New Super Mario Bros. 2 to Kick Off Retail Downloads

[beta4attack]

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has revealed that New Super Mario Bros. 2 will be the first 3DS retail game to be available for download.
Iwata spoke to investors at a financial results briefing and said that with user eShop connectivity at a good level — as much as 70% of 3DS owners in Japan and the U.S. have connected to the internet — Nintendo has a "strong feeling" that its digital foundations have been laid out. He said:

In principle, starting from this software [New Super Mario Bros. 2], the company will offer the software titles that Nintendo itself publishes in both packaged and digital download formats so that our consumers can choose the way to purchase them.

So, from August onward you'll be able to download or buy physical copies of Nintendo-published 3DS games.
Iwata also revealed that Nintendo is keeping retailers involved by allowing consumers to purchase their download games at physical locations, with stores generating a 16-digit code at the till point which can then be redeemed in the eShop.
In an unprecedented step for Nintendo's digital strategy, it is giving retailers control over how much they charge for these redeem codes for digital purchases, which means for the first time you can shop around to get the best deal on downloads. However, Iwata did have one troubling statement:

In terms of the fact that the company is offering the value of the software itself, we do not have an idea to act on such a belief as, “digital download software should be sold at a cheaper price point than the packaged software counterpart.”

Looks like if you want a good deal on your downloads, you'll need to use some shoe leather to find it.

Hmmm I think that's a good thing! I mean that way I don't have to wait to order it from a game shop or stop being lazy and go buy it from an actual shop lol XD

Source:
http://www.nintendol...etail_downloads

 

[BrightNeko]

I hope this also springs great sales as well, like steam and PSN (sometimes) have

 

[DeadLocked]

Looks like they'll be going similar to the Microsoft route then...
Pricing their games at RRP for download and then never lowering them except for 10% off deals when they are years old.
That means you'll be paying full price for the game as a download and then paying for the storage media to keep it on.

Only viable if you have SD cards to burn and live miles away from any games stores.

 

[heartgold]

From what I understand is you buy a 16 digit code from a retailer and then download it from the E-shop!

Sounds good if DD is done by retail coz they can always have offers and discounts unlike Nintendo fixed prices.

Now waits for Foxi4 to complain about 3DS not having a method like the PSP to handle retail games download. e.g PC connectivity.

 

[beta4attack]

live miles away from any games stores.

That's my case that's why it would be very useful for people like me.

 

[notmeanymore]

Man...piracy on the 3DS is going to be so fun.

 

[Costello]

live miles away from any games stores.

That's my case that's why it would be very useful for people like me.

I live thousands of miles away from any game stores
I would like that feature like that!

 

[chris888222]

well, no idea to act doesn't mean never.

at least now Nintendo gets decent online.

 

[Zerosuit connor]

live miles away from any games stores.

That's my case that's why it would be very useful for people like me.

I live thousands of miles away from any game stores
I would like that feature like that!

Yeah, how do you have internet

 

[Master Mo]

I have several chances of being able to buy physical copies so no way I'm gonna pay for something that I can't put on a shelve! Even if it is a little cheaper!

Though for people who maybe like the convinience this is a good thing, especially since it is an option and not mandetory!

 

[Hielkenator]

I have several chances of being able to buy physical copies so no way I'm gonna pay for something that I can't put on a shelve! Even if it is a little cheaper!

Though for people who maybe like the convinience this is a good thing, especially since it is an option and not mandetory!

Agreed, also what about games being on super-outlet-sale-sondernangebot-uitverkoop?

 

[heartgold]

Our consumers can visit retail outlets or the retailers’ online shopping sites, look for products of interest, make a purchase decision and actually pay for the product there. The retailers then can issue the 16-digit software exchange code. As you can see on the screen now, consumers can enter the 16-digit code at the Nintendo eShop to download the software.

 

[emigre]

Thank fucking God; Nintendo are catching up.

 

[chartube12]

Cheap bastards have already fucked up. The last line means games are going to remain the same price and never drop. It is bull shit. Digital retail of content is never going to catch on if the price is more expensive. Nintendo is doing it wrong again.

 

[RupeeClock]

Ah, quite the conundrum now.
I love the convenience of titles installed to the system, this is why I use my DS flashcarts at all.
But I also want to have physical copies of the games for value.

Chances are, Nintendo won't have any sort of download voucher when you buy physical copies, as this would allow anyone to buy a physical copy and either keep that, or use the download code, and give the unused item to someone else.

So you either have to use the physical cart, or stick to an installed copy tied to an account, hmm.

There may also be filesize concerns. I don't imagine NSMB2 to be large, even NSBMWii was around 350mb, so it's ideal to download. But titles like Metal Gear Solid 3D are 4gb so they're far from ideal downloads with limited SD card space.

On top of all this, a digital copy of the game may not have the usual club nintendo stars if downloaded straight from the eShop, unless they figure to let you access your Club Nintendo account and do the survey business from there.

Anyhow, when it comes to NSMB2 I will probably download this one.

Cheap bastards have already fucked up. The last line means games are going to remain the same price and never drop. It is bull shit. Digital retail of content is never going to catch on if the price is more expensive. Nintendo is doing it wrong again.

Hopefully they will figure to hold sales now and then...if there is anything that Steam has demonstrated it's the limited time sales lead to very impulsive buys, and coupled with a way to gift purchases to other accounts, leads to further sales booms.

 

[ForteGospel]

remember that not every country has the same retail price, for me most of the games are about 80 dolars, so getting games at *retail* price of the eshop is already about 50% discount

 

[Bladexdsl]

this is all well and good for peeps who have unlimited bandwidth but the rest of us get shat on and if their going to do this with the wiiu too imagine the size of the game downloads on that. they will be HUGE.

 

[ferofax]

Cheap bastards have already fucked up. The last line means games are going to remain the same price and never drop. It is bull shit. Digital retail of content is never going to catch on if the price is more expensive. Nintendo is doing it wrong again.

lower prices only works for digital-only releases. if they lowered the price significantly for the digital versions, they risk sabotaging the sales of those on physical media. digital releases serve only as an option, and the prices will make sure it stays that way. i mean if you told me that the digital version is a fraction of the price of retail carts, then me (and probably everybody else) will probably forget about buying those cartridges instead.

also, i'm not surprised at the turn of events. i have, to a degree, expected this to happen.

at most, what we'll get is probably, say, a physical game that's priced A, and then the digital version is priced probably a few dollars lower than A. retailers could do promo discounts to push their own sales on digital versions (which is pretty much pure profit), but it can't be significantly lower that physical stocks remain untouched. and the digital version can never be more expensive as well. that just sounds stupid, and if it did reach that point where a retailer is selling digital a few quids higher, then that only proves you're shopping at the wrong place. go shop online. (isn't eShop supposed to be already shoppable online? anybody tried it yet?)

 

[chartube12]

Cheap bastards have already fucked up. The last line means games are going to remain the same price and never drop. It is bull shit. Digital retail of content is never going to catch on if the price is more expensive. Nintendo is doing it wrong again.

lower prices only works for Digital-only releases. if they lowered the price significantly on titles with physical releases, they risk sabotaging the sales of those on physical media. digital releases serve only as an option, and the prices will make sure it stays that way. i mean if you told me that the digital version is a fraction of the price of retail carts, then me (and probably everybody else) will probably forget about buying those cartridges instead.

But they save money on shipping and the price of the game cards in the process. also lowers used sales and their would still be a small market of those willing to buy cards for whatever reason.

 

[heartgold]

Cheap bastards have already fucked up. The last line means games are going to remain the same price and never drop. It is bull shit. Digital retail of content is never going to catch on if the price is more expensive. Nintendo is doing it wrong again.

lower prices only works for Digital-only releases. if they lowered the price significantly on titles with physical releases, they risk sabotaging the sales of those on physical media. digital releases serve only as an option, and the prices will make sure it stays that way. i mean if you told me that the digital version is a fraction of the price of retail carts, then me (and probably everybody else) will probably forget about buying those cartridges instead.

But they save money on shipping and the price of the game cards in the process. also lowers used sales and their would still be a small market of those willing to buy cards for whatever reason.

You do know that retailers will also be setting their own DD prices, think about the competitiveness between stores and online retailers, you will probably find some cheaper deals.