MAJORITY OF 3DS & WII U 1ST-PARTY GAMES TO BE SOLD DIGITALLY

[soloist]

In a statement to Joystiq today, Nintendo offered more insight into its plan to distribute new 3DS and Wii U games digitally in addition to retail. It won't just be select games like New Super Mario Bros. 2; according to the publisher, "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."

The statement also describes the retail availability of codes for these digital games, which are described as "16-digit codes" for the "Nintendo eShop." So the Wii U's store is going to be called the eShop, just like the 3DS's, and use the same kind of codes. Between a unified store branding, availability of redeemable codes, and digital sales of full games, it looks like Nintendo is finally moving in the right direction in terms of the internet.

Now if it would only let you redeem those games to an account instead of a single 3DS. During last night's presentation, Satoru Iwata said that the new downloadable 3DS retail games "will be stored in the consumer's SD memory card and be playable only with the hardware to which it was downloaded so that, unlike how you can share the packaged software which are stored in game card format, the consumer cannot share the software with other Nintendo 3DS systems owned by other members of the family or friends." In other words, they'll operate just like eShop games operate now.

-JSQ-

[TStodden]

Nintendo better be working on a 3DS Menu update to include SDXC support so 3DS owners can increase their 3DS's storage capacity beyond 32 GB's.

The Wii U should including similar SDXC support (instead of just SDHC, which both the 3DS & Wii support) in order to help accommodate this option.


This train of thought is based on the fact that DVD DL discs can store around 9 GB's of data... which is equal to 72,000 Blocks (the Wii itself only has 4,000 Blocks & the 3DS's original SD card has 16,000 Blocks). While Nintendo will likely trim the digital versions down to their actual size, we're still talking around 0.3 - 7.0 GB's (2,400 - 56,000 Blocks) per title.

[soloist]

The 3DS does indeed need more storage for all of the
games and applications that's being sent to the N-
intendo store digitally. I doubt that Nintendo
seen this ahead in the future or was just
more focused on collecting from thos-
e Wii sales (laughs). Seriously tho-
ugh... a high speed SD card wi-
th an increased storage cap-
acity size would be ideal
at this time of the 3D-
S' life, especially if
Nintendo expec-
ts it to stay
ahead of
the V-
ita.

(in terms of sales and popularity...)

[TStodden]

It seems that 3rd party devs are getting on board with this as well.

According to IGN, a 32 GB SDHC card (the largest card supported by the 3DS) can fit around 10 retail titles on average with minimal issues. The standard 2 GB SD card (included with the 3DS) might fit 1 retail title at the most.

[KenseidenXL]

Then I am getting off. I won't ride the vaporware train.

[soloist]

I guess it can be said that I've seen this coming
after noticing how little effort went into th-
e manual of Kid Icarus. Eliminating or m-
inimizing the manual is the first step
and one which will justify the noti-
on to go digital. The only probl-
em is that the 3DS at the mo-
ment isn't really designed f-
or multi-media storage r-
ight now. When a hig-
h speed tera-byte i-
s available, then
my interest w-
ill be pique-
d. For no-
w, I'll s-
imply
wai-
t.

[KenseidenXL]

Unless the manual is incorporated into the game, it makes zero sense to eliminate it.

[soloist]

From a business standpoint, it does because the savings
on cutting the physical manual from production adds
up. The problem comes in the form of convenie-
nce for those who'd bring the manual with th-
e to work as literature or a distraction a-
gent while away from the console. Ju-
st like digital magazines. Their gr-
eat if you have access to them
via cell phone, ipod or ipad,
but if your place of work
doesn't allow the use
of such devices, t-
hen you're out
of luck. I g-
uess it d-
epend-
s o-
n each
person's i-
ndividual pre-
ferences and situ-
ations not to mention
conveniences. Which woul-
d be better for you, digital ma-
gazines and manuals or physical??

[KenseidenXL]

Show me digital manuals for existing games. I can't find any.

[soloist]

Wipeout 2048 (for the Vita) has a digital manual a-
nd it features cross-play with the PS3 version,
so it must have one as well. I know Ultim-
ate Marvel vs Capcom 3 for the Vita h-
as one, but as far as console gam-
es go, I'm not sure. Physical in-
struction manuals are being
phased-out rapidly, and
across all platforms
no doubt. It's a s-
hame, since I
miss takin-
g the m-
anual-
s w-
ith me
to work a-
nd experienc-
ing a part of the
game while away fr-
om home with some a-
id from my imagination, t-
he text in the manual and the
images included as well. Oh well.

(reminiscing...)

[KenseidenXL]

Nintendo is fracking up big time. This puts a major cost burden on their customers who now have to shell out tons of money for all of those goddamned SD cards, instead of offering a hard drive for their new console. Nope. Not worth the bullshite.

[soloist]

Unfortunately, it's part of Nintendo's strategy.
Release a new (rather, updated version
their previous) unit to the public w-
ith re-releases of software that
they're probably already fam-
iliar with, package it with
updated (and in some c-
ases downgraded) fe-
atures. Let it sell!
Count the mon-
ey and repea-
t. When th-
e public
stop-
s
sup-
porting
this strate-
gy, it shall cease.

[KenseidenXL]

Yeah. That really helped the PSPGo to become the best-selling hand-held ever...oh, that's right...it DIDN'T.

[soloist]

Laughs! Well, at least Nintendo was wise enough
to actually support their devices or present
them in a manner where its gimmick w-
as felt by consumers to be needed
(laughs). Sony didn't even rea-
lly even support the Go. T-
he digital versions of g-
ames didn't arrive u-
ntil weeks after t-
he Go launched
and saves c-
ouldn't be
transfe-
rred
which m-
eant that ga-
mers would have
to re-play the games
they already owned and s-
tart all over. Consumers nee-
d to realize the power they have
in buying. If you don't like it, don't b-
uy it. Let companies know what you think
about the "stuff" that they are pushing to you.

[TStodden]

Nintendo has pretty much eliminated the manual on 3DS titles... You get a little manual pamphlet that gives you the gist of the controls, but that's it.

When you select an item on the 3DS, there's a "Manual" button on the touch screen that you can click to see the manual for that item.

In Kid Icarus: Uprising's case, they actually included a video manual within the game itself.