Nintendo Okie

Nintendo of America announced we’re getting double coins if we purchase New Super Mario Bros. 2 through the eShop rather than getting it at retail. I talk about this on the podcast this week. Anyone that knows me realizes I’m really looking forward to the digital marketplace becoming the main source for buying games. I like the convenience factor of being able to download the games and having them all there on my system at one time. I also have four kids with another on the way. I like not worrying about losing cartridges or having discs get scratched.

However, I don’t know that I’m ready to purchase this game through the eShop. There is one big factor really holding me back; the lack of any ability to share the game with other people. I’m planning on passing my 3DS down to my son and buying a 3DS XL when they become available. If I were to purchase New Super Mario Bros. 2 through the eShop, I’m going to be restricted to the one system that the game is downloaded on. I know there are going to be multiple people in my house that want to play the game and we’re going to have to share a system if I buy the game digitally. If I buy the cartridge the game can be passed around and played in any system freely and, in houses that have multiple gamers and systems, this is going to be a necessity.

I’ve always said I like to vote with my dollars and I have bought games from the eShop that I haven’t played simply because I wanted to send a message to Nintendo. Blaster Master Overdrive is an example of this. I wanted to see more Game Boy Color games in the eShop so I’ve purchased the two that are there hoping to help show Nintendo and other publishers that there is definitely a market for those games. I want to buy NSMB2 digitally, but I don’t think I’m ready for these consequences just yet.

I really think it’s going to come down to title by title determination as to whether I’m buying them digitally or not. The games I know are only going to be played by one person I will probably by digitally. If it’s going to be a game that multiple people will play, I will still buy the retail copy of the game. If Nintendo fixes this problem and allows game sharing through multiple systems linked to the same account or some sort of family plan, then I’ll move to a digital future with Nintendo. Until then I still think retail is going to be the way to go.

What about you? Are you excited about buying Nintendo 3DS and Wii U titles digitally. Is the thought of double Club Nintendo coins enticing enough to buy New Super Mario Bros. 2 digitally? If not what will it take for you to make the move to digital when it comes to your Nintendo content?