the code to approve a digital transfer. This might also work physically if you plug in an SD card or USB Drive with memory created on another system and enter the code to approve its use on the new system. Not that Nintendo has come forward about any of this, but that’s what I’ve pieced together based on what Nintendo’s said so far.

          *Still don’t know why they’re still calling it this when it seems it won’t be a part of player interactions.

      1. ^ this
        I went to my brothers because i didnt have internet access and i wanted a DLC and super meat boy, wouldnt work when i took it home, which is bullshit, if its on the hard drive, i should be able to play it

  3. From a personal stand point, i download alot of my ps3 title via the store, its just more efficiant. This also backs up the rumour/pitch of Steam and Origin services on the WiiU, seeing as its store from what i remember was Nintendo titles.

  4. I would rather buy a game than download it because then you can’t resell it if it’s download, right? And if something breaks (I’ve had a DS and Wii break) then you’re possibly screwed. I’d just rather drive to GameStop than risk it.

  5. no, I MIGHT buy a game digitally only if is cheaper than retail! but if the price is the same I’ll rather buy a fisical copy that way it’ll be worth my money!

    1. Im fine with a £5 convinence charge to be honest, but WiiU’s disk can hold 25GB on data, which would be a PAIN to download if they even used half of that

    1. ^ This
      Its such a considerate thing for Nintendo to allow any SD or external harddrive, just hope they have a way to stop people abusing it for pirate copies

        1. And i can buy a 1TB hard drive for about £70, compared to the 360’s with is only, what, 250GB, and cost the same, probably more. And dont get me started on the PS3 hard drive. Youre a fucking idiot

  6. I personally, can not wait for this, I’m ecstatic that Nintendo are finally offering digital downloads of Full retail games, I just hope they bring in an account system where the download works like steam, it gets linked to your account and you can download it to any system, heck if that happens, you can be guaranteed Ill buy the 3DS XL as well as keeping my 3DS and soon to be Wii U ;)

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