Nintendo’s New Account System Is Called…Nintendo Account
Club Nintendo is officially dead and buried, and with no reward system for collecting and playing Nintendo games and no easy way to unify Nintendo accounts between devices, it’s about time Nintendo unveils what will hopefully solve their long history of account woes. Enter the creatively-named “Nintendo Account”, the official replacement for Club Nintendo.
During the investors’ briefing last night (daytime in Tokyo), Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima officially announced Nintendo Account, connecting Nintendo platforms such as the 3DS and Wii U with PCs and smartphones. Nintendo Account will use cloud-based services to exchange information between the devices–linking Nintendo Network IDs with Facebook, Twitter, Google, email, and perhaps other services as well. Shared friend lists between devices and the ability to purchase games from a smartphone or PC and have them sent directly to the gaming platform will also be featured.
They’ll also send gifts and messages on occasion, as Kimishima explained:
"For example, an Animal Crossing character called Isabel may send some information or a present to those who are playing with that game, Mario Kart players may receive a notice about add-on content and we may also send a message that enables the recipient to purchase some software at an attractive price point on his or her birthday."
Of course, a point system will also be involved. It’s called My Nintendo, and it will offer points for playing and purchasing titles, with more games and merchandise available for spending those points. Just like Club Nintendo.
Nintendo Accounts are slated for 2016, likely to coincide with the release of Nintendo’s upcoming mobile IP, Miitomo.