The main reason I don't purchase retail games via the eshop is because they aren't linked to an account. If I lose, break, or have my 3DS stolen, I don't want to have to contact Nintendo in order for my games to be reinstated. If I get a new 3DS, I don't want to have to do a system transfer.

Accounts are just so much easier. There's a reason that everything else uses account base systems. Nintendo needs to get with the times.

But as @HarmoKnight suggested, a choice would be good for people who are afraid of having accounts hacked. Though if your account gets hacked (which is highly unlikely) I'm sure contacting Nintendo would solve the problem anyway.

Maybe if you have Gawker Security systems.

Which is a time-consuming process compared to going to a store and buying another one and redownloading everything you had.

NO! And not just becasue I ahad a uh...wnated to prove you wrong!

Having a choice would just be stupid.

Pick one thing and stick buy it.

I shall buy it now!

i dont understand do you mean 5 system transfers from one 3DS or 1 to 5 ? lol im really confused the impression would be that the license from previous system would be lost are you implying some sort of code in the games keeps track of itself on how many times its been transfered?

edit: i realize you might be basing it off the way ps3 does it? or used too in this case

I think dragon means the system transfer, i.e. transferring all the data from one system to another.

I'm all for forcing people to do things the way I want, but sometimes the proletarians need to be satisfied in order to keep them from revolting

Or Nintendo chooses for you. You can ONLY have a tied system

@BlackFira: No, I was serious — Nintendo has stated that the limit for transfers for any one eShop account is 5. You get to transfer your account five times via the System Transfer, and then that's it, you're stuck where you're at. You also won't be able to transfer your eShop account to another system whose transfer limit is already at 0, you would have to delete all eShop activity from that console and lose all purchased licenses before you could perform the system transfer from your console to that one (the limit is on the eShop account; remove the account and the limit on that console is reset).

I doubt anyone would buy more then 5 3DSes anyway, I'm sure transfering to a 4DS (so to speak) counts only as one and by that time the limit will fall on the 4DSes ability which will probably be more then 5 (not that it needs it)

NO! Just because I said so

im still a little bit lost do we already have an eshop account or is thats for what is to come? perhaps u could explain it a little more simpler for me if possible

but i'll try to see if i got the idea down here

a account can be transfered 5 times assuming your talking about an account with your email attached to it like other systems and guessing the wiiu will have this too
that once its been moved 5 times the other systems has to be deactivated using a ps3 term here before using the account on another system

as for what you mean by the console are you saying i can move stuff from my 3ds to the wiiu?

i hope u understand my confusion a bit more lol

So you don't mind if your eshop account gets deleted and you lose all of the games you bought?....be real now!

@BlackFira: I'm not quite sure where we disconnected, and I'm sorry about the confusion, but I was talking about how it stands right now, not how a potential account-based system would work for the 3DS and/or Wii U. As it stands right now, if you have a 3DS and have purchased a game via the eShop, you have an eShop account attached to your console. That eShop account that is tied to your 3DS has a limit of five transfers, and no more.

Say your parents buy you a new 3DS XL and they want you to give your original 3DS to your little sibling. You perform a system transfer from the original 3DS to your new 3DS XL. Your eShop account is now linked to the XL and has a limit of four transfers remaining. Your little sibling's 3DS is now completely blank, and they purchase a new game from the eShop. Now the new eShop account on that original 3DS has a transfer limit of five.

Your sibling winds up with a few eShop games of their own, but then they lose their 3DS and somehow never miss it at all. Months later, you find it and realize your sibling had purchased a few games you hadn't, and they still have points remaining in their eShop account that you could use toward a new game. You decide to system transfer back from the XL to the original 3DS to combine your accounts into one. On the original 3DS, the combined account has three transfers left now, from the four you had before.

Since you can't transfer back to your XL immediately, you wait a week, and then you perform a system transfer again to get everything back on the system you prefer. Your eShop account now has two transfers left.

... and so on, and so on, until you're down to 0 transfers left and are stuck with whatever console you're on for the rest of your eShop account's life. What we're saying in this thread is that Nintendo should have a proper account-based system that doesn't go by an eShop account tied to a specific console, but rather by a username or a code or something that the user can transfer from system to system as many times as they please. You want to buy a new XL and give your old one to your little bro or sis? Just type in a username and password on the new console and bam, you're in business — the old console now reads you as logged out and requires a new account be made or for you to log back in if you want to access the eShop (and any purchased games) again. Your dad accidentally ran over your new XL with a tank? No sweat, he buys you a replacement, you type in your login information and you're good to go — and if save files are saved in a cloud of some sort, you can even start from exactly where you left off. Some dirty thief stole your system and your grandparents took pity on you and bought you a new one? Not a problemo, just log right in and start playing. :3

Actually, even then, you are SOL. Nintendo won't do anything about it. Basically if your 3DS dies/lost/stolen before you can do a system transfer, all those purchases are lost permanently.

Just as an FYI, for that to work, you need to fax them not only the police report, but also your original receipt and the receipt for the new system along with the serial numbers for both systems!

Miiverse has been confirmed for 3DS.

Yes, and I hope it gets released soon.

The 3DS should have a account system, just like the Nintendo Wii U. I don't see why the 3DS shouldn't,
The 3DS has great online capability. They should also juice up the e-shop.

Man Miiverse is fun, I really can't wait for it to come to 3DS