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DSiWare Games Can't Be Transferred to New System

F

FishSquared

Member
1up said:
Maybe you're tempted by one of those two new colors of DSi that were released earlier this month and want to pick one up. If that's the case, be warned that when upgrading to a new DSi, none of your purchases on the DSiWare service are coming with you, at least in Australia.

Nintendo of Australia revealed to Nintendo Life (via **********) their policy on this, which is to say, you simply can't bring your games with you. This is completely at ends with what you can do with Sony's PSP, which allows you to download your games by simply logging into PSN or connecting to your computer and using the PSP Media Manager to transfer content.

There is an important exception to this: Should your DSi break and be rendered unplayable, Nintendo can transfer your purchases, provided they have their hands on both your broken DSi and your new one.

We've contacted Nintendo of America to discover if this policy also applies here in the United States. We'll report back once we have word.
Click to expand...

And... the power of DD!

Lock if old.
 
Nintedo fails so, so much, and the DSi is a huge steaming pile of anti-consumer awfulness.

I'll buy Shantae, but nothing else.
 
Why can't they just introduce an account system like PSN or XBL. Hell, why not tie it into Club Nintendo? This is the most ridiculous shit ever. It's like they're trying to screw up their online on purpose.
 
What, the DSi is a steaming pile, only matched in awfulness by the PSPGo?

Just when the software of the handhelds start reaching their zenith their hardware iterations turn to crap.
 
kiruyama said:
Why can't they just introduce an account system like PSN or XBL. Hell, why not tie it into Club Nintendo? This is the most ridiculous shit ever. It's like they're trying to screw up their online on purpose.
Click to expand...

nintendo's online fail was an inside job.
 
ethelred said:
Nintedo fails so, so much, and the DSi is a huge steaming pile of anti-consumer awfulness.

I'll buy Shantae, but nothing else.
Click to expand...
:lol Heh, ok.

This is DD done wrong. I tend to trust Sony more because all of my stuff can be easily transferred if need be. I refuse to buy a single Wiiware/VC/DSi game until Nintendo can assure me that if my Wii breaks, I'll get my stuff back.
 
hahah Nintendo is a piece of shit. God damn.

This isn't a DD thing. Microsoft, Sony and Apple all tie games to an account that is independent.
 
This is exactly why I try to avoid DD purchases on WiiWare and have avoided DSi, the current system Nintendo has in place isn't built for backward compatibility.

What's going to happen when I want to redownload something I've bought on Wii2 or DSi2? :\
 
Has anyone called NoA yet? Australian branch's word doesn't matter IMO. At the very least it should be possible to transfer if you get the system repaired.
 
I'm not buying anything using their download mechanism until they have this stuff sorted out.

What, the DSi is a steaming pile, only matched in awfulness by the PSPGo?
Click to expand...

I don't really think PSN's usability comes close to this. The games on a PSP go will at least be tied to an account.
 
I've known this since the launch of the DSi, it's the same for the Wii. Nintendo's handling of DLC, DD etc. is horrible.

They mentioned this before the DSi launched in the US.
 
At this point in the game there's really no excuse why everyone shouldn't be using the Steam system: Keep people's content tied to their accounts, not the hardware. This is asinine.
 
dallow_bg said:
Isn't this true of the Wii Shop as well?

Well DSi, looks like you and I are locked together for life.
Click to expand...
Technically no, they do hold the power to transfer the games from one system to anther over with just a call, as people have reported that they have been able to get NoA to transfer the keys from a broken Wii to a new one on the account they moved to Canada, with doing nothing else but calling.

Can't say how easy it is to get the techs to do it though.
 
Thank GOD I held out on the DSi, and will now do the same for the PSP Go.

Will wait quite a while before buying these anti-consumer pieces of incremental shit.
 
Deadly Monk said:
I've known this since the launch of the DSi, it's the same for the Wii. Nintendo's handling of DLC, DD etc. is horrible.

They mentioned this before the DSi launched in the US.
Click to expand...

It's an import gamer's nightmare. If your system dies, you have to ship it to a friend in its country of origin, then they'll have to send it to Nintendo to get it fixed and then ship it back to you. Just so you won't lose your DD games. :/
 
jj984jj said:
This is exactly why I try to avoid DD purchases on WiiWare and have avoided DSi, the current system Nintendo has in place isn't built for backward compatibility.

What's going to happen when I want to redownload something I've bought on Wii2 or DSi2? :\
Click to expand...

You won't see those games on your Wii2 because these games are tied to your console. I refuse to buy anything as well until they let people create accounts but that's not going to happen this generation. Thank god Microsoft and Sony (and Steam!) have this sorted out. It's not that hard to do Nintendo...
 
2 Minutes Turkish said:
Thank GOD I held out on the DSi, and will now do the same for the PSP Go.

Will wait quite a while before buying these anti-consumer pieces of incremental shit.
Click to expand...
PSP Go doesn't have this problem though.

In fact, I don't know why people are so shocked. This was the case withthe Wii. Is it really all that surprising here?
 
Surgeon Rocket said:
PSP Go doesn't have this problem though.

In fact, I don't know why people are so shocked. This was the case withthe Wii. Is it really all that surprising here?
Click to expand...

The PSP is for other reasons though.

Also, I'm aware this is the case for the Wii too. Doesn't mean they can't fix it in the DSi.
 
It's not new. They've done this with Wii since 2006.

You are guaranteed all downloads should your system break but you can't buy a new color and have them transfer it. For this to be a problem the assumption is you are buying at least 2 DSi from the same region for your own use. There's maybe 1% of people who will ever be affected by this.
 
It's totally possible. I've gone through this process twice with my Wii. Nintendo is totally capable of transferring the licenses for your downloads for you, you just have to go through their customer service which is 100x better than Microsoft's at any rate...
 
Regulus Tera said:
Wii's' the same. I don't know why you expected otherwise.
Click to expand...

This. There's no news here. Downloading on Nintendo means you're downloading to that machine only. You don't *own* anything transferrable at all.

Yet.
 
Surgeon Rocket said:
PSP Go doesn't have this problem though.

In fact, I don't know why people are so shocked. This was the case withthe Wii. Is it really all that surprising here?
Click to expand...

People get angry when you remind them of corporate bullshit, even if they had forgotten it.
 
I spent my free points on Pictobits and that crappy Wario camera thing. Won't buy another one until there is an account I can pair it with. I already feel bad enough for buying things on the Wii. Never again (unless there is something for 500 points on Wiiware, since that's all I have left).

Son of Godzilla said:
You can't just pile all the games onto an SD cart and put it in the new one?
Click to expand...

They're still tied to the device. So, even off an SD card, they'll only work on your system.

Y2Kev said:
I'm not buying anything using their download mechanism until they have this stuff sorted out.

I don't really think PSN's usability comes close to this. The games on a PSP go will at least be tied to an account.
Click to expand...

Games you buy on PSP can be downloaded and stored on your PC, PSP or PS3. The only issue there is wanting to play games from other regions.
 
Yeah..this is no news..same thing on the Wii..so I don't know what's their deal with things like "only in Australia" and "contacting NOA to see their stance"..pffft.. :p
 
This is unsurprising. A universal account system would have made so much more sense. Wait, there IS a universal account system, all that stuff is on my club nintendo account. Oh well. At least I got art style out of it.

I DO think they will carry over Wii/DSi downloadables to future generation systems, assuming the interface is there to play them.
 
I'm hoping Nintendo will get their heads out of their asses and tie content to accounts like everyone else does.

Luckily there's hardly anything worth buying on DSiware anyway.
 
A Twisty Fluken said:
This is unsurprising. A universal account system would have made so much more sense. Wait, there IS a universal account system, all that stuff is on my club nintendo account. Oh well. At least I got art style out of it.
Click to expand...

The back-end is in place it's more a matter of re-doing the security at the system level. It's not an upgrade to be taken lightly. Much like the SD card update (which DSi needs BTW) I think it's something that will be addressed when it becomes an actual problem (instead of hypothetical bullshit).
 
Like the Wii, this is bad for guys(myself) who have duplicates. I have both Wiis registered with my Nintendo/Club N. Both registered to the same address, obviously both mine.

Nintendo should implement a program where the option to swap games for duplicate console owners is standard, and allow us to delete(or disavow, depending on happy you are with your Wii) "ownership" of systems and dlc if we sell used or give our old one away. That way, if I want that black Wii down the road, I can transfer everything over-right as rain.

Think about it, Nintendo releases another limited edition DSi that you just gotta have(Zelda themes please), but all your shit is on another one...just plain sucks. Now your son's got all your great DSiWare games, but hey, shiney new Limited DSi dad./rant
 
Somnid said:
The back-end is in place it's more a matter of re-doing the security at the system level. It's not an upgrade to be taken lightly. Much like the SD card update (which DSi needs BTW) I think it's something that will be addressed when it becomes an actual problem (instead of hypothetical bullshit).
Click to expand...

unfortunatly, there is always issue of contracts with the publishers, which usually have these things noted...
 
Evilink said:
Think about it, Nintendo releases another limited edition DSi that you just gotta have(Zelda themes please), but all your shit is on another one...just plain sucks. Now your son's got all your great DSiWare games, but hey, shiney new Limited DSi dad./rant
Click to expand...

This will never happen.

ds-4988601006118-2T.jpg


Never.
 
Epic Tier 3 Engineer said:
:lol Heh, ok.

This is DD done wrong. I tend to trust Sony more because all of my stuff can be easily transferred if need be. I refuse to buy a single Wiiware/VC/DSi game until Nintendo can assure me that if my Wii breaks, I'll get my stuff back.
Click to expand...

Oh, no, if it BREAKS you can get it. You just can't otherwise. Same thing on Wii - I had to go through this and actually I had to redownload all my stuff, it's just that my save files were there.

Yeah.

Pretty spectacular.
 
So couldnt you just call them up and say your DSi broke and you bought a new one, or is this implying that you have to go through Nintendo's repair service to get your games transferred?
 
tetrisgrammaton said:
So couldnt you just call them up and say your DSi broke and you bought a new one, or is this implying that you have to go through Nintendo's repair service to get your games transferred?
Click to expand...
Through the repair service. I've had my Wii games saved over twice that way.

And even if they did it over the phone like that, the next time you connected to the DSiWare shop on the original system, the games would likely be erased.

I say that because a user here, (one of the mods I think) got a refund for a DSiWare purchase and that game was erased when they next connected to the store.
 
dallow_bg said:
Through the repair service. I've had my Wii games saved over twice that way.

And even if they did it over the phone like that, the next time you connected to the DSiWare shop on the original system, the games would likely be erased.

I say that because a user here, (one of the mods I think) got a refund for a DSiWare purchase and that game was erased when they next connected to the store.
Click to expand...
Aye, Dragona and BASE 10.
 
ethelred said:
It isn't hypothetical bullshit, Somnid. Can you go even a day without slathering us in sanctimonious apologia?
Click to expand...

Because I'm not interested in crying over my first-world problems of potentially not being able to play games I buy today in 10 years. It's especially heinous given the uncertainty of it all. I'm also rather sick of the US vs THEM attitude as if we're all dealing with some primodial evil that anti-corporation GAF loves to promote. I feel I get plenty out of my dollars.
 
Yes Boss! said:
Is this really new? Same as Wii.
Click to expand...
The issue here is that the Wii doesn't get released in new colours every six months. That's what makes it different. If you decide you want one of the new colours, you're SOL.
 
dallow_bg said:
Through the repair service. I've had my Wii games saved over twice that way.

And even if they did it over the phone like that, the next time you connected to the DSiWare shop on the original system, the games would likely be erased.

I say that because a user here, (one of the mods I think) got a refund for a DSiWare purchase and that game was erased when they next connected to the store.
Click to expand...

I don't see that as being a detriment. As long as I have one right to the game, thats enough for me. I don't need multiple installs. But its ridiculous they don't have a convenient way of managing rights through the Nintendo account.
 
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