Support NeoGAF

[Hedja]

Maybe Nintendo are reluctant to have a proper accounting system because it puts too much responsibility on their side? Especially after what happened to Sony. Though, I'm not sure how much information they're currently storing on their users (address, credit/debit card info etc.)

Whatever the reason, it must be a management decision and it is annoying.

 

[M3d10n]

Maybe Nintendo are reluctant to have a proper accounting system because it puts too much responsibility on their side? Especially after what happened to Sony. Though, I'm not sure how much information they're currently storing on their users (address, credit/debit card info etc.)

Whatever the reason, it must be a management decision and it is annoying.

They store nothing. The 3DS allows you to store credit card information locally, but it's never saved on the server. When you buy a brand new 3DS, Wii or DSi, you basically turn it on, go into the shop, type your CC number (or cash card number) and download stuff.

However I am not familiar with Wii U accounts, but I think you enter an e-mail address for those.

 

[Vane_MagicCity]

Nintendo doesn't do unified, server-side accounts for a couple reasons, one of which is security (if everything is tied to the console, the account can't be hacked). The increased security may not be a suitable trade-off for the convenience of a proper account (and isn't for most, it would seem).

Club Nintendo is a server side account. It's ONLY a server side account actually.

 

[Taker666]

On the plus side at least all digital content on Nintendo platforms is currently transferable through generations of hardware....

...not something that can currently be said of digital content bought on the PS3 or 360.

I'd like Nintendo to have a proper account system so stuff could be transfered easily if a machine is damaged or stolen...

....but I'd rather have the ability to play the digital content I purchased this gen on future generations of hardware (although both would be preferable).

 

[Shahed]

I just want something in place. What am I gonna do when I get dungeon DLC in Zelda, or an expansion pack for X?

 

[Jaded Alyx]

Well, there's the not-so-little fact that Club Nintendo is not even a thing in all countries.

Yep.

 

[wsippel]

Nintendo has a "proper account system" - the implementation is just strange. They already tie purchases to accounts (that's how Club Nintendo and Digital Deluxe works), but they don't tie license keys to accounts. That has to be a conscious decision, there's no other explanation. I have no idea why they do it, though. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a mix of convenience and legal issues. The way Nintendo handles it, you can resell your digital purchases, as the keys aren't tied to a personal account. And that's apparently a legal requirement in some countries, including the European Union as a whole. And yes, the way Steam, XBLA and PSN handle things is apparently illegal in those countries.

 

[Oersted]

Nintendo has a "proper account system" - the implementation is just strange. They already tie purchases to accounts (that's how Club Nintendo and Digital Deluxe works), but they don't tie license keys to accounts. That has to be a conscious decision, there's no other explanation. I have no idea why they do it, though. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a mix of convenience and legal issues. The way Nintendo handles it, you can resell your digital purchases, as the keys aren't tied to a personal account. And that's apparently a legal requirement in some countries, including the European Union as a whole. And yes, the way Steam, XBLA and PSN handle things is apparently illegal in those countries.

Heard something similiar. Does anyone exactly know?

 

[TwEE-N-Toast]

All 3 should come up with account systems that match the best that you can get in 2013. That includes being able to take your purchase to future hardware purchases.

Nintendo is behind on streamlining their junk but at least I get to keep my games. I know thats not a big deal to some.

 

[Dave Meltzer]

I don't think Nintendo want games tied to accounts, because that stops them reselling the software to you each generation and on both handhelds and consoles.

 

[Batman]

I am definitely sure that they will make an announcement at E3 of an account system.

 

[TwEE-N-Toast]

I don't think Nintendo want games tied to accounts, because that stops them reselling the software to you each generation and on both handhelds and consoles.

Yep, the only one of the 3 that so far let you take your games to their next console. Criticize them for real stuff that they do instead of made up bullshit.

 

[GulAtiCa]

I think others have mentioned it, but I don't think Club Nintendo as a account would work well, considering how separate they are in different regions or non-existing in others. Would be better to make the NNIDs true accounts.

 

[wsippel]

I don't think Nintendo want games tied to accounts, because that stops them reselling the software to you each generation and on both handhelds and consoles.

Probably not, considering you can migrate your purchases. You can move your DSiWare collection to 3DS and your WiiWare and VC collection to Wii U free of charge. You won't be able to move your XBLA games to Xbox 3 or your PSN games to PS4 even thought those systems have "real" accounts. And you can't even resell that content. I'm not a fan of Nintendo's system, but owning content I can neither use nor sell is even worse.

 

[Kai Dracon]

I strongly suspect that the way Nintendo currently handles digital licenses is affected, to a degree, by their reluctance to deal with the overhead of managing account transactions related to security.

In other words, fraud, stolen accounts, etc. It's not really possible to scam people out of a Nintendo Network account on Wii U, log in as them elsewhere, and download stuff they own. Or spend money off their credit card. These are big problems faced by all the other digital platforms, and each platform has its own security strategy.

For Nintendo to get into that, seems as if it would require a significant increase in the size of their customer service divisions in each region. Right now, no matter how much a savvy enthusiast dislikes the way their digital stuff works, problems only affect a small minority. A relatively tiny number of Wii U consoles get sent in for repair and need to have digital content licenses transferred. It all happens in their existing product servicing pipeline.

Competing with everybody else's digital services directly would require Nintendo opening themselves up as a target to mass hacks, account theft, fraud, etc.

And unfortunately for Nintendo, they're going to have to bite the bullet sooner or later. They need to develop their own version of a comparable content licensing system. Who knows, the moves they're making currently may be a part of that - for example, allowing users to fully log into Nintendo's website with their NNiD for Miiverse makes sense as a groundwork for providing online tools to manage console authorizations and digital content. (As how things work on the 360, for instance.)

I don't think Nintendo want games tied to accounts, because that stops them reselling the software to you each generation and on both handhelds and consoles.

Sony and Microsoft tie all their digital purchases to accounts. That doesn't mean you'll be able to download your PSN games on PS4. It's probably going to be the same for Microsoft too.

So for all practical intents, those platforms will end up as "backwards" as Nintendo. Though as as pointed out above, Nintendo supported transfering DSiWare to 3DS and Wiiware/VC to Wii U.

 

[Oersted]

Let me get this straight:

Nintendo:

Account tied to system.


Steam, XBLA and PSN:

Games tied to accounts.

That means

Nintendo:

You can resell your games. They are probably doing this to avoid legal issues.

Steam, XBLA and PSN:


You can´t resell your games.

 

[Fandangox]

Let me get this straight:

Nintendo:

Account tied to system.


Steam, XBLA and PSN:

Games tied to accounts.

That means

Nintendo:

You can resell your games. They are probably doing this to avoid legal issues.

Steam, XBLA and PSN:


You can´t resell your games.

What.

 

[SteveWinwood]

Let me get this straight:

Nintendo:

Account tied to system.


Steam, XBLA and PSN:

Games tied to accounts.

That means

Nintendo:

You can resell your games. They are probably doing this to avoid legal issues.

Steam, XBLA and PSN:


You can´t resell your games.

castleguydoingthethingwithhishands.gif

 

[Fandangox]

There you go.

Still confused.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Let me get this straight:

Nintendo:

Account tied to system.


Steam, XBLA and PSN:

Games tied to accounts.

That means

Nintendo:

You can resell your games. They are probably doing this to avoid legal issues.

Steam, XBLA and PSN:


You can´t resell your games.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

I don't know how to feel about the eshop, my experience has been good and I love how some games like Luigi's Mansion got a midnight release.

 

[stryke]

Let me get this straight:

Nintendo:

Account tied to system.


Steam, XBLA and PSN:

Games tied to accounts.

That means

Nintendo:

You can resell your games. They are probably doing this to avoid legal issues.

Steam, XBLA and PSN:


You can´t resell your games.

So much spin, I got dizzy.

 

[Brofield]

Let me get this straight:

Nintendo:

Account tied to system.


Steam, XBLA and PSN:

Games tied to accounts.

That means

Nintendo:

You can resell your games. They are probably doing this to avoid legal issues.

Steam, XBLA and PSN:


You can´t resell your games.

There's no second hand market for digitally downloaded games. It says right in the eShop you can't get refunds off games.

 

[Oersted]

What.

castleguydoingthethingwithhishands.gif

Almost funny.

Valve has a couple of lawsuits against them because customer-right orginizations are saying their TOS are illegal. And back in 2012 the European Court of Justice, the highest court in europe, decided that the customer has the right to sell "used" copies of downloaded software and furthermore, the rightsholder have no right to oppose the resale of a copy, no matter if purchased digital or physical.

 

[DaBoss]

From my understanding, Club Nintendo is not available everywhere. That would be the reason I guess.

 

[Anteo]

Let me get this straight:

Nintendo:

Account tied to system.


Steam, XBLA and PSN:

Games tied to accounts.

That means

Nintendo:

You can resell your games. They are probably doing this to avoid legal issues.

Steam, XBLA and PSN:


You can´t resell your games.

He is saying this:

Nintendo has a "proper account system" - the implementation is just strange. They already tie purchases to accounts (that's how Club Nintendo and Digital Deluxe works), but they don't tie license keys to accounts. That has to be a conscious decision, there's no other explanation. I have no idea why they do it, though. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a mix of convenience and legal issues. The way Nintendo handles it, you can resell your digital purchases, as the keys aren't tied to a personal account. And that's apparently a legal requirement in some countries, including the European Union as a whole. And yes, the way Steam, XBLA and PSN handle things is apparently illegal in those countries.

 

[Mango The Magician]

If you can retrieve lost games using your account on the Wii U, if something were to happen (can you? Has anybody lost anything to find out?), then isn't that enough? I mean is anything else really that big of a deal?

 

[Tempy]

He is saying this:

I'm convinced Steam is actively working towards allowing users to sell their games through Steam Market. This way they comply with various laws allowing digital content to be resold, yet still get a % fee.

Not totally convinced Nintendo's setup intentionally had these laws in mind though. And anyway, they still need to allow users to re-download their games on different hardware without having to call Nintendo and potentially spend more money for transferring.

 

[DoctorPayne]

Yep, the only one of the 3 that so far let you take your games to their next console. Criticize them for real stuff that they do instead of made up bullshit.

That's funny, I'm pretty sure I played almost my entire PSP library on my Vita, and I swore that I could play my DD PS1 games across three separate consoles. Guess not though!

 

[levyjl1988]

I have no problem with the system they have in place. Really ticked though at the amount of effort Nintendo has put so far with the eShop. No gamecube games available for download. Limited games out, what is this madness?

 

[HardRojo]

because Nintendo

This was going to be my answer to the thread lol.

 

[DonMigs85]

I learned to just accept the system and buy stuff from the eShop. They WILL still let you redownload anyway if you bitch and whine enough. And IMO, losing a 3DS plus all your carts is far worse than losing a 3DS only loaded with eShop purchases.