Duane Cunningham
Member
I think all we can do is look at the current evidence:
PSN - You can go to the PS Store and if you've already bought something, it appears as a red shopping bag, meaning you don't have to pay again. It's one central account whether you log in via the PS3, Vita, their site, a replacement PS3, or anything. Just like iTunes or whatever. I see zero reason this will change with future hardware, the system is already in place. Yes, you'll be able to take your purchases with you.
Nintendo - Hard to say. They don't tie your purchases to a central account, really, unless you connect it to Club Nintendo, but even then, it's not like a central store with "previous purchases", your purchases are really just tied to the system. On DSi and 3DS, you can transfer everything to a new system if you have them both in front of you, but that's it. So far, there has been no crossover between things you can purchase in the 3DS and WiiWare/WiiVC stores, so there's no explicit example so far of having to pay twice, but there doesn't seem to be a system in place to prevent it. Ultimately, unless they announce some totally new account system, I'm saying no, you wont be able to on Nintendo.
XBLA - Microsoft has only released one post-XBLA system, so we don't know for sure that you'll be able to log back in and re-DL your past purchases. But it sure seems like it since XBLA is an iTunes/PSN style service. So most likely yes here as well.
Aaaand, after typing all that out, I realize that the real question being asked here is whether said software will actually be playable on the new consoles.
PSN - You can go to the PS Store and if you've already bought something, it appears as a red shopping bag, meaning you don't have to pay again. It's one central account whether you log in via the PS3, Vita, their site, a replacement PS3, or anything. Just like iTunes or whatever. I see zero reason this will change with future hardware, the system is already in place. Yes, you'll be able to take your purchases with you.
Nintendo - Hard to say. They don't tie your purchases to a central account, really, unless you connect it to Club Nintendo, but even then, it's not like a central store with "previous purchases", your purchases are really just tied to the system. On DSi and 3DS, you can transfer everything to a new system if you have them both in front of you, but that's it. So far, there has been no crossover between things you can purchase in the 3DS and WiiWare/WiiVC stores, so there's no explicit example so far of having to pay twice, but there doesn't seem to be a system in place to prevent it. Ultimately, unless they announce some totally new account system, I'm saying no, you wont be able to on Nintendo.
XBLA - Microsoft has only released one post-XBLA system, so we don't know for sure that you'll be able to log back in and re-DL your past purchases. But it sure seems like it since XBLA is an iTunes/PSN style service. So most likely yes here as well.
Aaaand, after typing all that out, I realize that the real question being asked here is whether said software will actually be playable on the new consoles.