While Nintendo's made great strides in improving its digital download services, there are still many players who prefer to buy their games at retail. Japanese gamers will soon have a new way to get download-only games like Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger and Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!, in the form of game-specific cards at retail outlets.
Download cards have been released in Japan for various 3DS retail games, but this is the first we're hearing of eShop-only games being offered in this format. It appears that Pokémon Scramble U will be receiving similar treatment, which is notable because the game also uses NFC-activated figurines which will be available exclusively at retail.
There's no word on whether these game cards will make their way West, but another way to buy Nintendo content would certainly be welcome. Would you like Nintendo to bring these cards over? Let us know in the comments below.
[source neogaf.com]
Comments 13
looks cool
I do enjoy eShop and 3DS cards. A credit card is faster to use at home, but I can find cheap/on sale 3DS cards for more often than I can find eShop sales. I get a $50 3DS/Wii U gift card everyyear from the Red Cross, and BestBuy sends me a $20 reward zone card about once a year. I'll happily use those to essentially get any eShop title for free!
@russellohh Are you a Sandy survivor?
I'm really looking forward to when (if) Nintendo release game specific download codes to retailers over here. Competition will mean that consumers can shop around and get the best deal for a download title in the same way as a disc (and ideally quicker too - there's no reason that an online retailer couldn't simply email you a code instead of posting you one).
Also I think Gamestop did a similar thing here I think 1/2 years ago called DLC? It had Super Mario Land, Kid Icarus and something else.
@baba_944 GameStop did it with Super Mario Land 2, 3D Classics: Kid Icarus, and Pushmo. Those are the only 3 games they did it with though.
@russellohh Tell them to send me one.
@MrSRArter I'm pretty sure that they discontinued it, as no one was buying those games. Maybe if they got a hold of some download cards that people will actually know of and want to buy (such as Mario Kart 7, Resident Evil Revelations, Ocarina of Time 3D, etc.) then GameStop will probably realize that there is much more demand for download cards than they thought!
I'm surprised they don't package a free NFC character w/ the card to get people's addiction started. First hit is free.
I think we need the actual game to be announced in the US before the DL cards are announced My kids will be buying this and that card looks cool so my CC gets to stay in my wallet while they lay out the cash.
That is a cool card.
Heck yeah, I saw loads of download cards when I was in Japan recently (I would upload a pic but it would kill my data allowance for the month). These things would be way handier solution to "buying" a digital game than with the current system of: add some money to account, buy game, be left with 6p/10pts on your account for the end of time.
Codes for games not yet released on the eShop like Tetris Axis would be nice.
e-shop game cards are a good idea, because how often we needed to buy a 15 Euro card just for a 5 Euro game! By using a e-shop game card you don't have "leftovers"!
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