Gaming Nintendo planning to expand onlive service in a big way

[Errorjack]

You forgot Region Free =p Nintendo REALLY needs to get on that.

The reason companies CAN'T have a region free console is that PAL, JAPAN and US all have different buffering for each region. There is also country differences relating to violence, certain textures that may harm other countries and just overall an easier way to replace games in countries. If you've ever tried to play a PAL iso on a US region Wii console, you'll see that it becomes black, white and fussy. Yes, it would be nice for it to be region free but Nintendo likes to keep control of games.

 

[esp2000]

I think that it is nice that they are offering the option for digital download, but it is something that I would never use. Besides my 3DS, I am going to be purchasing 2 more for my children, so having the physical game that we can move between devices is much more economical than having to buy 3 digital copies.

 

[iluvfuzz]

The nintendo ds was region free.

 

[The Milkman]

The nintendo ds was region free.

The DS also barely ran an OS. The 3DS is clearly different.

 

[Deleted member 282441]

You forgot Region Free =p Nintendo REALLY needs to get on that.

The reason companies CAN'T have a region free console is that PAL, JAPAN and US all have different buffering for each region. There is also country differences relating to violence, certain textures that may harm other countries and just overall an easier way to replace games in countries. If you've ever tried to play a PAL iso on a US region Wii console, you'll see that it becomes black, white and fussy. Yes, it would be nice for it to be region free but Nintendo likes to keep control of games.

Only on some TVs does it become odd. My TV and wii can play pikmin 2 (PAL) fine, and rhythm heaven wii (JAP) works fine too. I doubt that there is buffering on a portable console in the first place.

 

[59672]

You forgot Region Free =p Nintendo REALLY needs to get on that.

The reason companies CAN'T have a region free console is that PAL, JAPAN and US all have different buffering for each region. There is also country differences relating to violence, certain textures that may harm other countries and just overall an easier way to replace games in countries. If you've ever tried to play a PAL iso on a US region Wii console, you'll see that it becomes black, white and fussy. Yes, it would be nice for it to be region free but Nintendo likes to keep control of games.

The NTSC vs PAL only matters with TVs and equipment connecting to tvs, japan and north america use ntsc while europe uses pal. Encoding to pal or ntsc isn't even an issue because hardware these days is designed on almost everything to have both pal and ntsc encoding, just sometimes companies place software region locks to lock it to one region.

Most countries more or less have similar restrictions in game content, only a few countries (australia and germany to name two) have some issues with content, but thats nothing an alternative download (for that country) can fix.

 

[PolloDiablo]

"Nintendo is aiming to significantly expand its digital business. In August, New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the Nintendo 3DS system will launch both as a packaged game at retail stores and as a digital download in the Nintendo eShop. The majority of Nintendo-published Nintendo 3DS games will have the same dual-distribution strategy. Likewise, the majority of Nintendo-published Wii U games will be available both as packaged products and as digital downloads starting on launch day.

These downloadable games will also be available for purchase at participating retail stores and on retailers' websites. Our customers can visit retail outlets or their online shopping sites, look for the products they want and pay for the product there. The retailers will then provide shoppers with a 16-digit code that can be exchanged in the Nintendo eShop for the game. This will give shoppers more options to find and purchase their favorite games."

- Nintendo statement

 

[Pleng]

Nintendo's FINALLY stepping up! Though they're my favourite company, I'm gonna be very open about the little things they need to pay attention to.
I think a list of things they need(ed) to catch up on would be a bit handy:

• Okay, this one is a bit personal, but I really think they should cut it out with still continuing to release 2D Mario games. This is what I thought of NSMB2.
• Make the equivalent of gamertags to refrain from having to share a long, complicated number to get people to add you.

You forgot Region Free =p Nintendo REALLY needs to get on that.

As if they will. That's why he didn't mention it on his list.

I think they're more likely to get rid of region locking than they are to abandon the biggest selling sector of their biggest selling franchise...

 

[ferofax]

"Knowing life, the games will be priced exactly like those in boxes, defeating the purpose of digital distribution. Moreover, there will be no trading function, so resale value drops to zero. That, joined with the fact that you don't really have a physical medium, thus when Nintendo Network closes down you will lose all your purchases, makes this a useful function only for fat and lazy gamers who really don't care whether or not they will have a wonderful game in a box among other collectibles." You're welcome.

Actually, the purpose of digital distribution is be able distribute to a wider area/market. The lower pricing is just a by-product, since there's no physical media associated with the sale. It's always up to the maker how to price a product, just as it is up to the buyer whether they think it's worth it or not. Buy or don't, enough said.

I've always thought it would end up that way. However, I recently remembered Apple being sued because of overpriced apps. This may or may not be relevant, and may or may not influence pricing. But at least with Nintendo, you can't just press a few buttons and end up with a bill in the thousands.

 

[gamefan5]

Nintendo's FINALLY stepping up! Though they're my favourite company, I'm gonna be very open about the little things they need to pay attention to.
I think a list of things they need(ed) to catch up on would be a bit handy:

• Okay, this one is a bit personal, but I really think they should cut it out with still continuing to release 2D Mario games. This is what I thought of NSMB2.
• Make the equivalent of gamertags to refrain from having to share a long, complicated number to get people to add you.

You forgot Region Free =p Nintendo REALLY needs to get on that.

As if they will. That's why he didn't mention it on his list.

I think they're more likely to get rid of region locking than they are to abandon the biggest selling sector of their biggest selling franchise...

You mght think that but they won't. They're doing doing to control the sales of games. Which game gets to sell in which coutnries. Content that they're allowed to see, etc. Some content in Japan wouldn't be appropriate for the US, for example.

 

[Foxi4]

"Knowing life, the games will be priced exactly like those in boxes, defeating the purpose of digital distribution. Moreover, there will be no trading function, so resale value drops to zero. That, joined with the fact that you don't really have a physical medium, thus when Nintendo Network closes down you will lose all your purchases, makes this a useful function only for fat and lazy gamers who really don't care whether or not they will have a wonderful game in a box among other collectibles." You're welcome.

Actually, the purpose of digital distribution is be able distribute to a wider area/market. The lower pricing is just a by-product, since there's no physical media associated with the sale. It's always up to the maker how to price a product, just as it is up to the buyer whether they think it's worth it or not. Buy or don't, enough said.

I've always thought it would end up that way. However, I recently remembered Apple being sued because of overpriced apps. This may or may not be relevant, and may or may not influence pricing. But at least with Nintendo, you can't just press a few buttons and end up with a bill in the thousands.

That comment was sarcastic, obviously digital distribution is a valid option. There are games that people just want to play a bit, not necescrily put on their shelf, hence the quotation marks.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Actually, the purpose of digital distribution is be able distribute to a wider area/market. The lower pricing is just a by-product, since there's no physical media associated with the sale. It's always up to the maker how to price a product, just as it is up to the buyer whether they think it's worth it or not. Buy or don't, enough said.

I've always thought it would end up that way. However, I recently remembered Apple being sued because of overpriced apps. This may or may not be relevant, and may or may not influence pricing. But at least with Nintendo, you can't just press a few buttons and end up with a bill in the thousands.

Really the big draw to digital distribution is the pricing, and pretty much if you can't price it right then you're going to fall flat on digital distribution.

There are of course other upsides to digital distribution like eliminating the need to carry around multiple cartridges, no fear of losing/breaking the game, constant availability (nothing can be "sold out" digitally), quicker access (it'll probably be faster to download a game than wait for it in the mail or go to the store and get it), and cheaper production costs for companies (they don't need to spend cash on producing discs, boxes, manuals, etc), and an easier market for indie games.

Still, a digital service is awful without preferential pricing behind it. It's incredibly hard to wean ego-obsessive collectors or game trading fanatics off of physical games unless you can give them lower prices. It's why Steam games are often $10 less when they first come out and why their sales happen quite quickly.

Just make sure you're not like Microsoft who thinks that digital distribution itself is a valid excuse for inflated pricing (see Games on Demand).

 

[Xarsah16]

So do you think Nintendo will include both the digital download and the cartridge together? That's what it made it sound like.

I'm pretty sure Nintendo would decide to sell the game digitally by itself without the cartridge, but I think the smarter way to do this would be to also sell the physical game without the code. Having both parts separately. If they include both the code and the cart, then people will be making money off of one and keeping the other for themselves. I think someone else brought up this concern, but if they sell both pieces separately, the digital release should be cheaper.

 

[Pleng]

Nintendo's FINALLY stepping up! Though they're my favourite company, I'm gonna be very open about the little things they need to pay attention to.
I think a list of things they need(ed) to catch up on would be a bit handy:

• Okay, this one is a bit personal, but I really think they should cut it out with still continuing to release 2D Mario games. This is what I thought of NSMB2.
• Make the equivalent of gamertags to refrain from having to share a long, complicated number to get people to add you.

You forgot Region Free =p Nintendo REALLY needs to get on that.

As if they will. That's why he didn't mention it on his list.

I think they're more likely to get rid of region locking than they are to abandon the biggest selling sector of their biggest selling franchise...

You mght think that but they won't. They're doing doing to control the sales of games. Which game gets to sell in which coutnries. Content that they're allowed to see, etc. Some content in Japan wouldn't be appropriate for the US, for example.

Jeez do I have to spell it out?

Here goes:

Poster A said: Get Rid of 2D Mario
Poster B said: Get rid of region locking
You said: He didn't include that because it won't happen

My comment was NOT intended to say "Nintendo might get rid of region locking", it was intended to point out that there were things on the list even LESS likely to happen.

 

[Luigi2012SM64DS]

Yay now i can be even more lazy

 

[gamefan5]

Nintendo's FINALLY stepping up! Though they're my favourite company, I'm gonna be very open about the little things they need to pay attention to.
I think a list of things they need(ed) to catch up on would be a bit handy:

• Okay, this one is a bit personal, but I really think they should cut it out with still continuing to release 2D Mario games. This is what I thought of NSMB2.
• Make the equivalent of gamertags to refrain from having to share a long, complicated number to get people to add you.

You forgot Region Free =p Nintendo REALLY needs to get on that.

As if they will. That's why he didn't mention it on his list.

I think they're more likely to get rid of region locking than they are to abandon the biggest selling sector of their biggest selling franchise...

You mght think that but they won't. They're doing doing to control the sales of games. Which game gets to sell in which coutnries. Content that they're allowed to see, etc. Some content in Japan wouldn't be appropriate for the US, for example.

Jeez do I have to spell it out?

Here goes:

Poster A said: Get Rid of 2D Mario
Poster B said: Get rid of region locking
You said: He didn't include that because it won't happen

My comment was NOT intended to say "Nintendo might get rid of region locking", it was intended to point out that there were things on the list even LESS likely to happen.

Oh sorry then, in this case you are definetely right. XD

 

[ferofax]

Actually, the purpose of digital distribution is be able distribute to a wider area/market. The lower pricing is just a by-product, since there's no physical media associated with the sale. It's always up to the maker how to price a product, just as it is up to the buyer whether they think it's worth it or not. Buy or don't, enough said.

I've always thought it would end up that way. However, I recently remembered Apple being sued because of overpriced apps. This may or may not be relevant, and may or may not influence pricing. But at least with Nintendo, you can't just press a few buttons and end up with a bill in the thousands.

Really the big draw to digital distribution is the pricing, and pretty much if you can't price it right then you're going to fall flat on digital distribution.

There are of course other upsides to digital distribution like eliminating the need to carry around multiple cartridges, no fear of losing/breaking the game, constant availability (nothing can be "sold out" digitally), quicker access (it'll probably be faster to download a game than wait for it in the mail or go to the store and get it), and cheaper production costs for companies (they don't need to spend cash on producing discs, boxes, manuals, etc), and an easier market for indie games.

Still, a digital service is awful without preferential pricing behind it. It's incredibly hard to wean ego-obsessive collectors or game trading fanatics off of physical games unless you can give them lower prices. It's why Steam games are often $10 less when they first come out and why their sales happen quite quickly.

Just make sure you're not like Microsoft who thinks that digital distribution itself is a valid excuse for inflated pricing (see Games on Demand).

Granted, pricing has become the biggest factor, but i guess i was just pointing out that it's not the entire purpose. Pricing just so happens to be what seals the deal for customers at large.

also, looking at Nintendo, I'm not really sure if they'll price their digital-only games significantly lower than retail releases. but hey, we'll see in a few months if they're gonna be priced competitively or not.

 

[Vampire Lied]

Don't see it happening, but I'd love it if physical copy came with a digital download. I like the idea of not having to carry around my copy of animal crossing or super smash bros.
On the other hand, I wouldn't buy just a download for these. I'm not totally against having full games on eshop, but there's games coming that I won't go without box and instructions.
If this is retroactive, I'd be tempted to get tetris axis, pilot wings etc..
There's some games I'd like to play and wouldn't care if the box sits on my shelf.
This is gonna be a conflict between price/convenience/collectability/resale.
How well this does all depends on how the big N handles it.
I will say that the day physical copies totally die off is the day that game companies will get the most hate mail.

 

[Sychophantom]

I seriously doubt any company would give a digital version and a physical copy unless charging more. Why would you keep the physical and not just sell it back to the store for another game?

 

[Kikirini]

Cool! This will be perfect for certain games. Better start looking into a bigger SD card.