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3DS digital downloads cannot be replaced

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NintendoMario

Nintendo have started upping their game recently in regards to digital downloads and the online space in general, however it looks like they are still missing a big part of the beauty of digitally downloaded software.

According to an email response from Nintendo the digital games you purchase via the 3DS are tied to the system and if your 3DS is stolen or is broken then the games you have downloaded are also gone for good.

Hello,
Thank you for writing. I’ll be happy to answer your questions regarding virtual content on the Nintendo 3DS. All virtual content downloaded on the Nintendo 3DS is tied to the system itself. As our warranty doesn’t cover lost or stolen game cards and systems, if this were to happen regardless of your games being virtual or you owning the physical copies, they would not be covered for replacement.

If you happen to want to upgrade from your current Nintendo 3DS to a Nintendo 3DS XL, you will be able to perform a system transfer yourself. The system transfer requires both systems to be present and connected online. This is the only way to insure your content gets transferred over to your new system.

Please feel free to respond to this email if you have additional questions.
Sincerely,
Brian McFarlane
Nintendo of America Inc.

Now granted Nintendo would be worried about people simply logging onto their friends 3DS and downloading all their games there but my Xbox 360 was recently stolen and when I replaced it I simply signed in with my gamertag and re-downloaded the titles I wanted back.

It’s a misstep from Nintendo and one that is occurring simply because they don’t have a unified account system like the PlayStation or Xbox. Something which I expect to be rectified at E3 this year.

Last Updated: April 22, 2013

13 Comments

  1. Jonah Cash

    April 22, 2013 at 07:53

    The only thing that makes me want Mondays to come is so that I can come here and get decent gaming news!! Missed you guys this weekend…. I know – I’m a little weird……

    Reply

  2. Wtf101

    April 22, 2013 at 08:14

    I think it is time for Nintendo to fire Som Ting Wong, president in charge of company policy…

    Reply

  3. Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

    April 22, 2013 at 08:25

    I can understand what logic they have applied to this. If you buy a physical game and it gets stolen the publisher isn’t going to replace it for you.

    But in this day and age where you can download your games to almost any device wherever you want it’s a bad idea. Convenience and experience are what sell units. Nintendo is missing the ball on both counts here.

    Reply

  4. fred

    April 22, 2013 at 08:48

    Well that is f-ed up. I won’t do any expensive purchases then . Carts are better though .. at least you can trade and sell.

    Reply

  5. fred

    April 22, 2013 at 08:48

    Well that is f-ed up. I won’t do any expensive purchases then . Carts are better though .. at least you can trade and sell.

    Reply

  6. Admiral Chief Erwin

    April 22, 2013 at 08:52

    WHAT?

    Reply

  7. Admiral Chief Erwin

    April 22, 2013 at 08:52

    WHAT?

    Reply

  8. Rincethis: Spellalicious

    April 22, 2013 at 08:53

    Mmm, I can see the point and also see their missing it!

    Reply

  9. umar bastra

    April 22, 2013 at 08:54

    Kinda expected this. not to say it’s excusable but ninty is very late to the online game so I doubt they would’ve had a solid infrastructure in place. I do however see them fixing this in the near future.

    Reply

  10. Shivicus

    April 23, 2013 at 01:19

    As I understand it, you can link your 3DS to your club nintendo account. This will keep track of your purchases and you can contact customer support if your system breaks or is lost and they can move your downloads to the new system (as I’ve read through random googling). I’ve linked my 3DS to my club nintendo: https://club.nintendo.com/link-shop-account.do

    Reply

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