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[Splenivore]

This is a great idea. I doubt Nintendo will make any money off of this, because of credit card transaction fees. However, it is a great way to make sure little kids can't go online without their parents' awareness/consent.

 

[Visualante2]

Perhaps games companies should do something like this on a game by game basis too, so if a kid gets hold of an 18 or M rated game for instance parents will have to put their credit card details in and a pay a small fee to allow their kids to play it.

Yes but don't worry with Origin you only pay once across all platforms.

 

[Chuck Norris]

How is this nickel and diming? If it was nickel and diming Nintendo would have added a fee for everyone to make an account. This is just adding control so minors don't make accounts.

How is it not nickel and diming? If they get 20 million accounts through this that's 10 million in the bank for doing nothing

If they weren't trying to rip consumers off, they would automatically refund it

 

[cjkeats]

It makes sense?

Congrats on being the first person to try and justify the stupidest thing I've seen from a gaming company in years

Of course it makes sense, it's why so many companies do it. It's a way to try and make sure parents actually pay attention to their kids instead of letting them do whatever thay want on the internet.
Have you never played xbox live?

 

[dickgumshoe]

I don't quite get the fuss about the 50 cents, but what does that actually accomplish? Wouldn't it be more logical to require adult accounts to verify? I know that would generate quite a bit of nerd rage, and it's not something I would want, but verifying minor accounts is stupid.

 

[Diablohead]

This is rather out of character.

really? nintendo have always been a curve ball with online stuff, seems about right to me to check age of people by using an adult in some way.

 

[Snowden's Secret]

Has anyone set up a minor's 3DS? Nintendo requires the adult to sign their name (via 3DS touchscreen) and submit it for approval before they can use online features.

When I did it for my daughter it took about four weeks and constant emails to customer service because my signature kept getting rejected. I personally prefer this method over that, but still find it odd that the fee is non-refundable.

 

[lefantome]

It's unacceptable to ask money for something that is free for everyone else.

It doesn't count if it's 50 cents or 5 millions.

 

[hwy_61]

This principle isn't something to flip your shit over either, considering it's going to effect 0% of the people on this message board because nobody uses parental control features. It's weird, it shouldn't happen, but you shouldn't lose sleep over it either. If you want to get outraged about something, then get outraged about people paying an annual fee for P2P multiplayer on a 7 year old console and the ridiculous hoops you have to jump to remove your credit card from their service.

Not losing any sleep, and yes the other points you mentioned are worse, but we're not talking about that.

And just because it won't affect most users on this board doesn't mean I don't think it's a really shitty thing.

 

[shinra-bansho]

(couldn't really see it being any more than a few bucks though, hah).

I'd say it'd be worth a few million bucks at least, possibly tens of millions in the long run depending on 1) how many consoles they sell and 2) the demographics of those consumers.

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

Why can't the minors just say they're 18? The only way this would work would be for Nintendo to charge 50 cents for every account.

Edit: Also why is there even a problem if kids can make their own accounts? Just make it so they can't purchase anything!

Personally i'd also welcome it if kids wouldn't be allowed to go online and play whatever games they want without their parent's consent (CC) first, that way they can ensure the content is deemed fit for their kids.

 

[Relix]

Its for minor protection.... they basically need to input one to make sure its not a kid. Obviously kids will just put they are 18+ so very stupid of Nintendo.

 

[Kazerei]

This is to prevent people to create fake under 18 accounts. That's why it's not refundable.

That doesn't explain why it's non-refundable...

 

[Phazon]

Easiest $30m Nintendo will ever make

Probably just enough to pay all the mods who delete offensive comments from those kids

 

[fabricated backlash]

It makes sense?

Congrats on being the first person to try and justify the stupidest thing I've seen from a gaming company in years

Really... this is the most stupid thing you've seen a gaming company do in years?
Really?

I mean REALLY?

Online pass, on disc DLC, XBOX Live Gold, season passes, avatar clothes, PS Home furniture,
pay to win items and unlocks

Truly this fee is the most stupid action ever undertaken in the history of gaming.

 

[Rekubot]

I don't quite get the fuss about the 50 cents, but what does that actually accomplish? Wouldn't it be more logical to require adult accounts to verify? I know that would generate quite a bit of nerd rage, and it's not something I would want, but verifying minor accounts is stupid.

I agree this would be more logical. Perhaps Nintendo didn't want to cause outrage? (I imagine there will be more adult accounts than kid accounts, but I don't know)

 

[ASIS]

That's really the only thing I'm arguing about. If they refunded it I wouldn't have a problem.

So why the condescending tone in your previous post? I genuinely didn't notice the nonrefundable part until after I made that post.

 

[hwy_61]

Probably just enough to pay all the mods who delete offensive comments from those kids

Because when you turn 18 you're no longer an asshole? C'mon dude.

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

I don't quite get the fuss about the 50 cents, but what does that actually accomplish? Wouldn't it be more logical to require adult accounts to verify? I know that would generate quite a bit of nerd rage, and it's not something I would want, but verifying minor accounts is stupid.

This is what i'm trying to work out.
Why charge to create minor accounts?
Or are they charging to create ANY online account regardless of the age entered?

 

[cloudyy]

This isn't about minors lying about their age guys. This is in some way about preventing the creation of fake under 18 accounts.

 

[Tenki]

My bank won't let me pay a 50 cent charge on my credit card online.

Minimum is a dollar.

I would actually have to buy something else to make the payment.

Then have another kid.

 

[alfredofroylan]

So ... no 10yr old kids in Black Ops 2 then???

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Guys, don't worry, I just e-mailed Nintendo and asked why the fee is non-refundable.

We'll get to the bottom of this crisis.

In all seriousness, I did e-mail Nintendo after searching through their support page and found nothing.

 

[The Hermit]

That's a pretty smart way of verifying age.

Yup, but people here will whine, as usual.

But what if they say they are over 18?

 

[TouchMyBox]

Why $.50 then? Why not $.01?

50 cents is probably the cost of the transaction fees.

 

[Brazil]

This isn't about minors lying about their age guys. This is in some way about preventing the creation of fake under 18 accounts.

Holy shit!

 

[cloudyy]

That doesn't explain why it's non-refundable...

If it was refundable people creating fake accounts wouldn't care and would keep doing it since they're getting their money back anyway.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

Not a bad idea. It would've been better to put a 50 cent 'hold' on the credit card and then just automatically refund it at the end of the month but a free ~$3-4 mil a year is hard to pass up.

It's not expensive enough to be a big deal for parents, yet it is enough to keep spam accounts from being created, aimed at minors. This is a good thing.

I can't imagine there's a lot of spam accounts on consoles? You'd have to own the console just to make the account, it's not like a PC where everyone already has one.

 

[Weenerz]

Smart thinking by Nintendo. Seems so easy.

 

[FatCat]

Clever way of doing it I guess, though I'm not a parent so I don't if I'd be happy with this system.

 

[Rekubot]

Because when you turn 18 you're no longer an asshole? C'mon dude.

I suspect (read: hope) that the vast majority of shitty internet comments are made by kids between 10-17.

 

[Mpl90]

Yup, but people here will whine, as usual.

I like it.

50 CEEEEENTS.
I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THEM!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE MY FORKS AND TORCHES?!?!? AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

 

[shinra-bansho]

This isn't about minors lying about their age guys. This is in some way about preventing the creation of fake under 18 accounts.

I'm confused. How does it do that? For example OP has a daughter, how would being charged a fee have stopped him making a minor's account even if he didn't?

 

[lednerg]

That doesn't explain why it's non-refundable...

It's also keeping spam/troll accounts from being created that are accessible to minors. That and they probably are paying for people at Nintendo to moderate Miiverse.

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

This isn't about minors lying about their age guys. This is in some way about preventing the creation of fake under 18 accounts.

How? If you're a pervert you'll just pay the 50 cents.

 

[Mr. Fix]

This isn't about minors lying about their age guys. This is in some way about preventing the creation of fake under 18 accounts.

LOL.

 

[semiconscious]

No. Because it's stupid. Either the parent is setting up the account and therefore doesn't need to see a .50 cent charge on his CC to see that an account has been setup for his child. Since, you know, it's redundant.

Or the child is setting up his own Wii. In which case he's incentivized to lie about his age and say he's 18...

as others've mentioned, this 'check' just has to be premised on some kinda legal mumbo-jumbo involving 'consent', & nintendo attempting to cover itself. but, yeah, the '$.50' part looks like just plain 'pull a figure out of our ass' goofiness...

 

[grimshawish]

So ... no 10yr old kids in Black Ops 2 then???

Depends if their parents care.

EDIT: It is also to stop a kid gimping their parents account.

 

[fabricated backlash]

How? If you're a pervert you'll just pay the 50 cents.

Lol fake minor accounts. Actually having them registered would be a good way to track them^^
The 50 cent are used for instant noodles for the pedo police.

 

[MrDaravon]

This isn't about minors lying about their age guys. This is in some way about preventing the creation of fake under 18 accounts.

I feel like this needs to be bolded and put in the thread title or something. People are completely missing the point here, especially since any minor could just lie about their age to bypass this.

 

[Kazerei]

If it was refundable people creating fake accounts wouldn't care and would keep doing it since they're getting their money back anyway.

It's also keeping spam/troll accounts from being created that are accessible to minors. That and they probably are paying for people at Nintendo to moderate Miiverse.

If people wanted to make fake/spam/troll accounts, they would just set their age to over 18.

Let's be real, this is a solution to getting parental consent for minor accounts, which is fine, but the fee should be refundable or at least turned into points. It's not a solution to preventing fake minor accounts. I've never even heard of fake minor accounts being a problem.

 

[Taker666]

Why $.50 then? Why not $.01?

Maybe the $.50 is to help pay for the extra moderation needed to protect their little one on Miiverse.

If only cinemas, public transportation and restaurants would charge kids an extra fee. It might stop parents letting them ruin those things for everyone else thanks to their constant crying and screaming.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

I know, right? Charging a symbolic fee is so goddamn offensive.

If the fee is symbolic why don't they refund it after it has served the intended purpose?

People are offended because Nintendo is violating a principle. The principle is "do not charge money for things that are not worth money." Is it a tiny, insignificant sum? Yes. Will it be too much of a financial burden on anyone, ever? No. But sometimes people make judgments based on principles and the concern about what a practice like this represents rather than the concrete details. That's normal. I'm sure you can think of some issue or situation in which you would react based on principle.

 

[Hoo-doo]

This will do absolutely nothing to deter teenage asshats hurling obscenities online.

Does Nintendo also actually think age gates before videos work?

 

[SturokBGD]

This is actually amazing.

 

[watershed]

It makes sense to charge for a minor's account because theoretically a minor doesn't have access to a CC so a parent must consent to their child setting up an account before they can do so. Charging adults wouldn't make sense. Also a typical family of 5 has 3 children so that's a buck fifty for big N!

 

[grimshawish]

This will do absolutely nothing to deter teenage asshats hurling obscenities online.

Well no. Why would it?

 

[GarthVaderUK]

If only cinemas, public transportation and restaurants would charge kids and extra fee for eating there. It might stop parents letting them ruin those things for everyone else with their constant crying and screaming.

Taxes for kids everywhere - I'd vote for it.

 

[dickgumshoe]

How? If you're a pervert you'll just pay the 50 cents.

Pedophiles might want to think twice about contacting childs this way, because their communication with the child will be stored and linked to their credit card info.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

50 CEEEEENTS.
I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THEM!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE MY FORKS AND TORCHES?!?!? AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

You couln't be coming across as less mature if you tried