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[Corpekata]

Okay, before anyone goes "You should keep it, Bayonetta 2 is coming soon." please note I like my Wii U, I'm just in a bind and could really use the extra cash for the moment.

So now that we got that out of the way, I have some questions re: Nintendo's digital games policies. My understanding is that they are tied to the console. However when I google around I'm getting all sorts of conflicting answers. I know early on, they were tied to the console, because I bought mine used. He had Earthbound already bought, and I could play it just fine, and this was with me logged into my own account, not the previous owner's. But this was a while ago, so I guess I'm asking, has it changed at all? Because like I said, just googling around, there's a lot of wishy washy stuff. Nearly everything I could find was half people arguing one way, half the other.

If I sell this, can I tell people they'll have access to Earthbound and the other digital titles still, or has policy changed? This obviously would help with my funds a little but I don't want to lie or make it some complicated process.

I know Nintendo has a way to unlink your NNID and transfer systems, but that's usually in the case of broken or stolen items. Do they unlink in other circumstances, and if they do, would I have access to my games again, or would I simply just have my NNID? I would not mind just nuking everything and having my games again someday (it's only a couple anyway so not a huge deal).

Anyways, if you've sold, or bought a used one from a private seller recently, please lend me a hand if you can.

 

[Poltergust]

You can unlink (NOT delete, which is completely different and will permanently delete all of your digital purchases) your NNID before selling it and link it back when you get a new one by calling Nintendo CS. You do not need to file any sort of police report, lost item report, etc. if you do it like this. I think all you need is your NNID and your e-mail.

I'm unsure if unlinking your NNID will still keep the games you have on the system, though. I'm gonna assume no.

 

[Adam Prime]

I'm unsure if unlinking your NNID will still keep the games you have on the system, though. I'm gonna assume no.

Why wouldn't it? Its the same as PSN. You can unlink your PSN account from your PS3 and still play the games you have installed. It would be the same for Wii U. Nintendo doesn't do some DRM "Are you logged in?" check to play digital games.

 

[Burning Justice]

The games are tied to the account they were purchased on. If you want to sell your account entirely, you can (Nintendo doesn't officially allow this, but how are they going to know?). If you want to keep your account, make sure you unlink it from your system first. Unlinking will remove the games tied to the account from the system, though.

In the case of EarthBound, that one's tied to the previous owner's account, not yours, so unless you know the previous owner's password, you're not going to get that back. Just sell it with the system like the previous owner did.

 

[Corpekata]

The games are tied to the account they were purchased on. If you want to sell your account entirely, you can (Nintendo doesn't officially allow this, but how are they going to know?). If you want to keep your account, make sure you unlink it from your system first. Unlinking will remove the games tied to the account from the system, though.

In the case of EarthBound, that one's tied to the previous owner's account, not yours, so unless you know the previous owner's password, you're not going to get that back. Just sell it with the system like the previous owner did.

Yeah I know I wouldn't get Earthbound back, I was just using it as an example, since I've seen on many other sites answers that suggest I should never have been able to use it, and I was just wondering if the policies had changed since then. Thanks for the answers folks.

 

[Geneijin]

Why wouldn't it? Its the same as PSN. You can unlink your PSN account from your PS3 and still play the games you have installed. It would be the same for Wii U. Nintendo doesn't do some DRM "Are you logged in?" check to play digital games.

You sure you wouldn't have to renew the license on the deactivated PS3 when you log onto PSN with a different PS3?

 

[Corpekata]

Oh, one more. How do you "unlink" your NNID? Just by reformatting the system? Not really seeing anything in the options menu. Deleting the Mii associated with the NNID from the system?

 

[Burning Justice]

Yeah I know I wouldn't get Earthbound back, I was just using it as an example, since I've seen on many other sites answers that suggest I should never have been able to use it, and I was just wondering if the policies had changed since then. Thanks for the answers folks.

It's tied to the account, but any account on the system the account's on is able to play it. If the account that purchased it is removed, you won't be able to play it anymore. That's how it's always been.

 

[Geneijin]

Oh, one more. How do you "unlink" your NNID? Just by reformatting the system? Not really seeing anything in the options menu. Deleting the Mii associated with the NNID from the system?

I think you do it through the Nintendo eShop. You would think a format would unlink it but it doesn't. I learned the hard way... Trust me.

 

[QuixoticNeutral]

You can unlink (NOT delete, which is completely different and will permanently delete all of your digital purchases) your NNID before selling it and link it back when you get a new one by calling Nintendo CS. You do not need to file any sort of police report, lost item report, etc. if you do it like this. I think all you need is your NNID and your e-mail.

I'm unsure if unlinking your NNID will still keep the games you have on the system, though. I'm gonna assume no.

Speaking as someone who recently went through this process to extricate an account from somebody else's Wii U: yes, unlinking your NNID and linking it to a new system will make your previous purchases downloadable again on the eShop. Nintendo runs a number of checks to make sure you aren't stealing somebody else's account or abusing their process to duplicate software. Useful information to have on hand: serial numbers of the source and destination systems, plus anything that would verify you as the owner of your NNID, like the last few digits of the credit card you previously used for digital downloads. You don't need to prove that your system was lost or stolen—the unlinking process is treated as the same request across the board.

 

[Zeyphersan]

You can unlink (NOT delete, which is completely different and will permanently delete all of your digital purchases) your NNID before selling it and link it back when you get a new one by calling Nintendo CS. You do not need to file any sort of police report, lost item report, etc. if you do it like this. I think all you need is your NNID and your e-mail.

I'm unsure if unlinking your NNID will still keep the games you have on the system, though. I'm gonna assume no.

This is correct. Your games are NOT tied to the console, they are tied to your NNID. Your NNID is linked to your console. Call them, ask to unlink your NNID, they will, then if you rebuy a Wii U down the line just link it again. You will lose your saves, though. Those are all locally stored.

 

[QuixoticNeutral]

Oh, one more. How do you "unlink" your NNID? Just by reformatting the system? Not really seeing anything in the options menu. Deleting the Mii associated with the NNID from the system?

Call Nintendo and ask. Do not delete your NNID—that's equivalent to closing your account entirely, eliminating any purchases associated with it.

 

[Poltergust]

Why wouldn't it? Its the same as PSN. You can unlink your PSN account from your PS3 and still play the games you have installed. It would be the same for Wii U. Nintendo doesn't do some DRM "Are you logged in?" check to play digital games.

Well, I just find it weird that if the games are still there when you unlink the system and sell it to someone, then when you link your NNID again on another console those games would just disappear on the previous console, which may confuse the person who has that one. >.>

Oh, one more. How do you "unlink" your NNID? Just by reformatting the system? Not really seeing anything in the options menu. Deleting the Mii associated with the NNID from the system?

It's not in the system menu. Click on your Mii icon in the home menu and you should be able to do it (or maybe only deleting your NNID is the only option there, I'm not sure).

 

[Zeyphersan]

Well, I just find it weird that if the games are still there when you unlink the system and sell it to someone, then when you link your NNID again on another console those games would just disappear on the previous console, which may confuse the person who has that one. >.>

They shouldn't disappear, they'll just be unplayable

 

[Interceptor]

The games were never tied to the console but to your NNID. (Which is indeed tied to your Wii U atm)

1. You can sell all your digital games and more cash for it. Just sell it as it is without unlinking your account. Just give the new owner your password etc and remove credit card data.

or

2. Unlink (not delete, i repeat, not delete) your NNID. This way you can reconnect it to a future Wii U and redownload all your purchases. Be fair and inform the buyer about this. Don´t sell the games and then remove the Id.

 

[baekshi]

Why wouldn't it? Its the same as PSN. You can unlink your PSN account from your PS3 and still play the games you have installed. It would be the same for Wii U. Nintendo doesn't do some DRM "Are you logged in?" check to play digital games.

It's not same, if you deactivate your or any account, the games won't work. You have to be online to deactivate your account on PS3. Unless you deactivate from web (which deactivates all your PS devices), and don't ever go online...

 

[Corpekata]

The games were never tied to the console but to your NNID. (Which is indeed tied to your Wii U atm)

1. You can sell all your digital games and more cash for it. Just sell it as it is without unlinking your account. Just give the new owner your password etc and remove credit card data.

or

2. Unlink (not delete, i repeat, not delete) your NNID. This way you can reconnect it to a future Wii U and redownload all your purchases. Be fair and inform the buyer about this. Don´t sell the games and then remove the Id.

1. But is this needed? Again, I did not have the other guy's password, and I was still able to play his games. Shouldn't I just need to download the games and tell them not to reformat / delete the Mii?

 

[HUELEN10]

I learned some things I didn't know before...

This is as good a thread as any to ask, as it is somewhat relevant. Let's say Susan and Laura buy a Wii U and each make a NNID on the system. Each of them also buys different eShop games. If Susan breaks up with Laura and Laura moves out, she can unlink her NNID from her old joint console and integrate it to a fresh one, have access to all licenses, and lose nothing but saves? And after all is said and done, Susan can delete Laura's profile and everything will be hunky dory with 1 account on each system, right?

Am I understand this correctly? If so, Ninty's system isn't as limiting as I thought.

 

[Interceptor]

1. But is this needed? Again, I did not have the other guy's password, and I was still able to play his games. Shouldn't I just need to download the games and tell them not to reformat / delete the Mii?

Not needed but if you take his money for the games he should own them. This way he can redownload them on his own.

I learned some things I didn't know before...

This is as good a thread as any to ask, as it is somewhat relevant. Let's say Susan and Laura buy a Wii U and each make a NNID on the system. Each of them also buys different eShop games. If Susan breaks up with Laura and Laura moves out, she can unlink her NNID from her old joint console and integrate it to a fresh one, have access to all licenses, and lose nothing but saves? And after all is said and done, Susan can delete Laura's profile and everything will be hunky dory with 1 account on each system, right?

Am I understand this correctly? If so, Ninty's system isn't as limiting as I thought.

In theory, yes. But atm you have to make a phonecall to do this. To be sure make the phonecall before you buy anything.

 

[Hulk_Smash]

I know this is a super-old thread but I was wondering if anyone has tried to sell their WiiU recently with digital games on it. I have right at 50 digital games on my WiiU and I have no intention of reusing my NNID, so I’d like to sell with the games to add a bit of extra value to it.

The suggestions above seem somewhat contradictory and theoretical. Has anyone successfully done it? And if so, can someone walk me through how they did it?

 

[alken]

.

 

[Hulk_Smash]

now there is also Mynintendo stuff.
so :
1)
did you link your NNID to Mynintendo?
yes -->unlink
no -->ok
2)
do you have intention to reuse your NNID?
you stated you are not using it anymore -->ok
3)
do you want the guy that buy the wiiu have your NNID data?
yes --> not good
no --> go on wiiu settings and change NNID email and card data to customer's one the day you sell it.

profit.

ps:
I'm buying wii and wiiu games/accessories, if someone here is interested on selling me stuff send me private.(hope that not against rules)

Nice! Thank you for the thorough response!

 

[Hulk_Smash]

Also, I have a list of Wii and WiiU stuff if you are interested. I would PM you but I have no idea how to do that. (New here) also, hope this isn’t against the rules.

 

[alken]

.

 

[Hulk_Smash]

Check out my profile for alternative ways of communicating with me.