Ever since Nintendo’s consumer rewards program, Club Nintendo, shut down last summer, fans have been wondering when the company was going to finally introduce the promised replacement. That day turned out to be today, as My Nintendo was unveiled at a shareholders’ meeting. It’s worth pointing out that “My Nintendo” was what Club Nintendo was originally called.
But THIS My Nintendo will work somewhat differently. Through being an obedient consumer, you’ll be able to accrue two different types of currency: Gold Points and Platinum Points. Gold Points are what you get simply for buying games, and Nintendo said they could be used for “discounts on games and software.” It’s early; let’s hope they have some richer rewards in the planning than just coupons.
What are the Platinum Points for? “Just for fun,” Nintendo says. You earn those by just wandering around Nintendo’s website, watching videos, or even by the act of logging into the eShop. Platinum Points can be cashed in for lightweight things like wallpapers and 3DS themes. A lot of gamers may not bother with Platinum Points, which begs the question of why their metallic name is more valuable than Gold is.
Nintendo shared further details on their first smartphone app, Miitomo, at the same meeting. A social communications app, it will launch this March in Japan and be rolled out from there to other countries. Pre-registration for Miitomo begins February 17.
My Nintendo launches this March in North America, Europe, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
