RUMOR - Used Wii Us allow you to download games the previ...

[robometal cowboy]

RUMOR - Used Wii Us allow you to download games the previous owners purchased?
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Good for those buying preowned if true, bad for those trading in! We're hearing that it is possible to re-download games that the previous owner purchased online, even through a different Nintendo Network ID. This would mean game downloads are tied to system, not NNID. Anyone else out there able to verify this? Thanks to Dim for the heads up!

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[ddddd]

Should have waited and bought a used one

[BaNGeR]

Someone PLEASE find out if this is true.

It blows the mind how Nintendo can continuously drop the ball on such a simple concept.

It also doesn't provide much consumer confidence when entire digital libraries are tied to a system and lost if the system is damaged/lost/stolen/burned in a fire.

[MoldyClay]

That's not unlike Nintendo.

Also, I thought we knew that it wasn't tied to the NNID? Anyone can play the games and the demos are limited for EVERYONE to the same number. Sounds like the NNID is just there to pretend it's an account since Nintendo doesn't fully understand that we want an actual account.

Sounds suspiciously like it was tied to the console to begin with.

[bszelda]

Seriously?? Why can't Nintendo understand the concept of an account-based system? You make an account with your email. All purchases will be tied to that account. Simple.

If the new owner of the console gets all of the previously purchased games, I assume that moving to a new console will mean starting completely fresh with absolutely no games on the system and no way to get those games back.....

[Lex_Informer]

Nintendo already said that other Users would be able to access content purchased by a Nintendo Network ID based on that system, so this is entirely unsurprising.

Also, people have already reported that when they had to get a replacement system and had Nintendo re-link their old NNID, they were able to redownload all the content they'd previously purchased. The average consumer doesn't appear to have the power to de-link their IDs from their system without going through a separate step with Nintendo. I think it'd be a good idea to create a way to facilitate that process without going through customer service, though.

[Einar1025]

Oh my god if that is really true that is HILARIOUS, geez Nintendo who needs piracy now? :p

[Entity]

So it's just like on Wii with a password....

[MoldyClay]

@bszelda

If you sold your Wii U, why would you be buying it again in the first place? Especially if you sold it after a month. You're clearly not going to want those games back.

@Lex_Informer

For the last part of your comment, the replacement system thing is something Nintendo has to do for you though. It shouldn't be like that. I guess it's for security (which on the other consoles is clearly not that great), but I like being able to just have to log in on a new console (like 360), switch over the licenses myself and bam, effortlessly got all my stuff back and able to port/re-use the same harddrive.

[OmicronTurtle]

Hey Nintendo, look at the PSN, look at XBL, look at iTunes. See the way the purchases are tied to the account and not the system? Why can't you just do what everyone else is doing? It works and is best for the consumer. I know you're still new to online and probably still have a few 56K Modem powering the infrastructure, but it's not that difficult.

[Battlestriker123]

This would mean game downloads are tied to system, not NNID.

we've known this for a long time, guys. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has been following Wii U since the beginning.

[Sotomura]

@MoldyClay
Bear in mind that the Wii U has two SKUs. What if you wanted to step up to the Premium Pack? Sell your games, don't contact Nintendo, and your titles will be permanently on the other Wii U. Whoops.

[baez130]

sigh, come on Nintendo, really? this is just absurb

[LDAF]

Hey Nintendo, look at the PSN, look at XBL, look at iTunes. See the way the purchases are tied to the account and not the system? Why can't you just do what everyone else is doing? It works and is best for the consumer.

But that's not INNOVATIVE and FRESH!

[Dogglord]

This isn't true. The titles you download are indeed tied to your account. It's just that anyone who creates an account on the same console can redownload them if necessary.

[t27duck]

Gotta love how Nintendo still doesn't understand this whole "Internet" thing.

[Sotomura]

Hey Nintendo, look at the PSN, look at XBL, look at iTunes. See the way the purchases are tied to the account and not the system? Why can't you just do what everyone else is doing? It works and is best for the consumer.

But that's not INNOVATIVE and FRESH!

Clearly being innovative and fresh applies to their hardware and games, and not so much their software or business sides.

[ddddd]

This isn't true. The titles you download are indeed tied to your account. It's just that anyone who creates an account on the same console can redownload them if necessary.

The system was wiped, the original account was deleted before repurchasing the console, yet the guy was able to redownload trine and nano assault for free (not play right away, redownload them). Purchases must be tied to both the system and the account.

[kdognumba1]

This is very bad news for Nintendo.

[Pichu2010]

Nintendo...I love you...but...you're entire f***ing company needs to get over itself.

[Nintendude92]

It will be the same policy as Wii. Going to bite another generation in the ass. Had to mod my console to salvage my several hundred dollars worth of purchases when I was out of warranty.

[grcpan]

Well I never intended to share my downloaded games with someone else, so it's ok for me that they are tied to the console.

There are also rumors (sony actually patented this) that sony tries to use NFC for ps4 to tie discs with the first console they are used on to stop the renting of games.

So I guess we should start getting used to be unable to share games with others.

[OmicronTurtle]

Well I never intended to share my downloaded games with someone else, so it's ok for me that they are tied to the console.

There are also rumors (sony actually patented this) that sony tries to use NFC for ps4 to tie discs with the first console they are used on to stop the renting of games.

So I guess we should start getting used to be unable to share games with others.

This isn't about sharing games, and the Sony patent is to prevent used games to work on a console (rented games too, but primarily used games)

[grcpan]

@OmicronTurtle

Well from what we know it is possible to transfer downloadable games from one console to another if there is a need for that (broken WiiU for example), so what other problem would this cause other than being unable to share the games with others?

I don't think that Nintendo wouldn't help you if you wanted to transfer your games to a new WiiU. It would certainly be more tiresome than other consoles but it is doable. Changing a console for a new one without the first one breaking or something ain't that common anyway.

When you sell your WiiU to another person you should just make sure that you also charge extra for the included games. But then again when you sell a console you usually also sell its games with it, so it is not such a big deal.

[bszelda]

@bszelda

If you sold your Wii U, why would you be buying it again in the first place? Especially if you sold it after a month. You're clearly not going to want those games back.

I know of several people who have purchased a Wii in the past and then a year or so later repurchased the console due to a new game coming out that they are interested in. If they were to buy a Wii U console now and resell it in a month or so, then repurchase when the new Zelda game comes out or whatever, they would be in a surprise when they will no longer be able to access any games that they had spent money on. Imagine paying $200+ on a bunch of digital games and then come back to the system further down the road to find that you foolishly gave up those games when you sold the console.

Anyway, I still think that Nintendo needs to remedy this somehow rather than doing everything in such a strange way. An account that keeps track of purchases would be ideal for this situation, rather than just locking the purchases to a sole console.