Nintendo is in something of a quandary at the moment. Their handheld business is obviously doing very well, but at the same time the company can’t help but glance over at the millions made from cheap smartphone apps and their "free" alternatives and long for a slice of that lucrative revenue stream.
So, with full-blown mobile apps mostly off the table (bar the Pokémon trading card game, of course) what’s a Japanese gaming giant to do?
As it turns out the plan is to get us all horribly addicted to its own badge-collecting crane game and drain our wallets as we hurriedly exchange real money for the chance of decorating our 3DS home screens with adorable Animal Crossing stickers.
The Collectible Badge Centre is free to download in Japan, and the first five goes with the crane are also free. After that, players are required to spend ¥90 (approx. £0.50GBP, or $0.75USD) for another set of five attempts at snagging a shiny new badge. If that sounds like a sinister "free to play" cash grab (pun absolutely intended) to part gamers with money then it’s probably because it is, but in Nintendo’s defence it does go to reasonable lengths to make it clear during the tutorial conversation that this is real money you’ll be spending and not game coins or pretend in-game moolah. It is possible to earn three free plays a day if you get lucky on the practise crane machine, but obviously handing over money is the only way to guarantee a chance at earning real badges.
Once you've earned your badges (and a theme, if you collect a complete set) then customising your home screen with them is as straightforward as dragging the badge you want over to a free space and arranging them however you please. While the badges do look lovely in-game, when placed on your home screen they only really look like they belong if you’re teaming them up with a matching theme, or you use the 9x5 grid formation – otherwise they tend to either get in the way or are simply shoved off the screen, out of sight.
As the game has only just launched, all of the available badges are either Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart, or Animal Crossing branded sets — which isn't unexpected but hopefully as new sets come around they’ll expand on Nintendo’s rich history and we’ll be able to slap F-Zero and Fire Emblem characters all over our home screens with abandon.
What do you think of this approach to gaming and theme customisation? Would you rather pay outright for stickers or are you pleased to see Nintendo turning even home screen decoration into a game? Would you be interested in seeing this title come to the west? Let us know in the comments section below.
Comments 49
Hmm- interesting!
I'm not going to pay a dollar for 5 purely decorative badges, just saying.
I'd just save up my free tries and use those.
I can tell you this much there not going to release this in the West.
Would it be bad of me to say I kinda like this? So long as the price is reasonable, of course.
I heard about this elsewhere but I didn't know it was F2P. I'm probably not going to get too into this, especially if they only work well with a specific theme. I'm not paying them for aesthetics.
It sort of appeals to me. The badges look nice and I wouldn't mind a little decoration. But how much would I be willing to invest in this, I wonder?
That looks quite good, I hope it has a western release
I like the look of the badges
@Kirby_Fan_DL3 - well you're obviously not part of the target audience then
If I could exchange play coins for tries, sure. Otherwise, no.
This may work there, just look how popular things like those pachinko machines are (I said, well, if they like that game... and then I discovered you do nothing! Just put some balls in a bowl ad see them fall!). I like the badgets, but not paying fro them, I already paid for a custom theme and that's about it. It would be great if you could get some in exchange of play coins.
If they release Kirby Air Ride badges I'll be interested, but otherwise I just don't really see me liking this that much, as I have my home menu sorted just right, so that I only need 1 and 1/3 pages, so I would pretty much never see these. It's still a cool idea, nevertheless.
I dunno, I have a bad habit of spending a lot of money on crane games and never win anything at the end. Though I may give it a shot once it releases in the west.
The new Icons are the coolest part to me right now, a nice fresh new look for the Home Menu. The extra possible free plays each day is a bonus. At least you don't HAVE to pay to collect, just be patient. I can see some people though spending a good amount of money collecting everything.
Good thing I don't care unless there's something Smash Bros related or it would be an expensive struggle to try and get them!
Well, I just won me badges of Ludwig and Larry riding karts. ........ I guess you can only try the practise once per day, right? No way am I spending real money on some tries at a crane game.
Really, when you think about it, it's a stroke of genius. Nintendo essentially turns the HOME menu, something that is always just an interface to access applications from, into a kind of entertainment of itself.
Just think about it: the main menu of pretty much every console with its own OS is boring, though that really isn't much of an issue, really. A menu isn't about fun, it's a base to organize features and applications that are fun. But Nintendo turned this boring menu into a workshop for all kinds of scenarios, with the Super Mario Bros. badges essentially allowing people to build an existing level scene or let your own creativity loose.
Yes, in the end, it's a purely cosmetic matter, but since you can change it on a whim, it's still entertaining as long as you want it to be - almost like Minecraft, but less interactive. It's brilliant in hindsight, though still not everyone's cup of tea.
Heh, this I like.
It took me until JUST now to even buy myself a whole theme! I certainly am not spending a dollar on five little badges.
Nintendo, don't go all "freemium" on us now!
Of all the possible freemium experience they could do... games with units to purchases, experience to buy in shops... instead they went to ask money for something totally extra, to decorate the home menu, that only those really willing for it are gonna pay -o-
Thanks Nintendo ^o^ (No sarcasm, cash grabs are "needed" sadly nowaday, but I'm glad Nintendo is still avoiding all the easy game-ruining possibilities).
I still haven't purchased a theme yet.
Sounds kind of interesting, though I still can't really justify spending $2 on what a basically one wallpaper with music for the times I sit on the home menu.
Just watched the video and, I'm glad they aren't cheap like real crane games are. Like you'll actually get something if you pop some money in, and you could potentially get it all in one go!
When does the Wii U get a Home menu theme? And why isnt there a screen like that badge screen on the Wii U where people can show off all the amiibo they've purchased and leveled up? I can't understand why the company that invented the Pokedex doesnt have an amiibodex app or screen on the Wii U. Its like Nintendo heard all those stories about Sony putting a trophy room in Home and therefore decided it would be a great idea to follow in their footsteps and never create thst room for amiibo. (For those who dont know Google Home trophy room, something should pop up. It was the first thing Sony promised for Home but it never happened.)
Why are bunnies the salesmen of everything digital on the 3DS
I got excited by the title. But only I am to blame for thinking this was going to be an achievement-like system being implemented. Not much interest in this idea though. I'm sure some will like it and I don't think it's a bad idea. Just not for me.
If they treat it like sub wars where the principal game was free but premium features cost a well advertised (warned) fee. Why not?
There is no reason to complain here at all. This is basically gachapon with some free spins. Not a game.
@jedisquidward Because they are fast enough to rush to grab your $/£/¥, and then dash away, so you can't get a refund.
Meh i pass on this.
Great, now just release it over here in the US.
Neat idea, and given it's purely aesthetics I don't think it being F2P is an issue, I mean other themes are paid anyway and you don't get to customise them.
Depends on the sets for me, gimme some Pokémon or Metroid and I'm in for a few plays at least.
I would actually like to swap some standard icons like settings, eshop, mii plaza.. and it looks adorable <3
Freemium games are nothing more than gambling aimed at children and they should be outlawed.
When can I HAZ IT @NOA?!
As long as there is alternatives to using real money I think it would a pretty cool idea!
All the resources (and time) used to make Amiibo's, downloadable themes and this would have better been spend on a new Metroid or F-Zero! But yeah, it earns them LOTS of cash!!
I don't see myself paying real money on this. Themes, yes. This? Nah
That actually seems really neat.
Honestly it looks like a lot of fun, and it really seems like that put in the Home menu screenshot functionality in with these badges in mind.
I started playing it last night and it's very addictive! Spent ¥360 out of my wallet but got several badges including the awesome NES ones and a few of the app icons.. Awesome way to take my money Nintendo!
Really hope this comes to the west too..
Free tries are available to win for free? That makes it worthwhile. Not locking a feature behind a paywall entirely, just allowing easier access to it for those who pay.
This is what Nintendo really needs! Both Sony & Microsoft have their own trophies/achievements for their systems but you couldn't really do any with them.
This Idea here is great because instead of trophies/achievements, you get Badges for completing a challenge or get in from game. Than you can use those Badges to customize your Home Menu & take pictures to show off on Miiverse.
If you happen to complete all the challenges in a game, you get a free in-game only Theme for your system.
This is the first step for Nintendo to have achievements that can be really fun and creative!
It counts as a new day when it becomes 4 am in Japan,which is 7 pm in the UK. They gave me two free tries as a "Christmas present", and I wasted both of them by failing to pick up a rather attractive Diddy Kong badge. Then in Practise mode, I got all but one of the practise badges, but none of them gave me any more free tries. Oh. That's that then.
I'm still not spending any real money on this, but I'm going to try for that Diddy Kong badge every day of my life until I get it.
I doubt if this will come to the West..
I'm trying to resist as I'm managed not to customize my JPN 3ds but....so cute!
It's a cute idea, but... It'll be easy to screw up. I pray they aren't cruel enough to introduce say, an "Anna" sticker or something that would be super rare. If I start getting a billion koopa shells, I'll flat out forget it.
I'm intrigued! I bet the app will come over to the states in due time.
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