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[flkraven]

My experience has primarily been with the Xbox ecosystem, but why the hell is this still an issue? I remember back in 2006 I bought a Wii, which had the poorest online integration of all consoles at that time, and I was able to gift games on that device.

I don't care if it's a humble-bundle style code list that I have to email to friends or a straight console PM of the game, I just want to be able to buy these digital games for others without having to buy Xbox currency. Atleast Sony users have the Amazon marketplace. Today Child of Light is on sale for 50%, and I want to buy 5 copies as Christmas gifts. Instead I will buy 1. Likewise, I wanted to give Lara Croft Temple of Osiris to a friend, yet instead bought a $25 gift and wrote 'Buy Lara Croft' on it with a sharpie. How romantic.

Is there some technical reason why this is the case? Maybe a business reason? The benefits to such a system seem to outweigh any issues IMO.

 

[Hamster Plugin]

Americans buying cheap games to Europeans.

And on Sony systems there's the DLC region incompatibility issue.

 

[IsntChrisL]

I remember that Wii would let you do it. I'm not sure if the Wii U eShop has the same option. I haven't checked yet.

 

[Mpl90]

If you're in US, thanks to Nintendo.com, you can gift games, actually!

 

[Bessy67]

That would be a nice feature. You can vote for it on the xbox feedback site.

http://xbox.uservoice.com/forums/25...e-a-gift-to-a-friend-feature-in-the-xbox-stor

 

[Caayn]

Americans buying cheap games to Europeans.

This most likely. Devs and Pubs want to keep their prices stupidly high in most regions, with gifting they'll just give people another to circumvent that.

 

[flkraven]

Americans buying cheap games to Europeans.

This most likely. Devs and Pubs want to keep their prices stupidly high in most regions, with gifting they'll just give people another to circumvent that.

So the answer to this not have the feature at all? Wouldn't it be easy to implement a system that blocked anyone trying to gift from NA to Europe, etc? And people circumventing this is no different the people now that change their region to buy from a different marketplace.

 

[t0rment]

if sony and ms had a gift system they'd likely region lock their digital stores, like steam, so no thanks.

 

[FunkyPajamas]

This and a game wishlist are the two missing features I can't believe haven't been implemented yet. We're a week away from 2015 and it feels like the dark ages in here.

 

[dock]

iOS has region locking on games as gifts, as do the Nintendo eshops and Wii online store.

I presumed I could gift PS4 games, and was hoping to send some gifts to friends this evening. So much for that.

This and a game wishlist are the two missing features I can't believe haven't been implemented yet. We're a week away from 2015 and it feels like the dark ages in here.

So much this! On iOS I often stick games onto my wishlist, then when I'm itching for a new game I just look through my wishlist and see which one I fancy. I buy so many more games thanks to the wishlist, as it makes browsing like semi-purchasing on impulse.

 

[Zach]

This and a game wishlist are the two missing features I can't believe haven't been implemented yet. We're a week away from 2015 and it feels like the dark ages in here.

Go get 'em, FunkyPajamas.

 

[Koren]

Is there some technical reason why this is the case?

Since Nintendo managed to do it on Wii, and as far as I remember for the shop launch, I'm really surprised it's still not possible on Playstation (and XBox, although I haven't been able to check it myself)

 

[flkraven]

This and a game wishlist are the two missing features I can't believe haven't been implemented yet. We're a week away from 2015 and it feels like the dark ages in here.

omfg, a game wishlist/registry would be effin amazing. Imagine if friends/family could access your wishlist via the web? I could just send the list to family, and without any knowledge or effort, they could just click 'buy' and have it unlock in my catalogue on x-date with a custom message sent to me.

This isn't ground-breaking stuff, so it is insane that this sounds so futuristic to me.

 

[Haunted]

Steam has made so much money with the gifting feature.

So much money.

 

[The Albatross]

I want to gift games on X1 and I also want X1 to support amazon game cards.

 

[FunkyPajamas]

Go get 'em, FunkyPajamas.

omfg, a game wishlist/registry would be effin amazing. Imagine if friends/family could access your wishlist via the web? I could just send the list to family, and without any knowledge or effort, they could just click 'buy' and have it unlock in my catalogue on x-date with a custom message sent to me.

Are you guys making fun of me?

 

[Starwolf_UK]

In the case of Nintendo I can only assume the feature wasn't used greatly and it was a hassle to code. But these days? A gift is essentially is a redemption code that is automatically applied to a given account. The former exist but it might just a be a Nintendo thing of not wanting their store to attractive to fraudsters (given how getting Fifa'd was and probably still is a thing should suggest how popular could be...I understand being to gift the Ultimate Team was the goal behind that).
Edit: I'm a klutz. A fraudster isn't going to get far with Nintendo as they can't log in to anything but Miiverse...

if sony and ms had a gift system they'd likely region lock their digital stores, like steam, so no thanks.

Microsoft sure but Sony, no in fact the store already being region locked* is why it won't work (you need a separate PSN ID to use any store that isn't your own country...same with Nintendo on Wii U).

*-It is region free in the sense there are no restrictions on accessing the PSN store but the content varies for each of these store and payment is where the hazard is (yes credit allows you to circumvent that).

 

[flkraven]

Are you guys making fun of me?

lol. No, I was dead serious!

 

[BibiMaghoo]

This is certainly a problem on consoles. Buying a gift card is not the same, many would see it as a 'lazy' gift, in that you are giving a person digital money, rather than an actual gift. I hope they sort it out, Steam makes it so easy to buy for other people, AND they have a sale at the right time of year for it.

 

[Noisepurge]

Yeah, it sucks and they are losing out on a lot of sales.

They could implement them with the same region limitations as psn money vouchers.

 

[EatMyFace]

For PS4 you can buy a digital code on Amazon. That code can be given out as a gift via email or something if you wish.

 

[ElodieTicotoune]

I bought a Digital version of Nintendogs for my little girl since i cannot find it in retail anymore.

So i downloaded the game and its in a nice little PRESENT thing to be unwrapped. I FIND IT STUPID!!! that they put the name of the game beside the present to unwrap.

So much for a surprise, she knows how to read and will see what it is.
Nintendo needs to fix that.

 

[travisbickle]

Because the regime don't like it.

 

[Zach]

Are you guys making fun of me?

I was not.

 

[UncleSporky]

Isn't there also the issue of someone getting ahold of someone else's account and gifting themselves a ton of stuff?

 

[Zoned]

When it comes to gifting, making wish lists, individual game community hubs etc Valve is way ahead than any other console manufacturer. I hope we'll have some kind of wish list option on consoles soon.

 

[protomouse]

When I wanted to gift my GF a couple of PSN games, I had to create a dummy account for that purpose. Sony even advocated doing so in their official docs, IIRC. Madness! Exactly how long has Steam been doing this?

 

[MissileTrick]

I never used the Wii gifting, but now I desperately want to gift my friends 3DS and Wii U titles. I put this in every survey on Club Nintendo.

 

[Lirrik]

This and a game wishlist are the two missing features I can't believe haven't been implemented yet. We're a week away from 2015 and it feels like the dark ages in here.

Yep, these two need to finally arrive to consoles.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

You used to be able to do it on the Wii because the people Nintendo contracted to build the store had that as an already-built function. When they switched (I think to Hatena?), they lacked that capability.

It doesn't make sense why it's still not on XBL or PSN, though. They probably want you to buy credit so the purchaser or recipient has money leftover.

 

[toddhunter]

http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=1289533011

GTA5 would be nice. Thanks.

So the answer to this not have the feature at all? Wouldn't it be easy to implement a system that blocked anyone trying to gift from NA to Europe, etc? And people circumventing this is no different the people now that change their region to buy from a different marketplace.

Easy? Maybe. But since you can already gift games to people and circumvent it... I would think it is best to leave it alone.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

It should come with the port of Bad Rats