Yikes: Problems With Nintendo Points

[DoctorFinger]

Some fans thought the announcement of a DS Store for the upcoming DSi hardware would open new doors. Others worried that Nintendo would somehow manage to make things needlessly difficult for gamers. We're now discovering that the latter were probably right.

Siliconera (http://www.siliconera.com/2008/10/03/nintendo-points-are-either-wii-points-or-ds-points-not-both/) dug a little deeper into Nintendo's info kit regarding the new DS Store and discovered that the Nintendo Points (formerely Wii Points) you buy will not be cross platform compatible. Meaning, if you buy $20 of Nintendo Points for your Wii, but want to buy a game from the DS Store, you cannot use that $20. Since Nintendo lacks an overarching account system - a la XBL, PSN or Steam - those points are linked to your console and not a profile. So you'll have to maintain separate balances for each piece of hardware; which is not good news for the many households that have multiple DS units, not to mention Wiis.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Nintendo's online endevors are backwards to the point of uselessness. XBL and PSN are far from perfect, but they both understand one key point: make it easy for users to spend their money. Forget the complete disregard for online gaming Nintendo has displayed this generation - that's a story for another day - but they're even putting barriers up in the paths of people trying to spend their money. How many parents are going to want to buy DS Store games considering all the hoops you have to jump through to do so?

Source - Siliconera (http://www.siliconera.com/2008/10/03/nintendo-points-are-either-wii-points-or-ds-points-not-both/).

[GunnyMo]

Coming from such a technology loving country, Nintendo's concepts are archaic. They really need to add Face Palm as their company logo.

[pheriannath]

This isn't surprising in the least.

[Cyndair]

Arggg... this is what I was afraid of. I was envisioning a store where you could share points and VC games that you've already purchased. It's so damn hard to be a Nintendo fan sometimes.

[Goronmon]

It's so damn hard to be a Nintendo fan sometimes.It hasn't been easy to be a Nintendo fan since the days of the
SNES, honestly.

[Cyndair]

It hasn't been easy to be a Nintendo fan since the days of the
SNES, honestly.

Yeah, it's been a bumpy ride. Just when you are about to give up on them, a title like Mario Galaxy comes out, completely blows you away, and then rekindles the love. I'm going to keep on supporting Nintendo but I reserve the right to whine once in a while :p.

[quidmonkey]

Sigh...it never ends.

[Savok]

So why change the fucking name?

Nintendo, look, try and have a few people on staff who aren't taking acid.

[Doctor Setebos]

Since Nintendo lacks an overarching account system - a la XBL, PSN or Steam - those points are linked to your console and not a profile.I think you're reaching a bit on the definition of an "overarching account system". Nintendo has one - it's called a My Nintendo account, and you have to tie your Wii system to the account before you purchase content for the first time. This is done much in the same way as your XBL account/Gamertag is tied to your 360.

In fact, with regards to a comparison to XBL, PSN, or Steam -- each of those "over-arching account systems" is tied to a specific console: 360, PS3, or the PC. The concept of putting money into a specific account and being able to use that amount of money across multiple platforms has never been done before. I'm not trying to make excuses for Nintendo, here. Both the Wii and DS are Nintendo platforms, and as such, should be able to be accessible by the same account system. Nintendo would just have to make it so you can tie your DS to your My Nintendo account, along with your Wii. It sounds simple, and it might be, but I don't know.

Say what you will about Nintendo's inability to manage their online infrastructure (I certainly have), but if there's anything Nintendo is good at, it's giving customers incentive to part with their money. My guess is that this cross-platform issue will change prior to the launch of the DS store.

[KidCactus]

The concept of putting money into a specific account and being able to use that amount of money across multiple platforms has never been done before.
You mean except from the PS3 and PSP?

[Johan]

They don't need "your" or "my" money if they're getting so many other people's and continuing to print it, including making money on hardware from the get-go (a concept apparently foreign to Sony and MS). :)

Certainly, hardcore (esp online) gamers have much to complain about with Nintendo, but their per-employee profits and shareholder value are unmatched in the industry.

They're doing very well, despite naysaying/naysayers words to the contrary.

[Sl1pstream]

You mean except from the PS3 and PSP?

Or Xbox 360 and Zune.

[Doctor Setebos]

You mean except from the PS3 and PSP?But you can't buy and download anything using your PSP, can you? My understanding was that you have to go through the PS3 or a PC to download content to the PSP. There is no PSP Store where you can download directly to the PSP (to my knowledge).

I can already download content from my Wii to my DS. That isn't the question. The question is an independent store for each platform, that uses a unified, cross-platform account system.

[Sandman]

Nintendo's complete failure to understand the internet and the way the tubes work never ceases to amaze me.

[Food Nipple]

But you can't buy and download anything using your PSP, can you? My understanding was that you have to go through the PS3 or a PC to download content to the PSP. There is no PSP Store where you can download directly to the PSP (to my knowledge).

I can already download content from my Wii to my DS. That isn't the question. The question is an independent store for each platform, that uses a unified, cross-platform account system.

Again, see 360 and Zune. Two totally separate devices that share the same currency and even share the same friend's list, but their stores are completely separate.

Also, there is a PSP store for your PC (http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/20/psp-store-now-available-online-via-the-pc/), so you don't need a PS3 to buy stuff.

So basically, everyone but Nintendo is doing this.

[KidCactus]

But you can't buy and download anything using your PSP, can you? My understanding was that you have to go through the PS3 or a PC to download content to the PSP. There is no PSP Store where you can download directly to the PSP (to my knowledge).
That's correct, but it's still the same electronic wallet used for both PSP and PS3, wasn't that the main issue? And as you say; you can do it the PC->PSP way too, so wouldn't that count as cross-platform?

[That Darn Kat]

Ah, my poor Nintendo. ;_; Why do they have to make it so hard to love them sometimes?

[Doctor Setebos]

That's correct, but it's still the same electronic wallet used for both PSP and PS3, wasn't that the main issue? And as you say; you can do it the PC->PSP way too, so wouldn't that count as cross-platform?I was thinking more along the lines of being able to download directly from the device itself, without needing an intermediary (whether that's a PC, PS3, 360, or Wii). But I suppose that's a minor point to the whole concept.

So, it does definitely sound like Nintendo has fallen behind in yet another area it's competitors have succeeded within. I'm still fairly confident that it will have a unified account by the time it goes live, because like I said, if there's one thing Nintendo is good at, it's finding ways to take your money.

[KidCactus]

I was thinking more along the lines of being able to download directly from the device itself, without needing an intermediary (whether that's a PC, PS3, 360, or Wii). But I suppose that's a minor point to the whole concept.
That would be the best solution for the PSP, and I'm pretty sure that we will see that in the near future. But then again, they still force you to use Windows if you want to do it the PC store way, since you need to install a downloader application.

[Kagger]

Dangit...

One thing that irks me about wii points is having 200 lying around after a SNES purchase...this would have cleaned that up quite a bit...

[Doctor Setebos]

Dangit...

One thing that irks me about wii points is having 200 lying around after a SNES purchase...this would have cleaned that up quite a bit...Ah, that's it! You've hit on a reason Nintendo why would go this route. With separate accounts, there's TWICE the chance that each system would have smaller, incremental bits of cash left over that Nintendo can still claim as income despite the fact that it isn't being utilized.

It's actually quite brilliant, if you ask me.

[Midrael]

Come on big N. I know you can afford to pay the development team to make that happen. We're not talking about launching Mario to the moon. We're just talking about making the Wii account act as the overall Nintendo account.

Ugh.

[Sl1pstream]

I was thinking more along the lines of being able to download directly from the device itself, without needing an intermediary (whether that's a PC, PS3, 360, or Wii). But I suppose that's a minor point to the whole concept.

Microsoft added a store to the Zune itself with their latest update. If you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can buy stuff directly from the Zune, without using a PC.

[KidCactus]

Microsoft added a store to the Zune itself with their latest update. If you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can buy stuff directly from the Zune, without using a PC.
Come to think of it, the same goes for the iPhone/iPod Touch, where you have both the App Store and iTunes Store available in the device.

[Telefrog]

Nintendo once again finds a way to do online services the wrong way. Awesome.

[Kagger]

Ah, that's it! You've hit on a reason Nintendo why would go this route. With separate accounts, there's TWICE the chance that each system would have smaller, incremental bits of cash left over that Nintendo can still claim as income despite the fact that it isn't being utilized.

It's actually quite brilliant, if you ask me.

Thankfully the Proto-man DLC will be wiping out that 200 points just sitting there.

[Widgetcraft]

I guess I had ran under the assumption that the DSi store would be accessed through the Wii via a wi-fi connection with the DSi; I guess that would make too much sense. Sure, it would require that you already own a Wii, but what Nintendo faithful doesn't?

Meh, I love Nintendo's games, but they need to hire a separate entity to work on their infrastructure.

[boratika]

Ugghhhhhhhhh...

Certainly, hardcore (esp online) gamers have much to complain about with Nintendo, but their per-employee profits and shareholder value are unmatched in the industry.

They're doing very well, despite naysaying/naysayers words to the contrary.
The per-employee profits are now unmatched in any industry.


Probably a good time to hire some guys to, you know, focus on making their internet stuff not suck.
Dangit...

One thing that irks me about wii points is having 200 lying around after a SNES purchase...this would have cleaned that up quite a bit...
It's not quite as bad as the PSN store where, for example, something will cost $8.45, so you select buy and it informs you that you need to purchase $10 in order to purchase the game. So then you have $1.55.

I find it helps to think of these things like a car's petrol tank. I don't think about the bit at the bottom I never use, I just top it up as I go. (Of course I only have one car)

[TheEvilNarwhale]

Again, see 360 and Zune. Two totally separate devices that share the same currency and even share the same friend's list, but their stores are completely separate.

Also, there is a PSP store for your PC (http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/20/psp-store-now-available-online-via-the-pc/), so you don't need a PS3 to buy stuff.

So basically, everyone but Nintendo is doing this.

I wish the zune and 360 market places were shared so I could put season 2 of venture brothers on my zune. :mad:

[Craigtheplague]

*Sigh* I think you guys are swallowing the FUD too easily. Because Siliconera said so then it must be true. The article just says they saw a slide show, thought about how the Wii store works at this present time, and came to the conclusion that this is how it's going to be. It would have been nice to see the whole slide show ourselves. The two pics in the article are ambiguous.

Unless this comes from the horse's mouth or someone experiments with the DSi store, don't jump to conclusions.

[Raen]

*Sigh* I think you guys are swallowing the FUD too easily. Because Siliconera said so then it must be true. The article just says they saw a slide show, thought about how the Wii store works at this present time, and came to the conclusion that this is how it's going to be. It would have been nice to see the whole slide show ourselves. The two pics in the article are ambiguous.

Unless this comes from the horse's mouth or someone experiments with the DSi store, don't jump to conclusions.

The slides are slightly ambiguous, although the slide that follows the text does very strongly suggest that the points will be locked to a specific platform.

[mister slim]

I was thinking more along the lines of being able to download directly from the device itself, without needing an intermediary (whether that's a PC, PS3, 360, or Wii). But I suppose that's a minor point to the whole concept.

There's an upcoming patch for the PSP that will support this.


It's not quite as bad as the PSN store where, for example, something will cost $8.45, so you select buy and it informs you that you need to purchase $10 in order to purchase the game. So then you have $1.55.

That's kind of mean of Sony, in the US the minimum is $5. Which is what, like $3 Australian? $5 is a fairly common minimum charge though. Wii is $5 and Live is $6.25, for example.

[BLeeP]

It's not quite as bad as the PSN store where, for example, something will cost $8.45, so you select buy and it informs you that you need to purchase $10 in order to purchase the game. So then you have $1.55.

I find it helps to think of these things like a car's petrol tank. I don't think about the bit at the bottom I never use, I just top it up as I go. (Of course I only have one car)

Is that an Australian thing? In the States, we can just add what items we want to our cart, check out, and it will only charge your card for the amount of the transaction. No round number nickel and dime BS.

[araczynski]

I enjoy PSN's system. haven't given XBL a dime thanks to their retarded point system.

[KidCactus]

I was thinking more along the lines of being able to download directly from the device itself, without needing an intermediary (whether that's a PC, PS3, 360, or Wii). But I suppose that's a minor point to the whole concept.

Sony will be giving Japanese PSP owners direct access to to the PlayStation Store from 15th October. That means no longer faffing around with the PS3 or PC to get at the content there.

Only in Japan at the moment, but at least it is happening.