Topic: Pre-purchase digitally - The Pros and many Cons: But I have a solution

All of my games are digital on my Wii U and 3DS, but Nintendo's practices are starting to annoy me. You would think if I bought my games digitally these two things would happen:
1.) I would get the game cheaper (since there is no box, no retail space needed, and I can't trade it back in or sell it)
2.) I would get some pre-order bonus just for buying directly

Neither of these things hardly happen. My solution?
If you directly, from the Nintendo eShop, buy a game digitally it should be at least 10% cheaper and include all pre-order DLC/Offers from every shop that gets DLC offers.

See how Nintendo could position it this is if they say, buy it physically but choose your shop wisely since you only get that one shop's DLC offer. However if you buy the game digitally it is cheaper by 10% and you get all known DLC offered for said game as a pre-order bonus offer from all the shops.

What is everyone's thoughts on this?

Bonus real life story:
I called Nintendo directly to ask them if since I have pre-purchased Splatoon digitally directly through them if I get the Smash Bros Splatoon costumes DLC? They said no....

The internal space for the Wii U is quite limited, it would be a marvelous idea but you would have to invest a terabyte (more or less) external if you want to exclusively buy from the eShop. You wouldn't have to go to amazon as much unless you wanted a used copy, and you wouldn't have to go to GameStop as much either (prices for nintendo games there are dreadful). All-in-all I would say if investing in an external doesn't bother you, the consumer, then Nintendo should put this into action.

Why would Nintendo do that? You are buying the games digitally in spite of having a discount. So the system works for Nintendo.

Nintendo don't want to destroy the traditional retail market and don't want to push a pricing pressure on retails. If the digital version is cheaper, the retail version has to battle for its costumer.

By the way: Of course you have also advantages when buying the digital version:

• You can have the game on the release day without advance booking.
• No disc change and no disc sound
• No breaking the game while showing to your friends

So both versions have assets and drawbacks which satisfy the same price. It's the same game anyway.

It would by quite unfair when people which do annoying phone calls get free stuff while others don't.

Even with a slight discount or my DLC solution wouldn't put a complete stop to those who like physical discs/carts. Some people like to be able to trade in bad games or games they beat and no longer want.

Also Wii U games are shockingly small. Splatoon for instance is 1.8 gb. I have a 128 gb flash Dr.

Annoying call? It was a simple question I couldn't find an answer for, hence I called Nintendo Customer Service.

Part of me think Nintendo does this as to not draw too much attention away from their retail partners. You know give them the better end so people will have more incentive to buy from those stores with the bonus/ better value instead of straight from Nintendo like with Spatoon (still trying to stay on track to buy digital) and retailers don't have to feel cheated.

I like what they did with Wii Fit U and LoZ: The Wind Waker HD having the digital version weeks and months ahead of the retail release. At first I wonder why they don't do that anymore but I realize I already answered my question.

One thing people overlook when it comes to the popularity of the PS4 (especially) and Xbone is that they have far more and superior sales than Nintendo does.

For example, The Witcher 3 is 10% off is you pre-order digitally and compare that to Splatoon. I just got Littlebigplanet and Soul Sacrifice Delta for both under $5 on the PSN flash sale this weekend too

I do like Nintendo, but they make it hard for fans. Buy a PS4 and get more games and for a hell of a lot cheaper

Quantity does not equal quality.

One rumor I heard is they are going to have the Mario Kart special come back for Splatoon. If you buy it digitally before a certain date you will get another free game from a certain list.

I don't understand. A) why would it be cheaper to buy digitally, you still receive the same product. The money they save from making and shipping boxes means more profits for them. You don't receive less of a game by buying digital. I don't think the box holds value when you buy a game, you are buying the software and the box is how they transport it. Selling you a game digitally allows them to save money of the box and shipping, money they put towards server maintenance and game support.
B) The pre-order DLC is store exclusive, meaning GameStop paid for it in some way. GameStop allows pre-orders bonuses when you buy digitally through them, I did that with Hyrule Warriors. You just need to pre-order the game like normal and when you go in to buy it, ask for the digital version, they will sell you a code that you can use right away to download your game.

The are just as many pros and cons about digital as there are with physical. The only difference with pre-purchasing games is you pay for it sooner.

A.) The company to entice more digital copies sold (which is pure profit to Nintendo) they can sell it cheaper. This is why Steam games of AAA are usually not 60 bucks.

B.) DLC preorder bonuses should change and I was saying all digital copies bought directly through Nintendo should include all preorder DLC.

Buying a game digitally shows your total support for a game since you can not sell off the game at a later time. Nintendo should gone some way to reward that loyalty

Why should Nintendo make the game cheaper for you just because you buy it digital? The game itself is what matters, and the price point should be identical since both the retail and digital version are for the same game - you don't get less game just because of a digital purchase.
Also, in regards to the sales for PS4 and XBone: they're harmful, nothing more. These ridiculous sales are only topped by the industry killer called Steam, but having sales for games so quickly is more harmful than beneficial. Increasingly more people outright refuse to get a game fullprice, even when they're brand-new, and very much worth the money, just because they assume there's gonna be a sale right around the corner. But they're used to getting discounts shoved up the rear without any reason, which means that these platforms simply support stinginess because that's how they baited them in the first place.
The fact that Splatoon, which is shaping up to be a great game in many ways, is already having a "I want it cheaper" discussion is just lousy. Get the game, or don't get the game. Don't demand special treatment just because other companies devalue games all day long.

Yeah I think some of the pre-order and bundled stuff would be nice (squid amiibo, I'm looking at you), but there is a nice trade-off with digital downloads. The main one is not waiting for the postman as others have noted and the presence of discounts if purchasing from certain retailers or Nintendo's own promotions: free game for buying MK8, massive discount on Wonderful 101 for buying Pikmin 3 and now %10 off for participating in the Splatoon online demo.

On balance I don't feel too hard done by and I think Nintendo has done a good job of rewarding loyal online purchasers with periodic discounts on VC titles and cross-platform purchasing as well.

The difference with PC games is that PC gamers are all in with the digital model. Even if you buy the disk in the store you're usually getting a code and saving yourself most of the download. And ontop of that platforms like Steam, UPlay and Origin don't really need to have a good relationship with retailers because they don't need to sell hardware. Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft? They need to sell hardware, a lot of it and a new version every five years or so. So you don't see many PC games in stores anyway.

And even more to the point, PC games aren't drastically cheaper online than they are in stores. At least not in Australia they aren't. There are insanely good sales 6-12months down the road for sure but at launch? It's $10 either side. I got GTA 5 cheaper in store than I would have on Steam for example. On the other side of things, because of eShop voucher discounts, I got Smash Bros cheaper on the eShop than I would have in store. Retailers are generally competitive enough that at least one of them is going to go for a "great price" at launch if it's a big title. But not always.

The cost of a case, shipping, and advertising in a store is the money they save and could pass a little on to the digital buyers.

Also I already bought it and pre-installed it for the full $60 asking price. I just think it's lousy that because I chose to keep the game forever with no chance of trading it in I should get the Smash Bros costumes at the very least.

I'm of the opinion that digital titles should be cheaper just because of the vastly reduced cost to the publishers. Undercutting physical releases won't cause stores to dislike them. Stores will stock what sells. Game stores are full of Playstation and MS games despite those two discount digital titles far more aggressively. Game stores have low Wii U stock despite Nintendo NOT discounting them at all. Heck, in the UK the eShop often costs double what physical stores do. Recently I've paid £22.95 each for Kirby and The Rainbow Paintbrush and Splatoon, and £25 for Yoshi's Wooly World. To buy on the eShop, prices range from £35 to £50. Even two year old games like Wonderful 101 are £50, and you can buy them new for under £20 these days.

.... I'll stop complaining (I live in the United States and are eshop prices are equal to retail)

I have a solution, too: if you want the convenience of buying digitally, do that. If you want the physical box and goodies, buy that instead.

Yes, it would be wonderful if we could all sit around buying things cheaper and faster and getting prizes and a lifetime of free pizza, but if that's not what's being offering, too bad. Buy what you want. It's not Nintendo's job to cater to your every desire.

Here is a novel idea:
Preorder digitally get digital content
Preorder physically get physical goodies

You know what would be cool? If Nintendo just made all their games 50% off (except rare downloads). Who's with me?

Not really a solution. More like a non productive statement that doesn't belong on this thread.