You Can Now Purchase Select Digital Titles on Nintendo's Official Site

If it downloads after buying it would be nice but otherwise not really that great of a feature.

@DarkLink95
Except for the fact that this is something Nintendo's not done before. How is it not cool that you can buy the game before you get home? Before you turn on your system? Sure, you may not be able to download it at the same time, but it makes the process THAT much more convenient and is THAT much closer to being what you're asking for.

Either way, I think it's great.

Yesterday, I tried the web eShop to download Kirby's Dream Course, and I met it in my Quick Start Menu when I got home. It's very nice, and to think that just days after I was dreaming of Remote Buy on Nintendo systems.
This would totally be nice.

yeah... Buy @ work, download and install while working, ready to play when home... Should work like that, if it it does, I'm excited.

Maybe they can add an app too so you can do it from your phone?

What, No link?

Does this allow us to redownload on different machines, or is it only valid for one download?

Extra cool if you could purchase from work or shopping and it download to the console while you're away.

They better not have a big delay on this feature for europe!

Pretty cool!

But the UK Nintendo website can do this already. And even better, the UK website accepts PayPal. What's the difference? I tried to buy Hyrule Warriors in the US website after reading this. However, after login with my NNID, it said "your code will be sent to this address: [email protected]" (it got the address from my NNID).

So the UK webstore WINS this round.

I only have a Wii U but will be buying a 3DS down the line. Can I buy a 3DS game to take advantage of a promotion if I want to? Anyway, I hope it'll come to Europe soon. We need a Direct!

Its about time, Nintendo is getting with the time!

@Olmectron the difference is the price. Example: Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 30$ in the USA and 40GBP in the UK.

No wonder they insist on region locking.

@123akis No. Like I said. I tried it and logged, it told me my code would be sent to my email address.

Cannot see how this feature could be worth the £10 (Or more) Premium vs buying from cdkeys.com or Game (I won't buy from Game personally for other reasons).

I like the idea of buying a game and getting a download code for it. There have been times I've wanted to buy a game for someone (digitally), but it kinda ruins the surprise if you want to take advantage of a sale.

This should stop the eShop from crashing when a new game releases.

@kyuubikid213 You are right either way it is still a nice feature and it is a step in the right direction.

All I am saying is that I probably won't use it without that feature as I really don't find it that convenient.

If we can pay with paypal in europe, I'll be the happiest man alive.

If I buy a game on launch day, say while I'm at work, it'd be really cool if my Wii U downloaded it in standby.

It's a step in the right direction.

Perfect timing, my external HDD just literally went up in smoke. OK. I didnt actually see any smoke but the entire basement smells like my house is burning down. My kids ere playing Hyrule Warriors which luckily I moved evrtything over to the internal memory last week. Im not hooking up another external until -

1. Its much easier to back up save files for digital games. We can delete them, why not copy them?
2. I want to be asked where a game is downloaded, internal or external. Having everything DL to the external so that I move it over later to make copies of my save files is such a pain.

Good. Now I won't have to pester my sister next time I'm away from the U and Nintendo actually has a sale.

@Tritonus A official Nintendo app would actually be a great marketing tool while having easy access to purchase games but not limited to only that. A push notification for a new Nintendo Direct or video highlights on games that you have interest in since most recent smartphones lack Flash and most all have HD displays.

That is a nice idea since most everyone has an iPhone or Android phone.

On topic, I like the new feature for sure as some games bought digitally also take very long to download and install (annoyingly slow despite having a 100 Mbps internet connection at home). I just hope Nintendo can beef up their servers so it's possible to download a large game such as Lego City Undercover. The first blind purchase I made on the Wii U eShop not knowing it's over 20 gigabytes of data. That was a few months after the initial launch when I bought my deluxe bundle. It was a sour note that when buying that game that download sizes were not shown and I couldn't play the game till the following day.

My only concern is also the very same with purchased games over your browser. Unless Nintendo has worked some magical voodoo, how can you tell if you have the storage space to download and install newer (and sometimes larger) games to your console.

It's one reason I prefer physical copies so I don't have that potential issue of having to delete and shuffle various data.

This satisfies two wants for me, being able to preorder digital titles from the eShop and not having to use the appalling on screen keyboard on my 3DS to enter my card number.

I just preordered Fantasy Life, a 3DS title, and can confirm that the email message I received specified the following:

• A download code will be sent to my email on the day of release, starting at midnight
• My card will not be charged until the code is sent.
• Preorders can be canceled.
• Preorders can be gifted (implying that the game will NOT automatically download onto my system).

Until I get home, I won't be able to confirm if it knew I had eShop credit or not, because I can't remember if I used it all up last week. I'd like to know if the web store interface works with the deluxe digital promotion. I suspect it would, but it wasn't specifically addressed.

@Commie That's a difference for sure. However, when talking about payment options and easy ways to buy, UK web store is better.

Has anyone tested it out yet? Does is actually download automatically? (Wii U games anyways, dunno if it would work with the 3DS, maybe it could, lol)

That's a nice addition to the ways of paying for a game. But I probably won't use that method.

So buying games and DLC for my games just got easier (in the US). My wallet is looking very thin as it is...

It's nice to be able to get codes for gifting; otherwise this feature is pretty hollow. Calling convenience catering a "long-needed feature" is rather nonsensical - it's nice, but neither groundbreaking nor noteworthy.
Actually, it's unsettling how lazy and impatient people can be - as if those few minutes of waiting for download + installation would break their bones or something (unless your connection is slow, but that's not my problem).

that's kinda nice

I will if there is an eStore sale and I won't be near my wii u until after the fact. Otherwise I will stick with physical copies or purchasing from the wii u

@Spoony_Tech No, I'm here

Not bad, actually. I don't see myself using but you never know.

I can't use my existing eShop balance to pay for a preorder. -_-

More ways to give them money still cant sort the redownloading problem

I hope I will be able to do this so I can preorder Pokemon AS so I don't have to stay up until midnight to download it.

@unrandomsam What premium? I went to cdkeys.com and they had Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D World at pretty much their retail prices (about $60 and missing Hyrule Warriors completely). Unless of course Nintendo of Europe is screwing you guys on exchange rate, then you guys have my condolences.

Is anyone having issues trying to purchase right now? I got an error message from the fat man himself that they couldn't retrieve some kind of "code."

@Olmectron I think they email it to you in case you don't want to install the game immediately (or if you want to gift it). I went to the checkout with Hyrule Warriors (I was signed in), a game that's already released (in case preordering makes a difference). They have a short blurb that mentions that you can send the game to your console for automatic download or enter the code manually for later. I noticed that out of the 3 steps they have listed there these options are listed as Step 2 after Step 1, which is purchasing. I'm guessing they ask for a confirmation after you buy (like Steam does with its "is this a gift or for yourself" message, though Steam asks before you purchase).

EDIT: Nevermind, I think it might be an issue related to a Canadian trying to purchase from the American site as I could log in and reach the purchase details through the Canadian site, whoops indeed.

No cell phone.
Or work computer.
You know, the blue collar, works with his hands type.
I get dirty and have a landline my partner can call anytime I'm at work.
Cell phones, to be honest, are for people who like to pretend to be busy.
But are really just too lazy to use other means.
Call me old fashioned, but I still find it ridiculous that Nintendo not having remote buy is a hugely detrimental feature for some.
Too much disposable income maybe.

This will be great for gifting digital games!

@DiscoGentleman - Yeah, you were the 1st person (Toad) I thought of as soon as I smelled the smoke and saw the light on the HDD was off. I'ld been following your forum thread but didn't comment b/c I didn't have anything helpful to add. Sorry about your lost saves, at least I think we're good, I already lost a bunch once when I sent it in for repair. How Nitneod was able to keep all my transfered Wii games and data onto a new Wii U but lose all my Wii U save sI'll never know. And the system wasn't even dead, just kept going black on the TV, I should have backed everything up first but I didn't. Now I do, painstakingly onto a thumb drive.

Why can't all games just be enabled to be purchased from the web?

YES!!!!!!!!!! NOW IF DONE LIKE STEAM, I'll BE SPENDING MORE TIME ON ESHOP THAN ON STEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@DarkLink95 If your device is set to periodically check for updates and whatnot, then yes, it will download automatically. I tried it with Kirby's Dream Course (NA) on Wii U, and it downloaded automatically, but it won't begin until it begins its periodic cycle.

@Discostew Wow nice to know I will have to try this out then sometime.

I'm glad this is happening, Games first then other types of software as this method evolves.

Bout time!

I'm chiming in again to add a few more details. One, the website does not apparently see your eShop credit, which is disappointing and something I hope they fix (unless it's only a problem for preorders). Two, you're still limited to Mastercard or Visa. I wasn't able to use a Discover credit card to make the purchase.

...aaannnnddd, the Nintendo site is down. lol

This should be useful if I ever need to take advantage of a deal but I'm away from my Wii U. (My 3DS is ALWAYS with me. ...I seriously think I have a problem.)

The guest option i think its only USA like always. Maybe the ID option is the best option to non-USA people. Or maybe buy the game directly from the system like we do years ago.

I like this move, but they need to have an online web based #eShop like sony and microsoft does., adding extra payment methods for non USA residents like #PayPal would be awesome!!

I dont mind to buy digital games because I have 320GB HDD to fill as long they are 4GB down, I seems nintendo want to embrace digital content because the physical copys aren't like before and barely have manual inside!!

If this comes to europe I'll be all over it.

Nintendo is moving with the 2005 times more like

It was inevitable, really!

It was about time as especially MS had it for many years, then Sony at a later point. Strange that they started with selected games only.

I will use it if it is something I want to play once i get home. But in truth that is becoming rare so it doesn't matter as much.

@rjejr You can plug in two USB devices and move the game between them if I remember correctly... so move game to USB device B, shutdown Wii U, unplug USB device B, turn Wii U back on, and then redownload game without USB device B plugged in.

@element187 - Can't do that though after your HDD enclosure goes on fire

I ordered a new $15 enclosure today from Newegg after hooking the old HDD (sans burnt out enclosure) up to my parents 13 year old Dell and running some tests. It seems ok.

Off topic: Have you ever received any notification or anything from those Adventure mode levels in HW I've been doing in your Link? I've done at least 4 or 5.

@DiscoGentleman Can confirm that it will download, not instantly, but when the Wii U does its standby operations every X hours.

@rjejr no, haven't seen any notifications in Adventure mode... I see some different colored Links on my map but I can't figure out what to do with them.

@element187 - "I see some different colored Links on my map but I can't figure out what to do with them."

I fyou play that lhe level w/ the Link on it - you just play it, you don't have to do anything additional to play it, just play that map square - then when you get weapons atthe end you get bette rweapons, th e1st few times Iplayed was always 120 hit 5 star weapons. Which wasn't much after the level 2 but back when all my weapons were 80 or 88 the 120 seemed like a lot.

This is much cooler than expected. I preordered Fantasy Life and got my email right at midnight. In the email, it gave me a download code AND a link to redeem the game automatically and send it to my console. This means that you can gift preorders AND autosend games to the 3DS as well. Very cool!