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[KTallguy]

I find that doing even basic stuff on the 3DS is a nightmare sometimes. God forbid if I click on a system menu option that requires network connectivity without being connected to a network... 5 minutes later I have to force shutdown the hardware because it will not get out of an infinite loading screen.

I was trying to sign into my Nintendo account online, and then I realized I had to go into my Nintendo ID settings and enable web browser access (...why?), and then I couldn't do that because of System Update... it's like PS3 all over again.

 

[yanipheonu]

Eh, calling it anti-consumer implies a level of foresight.

Honestly, the most likely answer is that Nintendo is just pretty bad at handling system transfers and transferring saves across systems.

 

[inner-G]

I will never understand how it's possible for me to see as many threads or posts about bad stories like this on GAF. It's a gaming forum, with people who should know how to use tech...

I will never understand how a tech company, Nintendo, can make such backwards-ass hardware and software (allegedly intended for children) that can confuzzle the most tech-savvy people.

I'd rather upgrade RAM in my PC than a 3DS memory card.

 

[Yukinari]

After i lost a few wiiware games including Doc Louis's Punch Out on my original wii ive learned to not have anything digital on my nintendo consoles unless its free or really cheap.

Aside from DLC i rarely buy digital anything.

 

[mattiewheels]

You had the cart with a save on it, but doing the transfer got rid of the cart save? Couldn't you just play with the cart?

 

[True Fire]

And this is why I sold my Wii U. I'm waiting to see if Nintendo will enter 2016. Their new account system is a good sign, but they already failed with their first attempt. If they don't catch up with Sony and Microsoft with the NX I probably won't buy it. Not even for Pokemon, which hasn't had an exceptionally good mainline game in half a decade.

 

[Cynn]

You have 500 hours in portable Smash. You'll be back.

Here's to hoping for things to be infinitely easier with the interconnected NX devices.

 

[inner-G]

And this is why I sold my Wii U. I'm waiting to see if Nintendo will enter 2016. Their new account system is a good sign, but they already failed with their first attempt. If they don't catch up with Sony and Microsoft with the NX I probably won't buy it. Not even for Pokemon, which hasn't had an exceptionally good mainline game in half a decade.

Locking content to Amiibos is also a scary direction to me.

 

[DarknessTear]

Wii U support is also incredibly slow. Waiting to play my new Wii U for ages now but they have to do account things for me. Zzzz.

 

[bman94]

Nintendo being idiots with technology doesn't mean they are anti-consumer. If they made you repurchase all of your digital content, then they'll be anti-consumer.

 

[icespide]

what is "pro digital"?

 

[Diffense]

You couldn't even join friends in a match at launch on Splatoon. It WAS very barebones in the worst ways lol

I stand by what I said in comparison to SFV.

BTW, you could join friends in Turf War from the very beginning but not in ranked (which wasn't even available until enough people got to the required level). Apart from some modes (like Squad and Private Battles) not being available, possibly because they weren't done, they also made a deliberate decision to roll out content gradually since much of it was actually on the disc from Day 1. It wasn't entirely about the game being rushed.

 

[Linearskillz]

It's really disappointing, but not at all surprising, to see a defense force for Nintendo's backwards-ass digital ownership situation. Worse still is the victim blaming.

You should demand better. All the major competitors have had this figured out for a while now.

 

[Chezzymann]

If Nintendo was up to modern technology standards you wouldn't have to read tutorials or anything about your game saves getting lost due to doing something wrong. You would just log into your new device and re download your game. That's it.

See, the problem isnt the OP messing up, its that there's an actual risk of losing your saves pernimatley if you mess up.

 

[Mobius and pet octopus]

It's a 20 minute procedure if you do it the smart way by just transferring licenses and taking the microSD from the old 3DS to the N3DS.

20 minute procedure?

Sorry but that is incredibly silly length of time to do that.

 

[televator]

And of course, some people go out of the way to defend Nintendo unequivocally and unconditionally.

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

You failed OP. Reading comprehension is what is important when you're using a Nintendo system. I've made a lot of transfer (saves, games, etc.) and I've never had any issues. I agree that it could be easier but if you take the time to read how to proceed (even on Nintendo transfer guide site) everything will be ok. Now if you're mad you can take a picture of you burning the 3DS with an anti Nintendo t-shirt, maybe it'll help.

Seriously I'm really sorry for the loss of your save but I will never understand how it's possible for me to see as many threads or posts about bad stories like this on GAF. It's a gaming forum, with people who should know how to use tech...

Edit : so yeah Nintendo is dumb but I don't feel particularly smart so I'm waiting for the reason behind all these fails?
And a lot of people will again say I'm just a Nintendo defense force... maybe a little but it's the same for any system or thing, read and learn how things are working. It's not that complicated.

Because current Nintendo account system and the whole subsystems that surrounds it, is completely archaic and confusing, it should be easier, more transparent and simple. The problem is that you shouldn't need all those steps when you get a new system.

Imagine you buy a new PC, what do you need to access your games and saves? Just sign up to your Steam account (or any other decent service on PC)! Compare to all the steps OP has done and that are easily prone to errors and fuckups.

There's a reason Nintendo has reworked their account system several times, because they never get it right, and goes against to the easiness of use of the major services people uses on a daily basis.

 

[JoeyJungle]

I assume you are referring to his special edition n3dsxl console? Why is that a mistake?

Probably he's upset that the face touching was removed.

When they announced the new Nintendo Account thing, they mentioned that it would eventually support cloud saves. Have they given any more information on that?

 

[L.O.R.D]

It's a 20 minute procedure if you do it the smart way by just transferring licenses and taking the microSD from the old 3DS to the N3DS.

It's literally took me over 7 hours to transfer from o3ds to new 3dsxl, and i don't own any digital game on my o3ds,all of them on o3dsxl.

 

[Toxi]

Eh, calling it anti-consumer implies a level of foresight.

Honestly, the most likely answer is that Nintendo is just pretty bad at handling system transfers and transferring saves across systems.

The reason they require save transfers to be so annoying is that they want to avoid piracy, aka DRM. All it does is fuck over the consumers who want to transfer.

 

[Glorified G]

I hope you didn't sell your OG 3DS because the New 3DS doesn't even come with a charger.

 

[Jigorath]

It's a 20 minute procedure if you do it the smart way by just transferring licenses and taking the microSD from the old 3DS to the N3DS.

A 20 minute procedure for something so simple is unacceptable.

 

[Starwolf_UK]

Locking content to Amiibos is also a scary direction to me.

Locking content behind gimmicks sounds pretty contemporary to me

enable web browser access (...why?), and then I couldn't do that because of System Update... it's like PS3 all over again.

Another victory for homebrew. I'm serious. Saves are private key encrypted goo because common key encrypted goo saves (that can be used on any system) are attack vectors (demonstrated on Wii and eventually 3DS), web browsers phone home to check they are up to do date because again webkit is an attack vector.

Imagine you buy a new PC, what do you need to access your games and saves? Just sign up to your Steam account (or any other decent service on PC)! Compare to all the steps OP has done and that are easily prone to errors and fuckups.

Then you find half the games don't use Steam Cloud and of the other half that do some of them actually put data onto steam cloud but not the save backup you thought it would be. That is the bit where you pull out your old hard drive out of the dustbin and grab the relevant files (which can be a game in itself as to where the save files get written...apparently it is nightmare on linux where some end up cluttering up ~ or being buried deep inside 7 subdirectories). I appreciate there is option to have agency here and when Steam cloud works it is great.

 

[Teknoman]

I did it from my XL to New 3DS to New 3DS XL.

Same here. 3DSXL to n3DSXL and everything related to my digital ver. of Smash worked just fine.

They have to be doing something wrong.
Is it a dumb procedure? Yes. Should it have worked correctly though? Yes.

 

[jblank83]

A 20 minute procedure for something so simple is unacceptable.

If Nintendo was up to modern technology standards you wouldn't have to read tutorials or anything about your game saves getting lost due to doing something wrong. You would just log into your new device and re download your game. That's it.

Took far more than 20 minutes to upgrade the hard drive in my PS4. I had to read a bunch of instructions, download software from the Sony website, manually backup my saves both to the cloud and on a USB stick (for safety), initialize the drive, reinitialize with my account info, redownload all my games, and redownload all my saves.

The 3DS system save process isn't exactly painless but it isn't that horrific, especially with safety backups of save games. The big problem, as shown by this topic, is protected saves on games like Animal Crossing, Monster Hunter, and Smash.

 

[Orniletter]

Edit.

 

[inner-G]

It would literally take you longer to download all your shit through the internet if you have more than like 6 GB worth of games + saves if you don't have top class internet.

Some of those complaints here.

No way a 3DS would transfer 6GB in 20 min.

Mine only had like half that and I let it go overnight.

 

[finalflame]

Took far more than 20 minutes to upgrade the hard drive in my PS4.

Are you talking about the physical switching, or migrating your data back over? It would be disingenuous to include the migration of the data; you could just let it re-download while in rest mode and go do something else.

If it took you more than 20 minutes to do the physical switching of the HDD then you must be severely lacking in the ability to remove and re-insert 5 screws.

 

[Silvawuff]

This precedent of incompetence is one of the myriad reasons I won't support Nintendo.

 

[Griss]

I remember buying my new3DS while travelling in London, being all excited to transfer my stuff and use it in my hotel room and for the next week... only to discover that I needed a fucking screwdriver to do the transfer. A fucking screwdriver! To access the SD card! Didn't get it done over the next week, I was so pissed.

There's backwards and then there's ludicrous. Nintendo verge on ludicrous at times.

And while I managed the transfer fine, I can absolutely see how it would confuse the shit out of people with the different options they give you to do it.

 

[jblank83]

Are you talking about the physical switching, or migrating your data back over? It would be disingenuous to include the migration of the data; you could just let it re-download while in rest mode and go do something else.

If it took you more than 20 minutes to do the physical switching of the HDD then you must be severely lacking in the ability to remove and re-insert 5 screws.

You can't just insert a hard drive. You have to download the system software on a PC to a USB drive. After physical installation you allow the system to initialize the drive and install the system software. Then you have to perform the initial setup sequence, including re-linking your accounts, redownloading games, and transferring saves.

To your counterpoint, you can also initialize a 3DS system transfer and just let it go. For the majority of system transfers, it is pretty simple. Compared to the PS4 transfer, it transfers everything for you and doesn't require re-intializing settings.

The problem comes from protected saves, as mentioned. To which I agree it is problematic.

 

[Diffense]

You can use the same NNID on both Wii U and 3DS. However they don't allow you to have the same NNID associated with another device in the same family. This restriction clearly exists because they don't want you to buy a game once and have it on multiple devices of the same class. For example, they don't want you to buy 4 3DS systems for your family, associate your NNID with them all and buy all the software once. This makes digital purchases inconvenient and inferior compared to physical cartridges which you can always swap between devices even if you can't use the same cartridge concurrently. If they want to enforce the restriction they have to make it more seemless for the user.

A sophisticated approach would allow you to associate you NNID with any number of devices but would restrict you from playing the same game on multiple devices at the same time by checking as you launch the game. Thus digital purchases would behave much like cartridges but this would probably require the internet every time you play to enforce it. Another thing they could do is make the process more granular. You can have your NNID associated with any number of devices and you can distribute the software you've licensed across them in any way you wish. So I'd be able to have 3 handhelds in my NNID with Smash on one, Mario Kart on the other and MH on the third. I can shuffle them around but can never have MH on two systems at once, for example. Again, this is no worse for them than physical cartridges and better for the customer. The current system is a hassle and it is that way to protect NIntendo's interests.

Thinking about it, describing it as anti-consumer might not be such a stretch.

 

[DAREALGUMMY]

That entitlement threead sure is making its point now.

 

[Dr. Benton Quest]

And of course, some people go out of the way to defend Nintendo unequivocally and unconditionally.

It's fucking embarrassing.

In the year 2016, shit like this is unacceptable. Major companies have had robust account systems since the mid 2000s. Ten+ years on and Nintendo still can't get it right.

 

[entremet]

So you can't back up smash 3ds saves?

 

[Calm waterfall]

No, this is about save games. Signing into an account doesn't magically transfer your save games anywhere.

PS and IOS ecosystems do it. Incompetence to make change does not mean they are not anti consumer.

 

[finalflame]

You can't just insert a hard drive. You have to download the system software, transfer it to the drive, and after physical installation allow the system to initialize the drive and install the system software. Afterwords you have to perform the initialization sequence, including re-linking your accounts, redownloading games, and transferring saves.

To your counterpoint, you can also initialize a 3DS system transfer and just let it go. For the majority of system transfers, it is pretty simple. Compared to the PS4 transfer, it transfers everything for you and doesn't require re-intializing settings.

The problem comes from protected saves, as mentioned.

I'm actually on neither side here, I love my N3DS and think the system transfer process is pretty simple, all things considered. I've also done an HDD swap on my PS4 to a 1TB HDD. Both are simples, yet different, processes. The only additional steps you made seem like a mountain of work is downloading a file into a USB drive and sticking it into the PS4 the first time you turn it on after installing the new HDD. This is not a complicated step.

That's not to say Nintendo's account system isn't archaic. I had to purchase a "temporary" N3DS so I could do a system transfer and save my stuff, because I sold my old N3DS XL before my new one had shipped, and needed to ship it out for the buyer ASAP (hate to keep people waiting). If this was any other modern, non-Nintendo console, all I would have had to do is unlink my account from the console, factory reset my system, shipped, and wait for the new one to arrive.

I thought you meant that physically switching the HDD on the PS4 took > 20 minutes. It does not. Also, how is swapping HDDs comparable to account transfers? If you want to activate your PSN account on a new PS4, you just deactivate your old one and activate it on the new console. You can then download all your cloud saves, games, etc.

I love me some Nintendo; own an SNES, 64, GameCube, Wii, WiiU, GBA, DSL, and N3DS. But their account system is absolutely unacceptable, and anyone should be able to see that.

To summarize my points: Swapping a PS4 HDD is not hard. Moving your PSN account to a new console is trivial. Doing a 3DS system transfer is not rocket science, but is an antiquated system that shows incompetence or lack of effort on Nintendo's part in developing a proper online account system. It's not adequate moving forward, and hasn't been adequate for the last two generations.

 

[Sir Abacus]

I just did the upgrade today as well, finally deciding to pull the trigger on a New 3DS XL. I bought a brand new 64GB SDXC card, formatted it as FAT32, fired up the transfer thingy, when prompted I copied the 32GB card in my 3DS to my new 64GB card, pushed the final button, it moved the rest and I have what looks like everything working. All my settings are there, my Fire Emblem save is intact, my Smash Bros and Pokemon saves (all digital copies) are intact.

Did I miss something or do something differently?

 

[TheMoon]

So you can't back up smash 3ds saves?

Yes you can.

I successfully transferred my digital Smash save from a 3DS XL to a New 3DS XL to a New 3DS. You messed up somewhere.

I just did the upgrade today as well, finally deciding to pull the trigger on a New 3DS XL. I bought a brand new 64GB SDXC card, formatted it as FAT32, fired up the transfer thingy, when prompted I copied the 32GB card in my 3DS to my new 64GB card, pushed the final button, it moved the rest and I have what looks like everything working. All my settings are there, my Fire Emblem save is intact, my Smash Bros and Pokemon saves are intact.

Did I miss something or do something differently?

OP did a needless retail->digital save transfer on his old machine before doing the system transfer and messed up by probably vanilla booting digital Smash before doing the save transfer which due to Smash's weird handling of saves created an empty new save file for that digital version which then cannot be overwritten with the old one he wanted to use from his retail copy..

At least that's how I understand it.

 

[jblank83]

The only additional steps you made seem like a mountain of work is downloading a file into a USB drive and sticking it into the PS4 the first time you turn it on after installing the new HDD. This is not a complicated step....

But their account system is absolutely unacceptable, and anyone should be able to see that.

I disagree that it's an inaccurate representation. We're talking comparisons, not absolutes.

On PS4 you have to initialize the hard drive with the system software, reinitialize the system (accounts, internet settings, etc), redownload your games and manually transfer saves, one game at a time. On 3DS, all of these are part of the system transfer. So to say that the 3DS process is substandard in every way, which was the point I was speaking to originally, is incorrect.

I agree that so strictly tying accounts to hardware is outdated and frustrating, though.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

This isnt anti consumer. It's just really fucking stupid.

 

[RocketRacoon]

Dude this is GAF you can't dislike Nintendo practices.

 

[Diffense]

They need to do better in this respect and make the process safer and "foolproof" for want of a better word. The people complaining about it just bought new NIntendo hardware. I don't think these are the people NIntendo wants to be grumpy.

 

[Oneself]

Someone, quick, send Reggie to jail!!

 

[lyrick]

They need to do better in this respect and make the process safer and "foolproof" for want of a better word. The people complaining about it just bought new NIntendo hardware. I don't think these are the people NIntendo wants to be grumpy.

Regardless of how far they lower the bar, someone is still going to fuck it up and bitch about it on the internet.

 

[entremet]

Yes you can.





OP did a needless retail->digital save transfer on his old machine before doing the system transfer and messed up by probably vanilla booting digital Smash before doing the save transfer which due to Smash's weird handling of saves created an empty new save file for that digital version which then cannot be overwritten with the old one he wanted to use from his retail copy..

At least that's how I understand it.

I'm confused how the op lost his save.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

It's fucking embarrassing.

In the year 2016, shit like this is unacceptable. Major companies have had robust account systems since the mid 2000s. Ten+ years on and Nintendo still can't get it right.

Its entirely bad but it works. I dont get how that's anti consumer?¿¿??

Their account system is so shit though that I dont do transfers at all. If I buy it it stays on that system. Can't be bothered. Which is entirely a problem.

 

[Diffense]

Regardless of how far they lower the bar, someone is still going to fuck it up and bitch about it on the internet.

All the more reason for them to lower the bar.

 

[Chezzymann]

Took far more than 20 minutes to upgrade the hard drive in my PS4. I had to read a bunch of instructions, download software from the Sony website, manually backup my saves both to the cloud and on a USB stick (for safety), initialize the drive, reinitialize with my account info, redownload all my games, and redownload all my saves.

The 3DS system save process isn't exactly painless but it isn't that horrific, especially with safety backups of save games. The big problem, as shown by this topic, is protected saves on games like Animal Crossing, Monster Hunter, and Smash.

im not talking about hard drives, im talking about switching to a new system. In that case all you'd do is back up your saves to the cloud, log into your account on the new system, and redownload all your games/saves. In this case there's nearly a zero % chance of losing all your save data permanently, while with 3DS system transfers unless you're following tutorials online there's a chance you could mess something up doing it by yourself and lose everything.

 

[finalflame]

I disagree that it's an inaccurate representation. We're talking comparisons, not absolutes.

On PS4 you have to initialize the hard drive with the system software, reinitialize the system (accounts, internet settings, etc), redownload your games and manually transfer saves, one game at a time. On 3DS, all of these are part of the system transfer. So to say that the 3DS process is substandard in every way, which was the point I was speaking to originally, is incorrect.

I agree that so strictly tying accounts to hardware is outdated and frustrating, though.

If you're swapping hard drives. Nobody is talking about swapping 3DS SD cards, they are talking about doing a system transfer. If you are "system transferring" your PS4 to a new PS4, all you do is activate your account on the new PS4 and download your shit. No initialization needed.

If you were to swap 3DS SD cards you'd have to unscrew the back panel, remove the SD card, insert into into a PC with an SD card reader, copy the contents over to the PC, insert your new SD card, copy the contents to your new SD card, and insert that into the 3DS, re-screw in the back panel, etc. Not to mention if you lost/corrupted your files somehow during the process you would not have any cloud service whatsoever with which to retrieve them.

Also, you don't have to re-download all your data, you can hookup an external USB backup that you made previous to switching your HDD and just restore it that way:

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps4/settings/backup.html

I still don't see how swapping the hard drive on a system with no integrated OS storage and transferring your account to a new system are comparable. Apples and oranges.