Wii U and 3DS eShops to shut down in late March 2023

Princess Viola

Princess Viola

Dumbass Asexual
Pronouns
She/They

Wii U & Nintendo 3DS eShop Discontinuation Q&A | Nintendo Support

en-americas-support.nintendo.com en-americas-support.nintendo.com

As of late March 2023, it will no longer be possible to make purchases in Nintendo eShop for the Wii U system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. It will also no longer be possible to download free content, including game demos. Furthermore, as this date draws closer, related services will cease to function:

  • As of May 23, 2022, it will no longer be possible to use a credit card to add funds to an account in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
  • As of August 29, 2022, it will no longer be possible to use a Nintendo eShop Card to add funds to an account in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. However, it will still be possible to redeem download codes until late March 2023.
Click to expand...

I don't say this lightly but fuck Nintendo. People need to get on their ass just like they did when Sony was going to shut down the PlayStation Store on PS3, PSP, and Vita.

This is awful for game preservation and accessibility.

Also for an extra 'What the Hell is wrong with Nintendo' check out this archived copy of the page with an extra Q&A question that they removed for some reason:

Nintendo Support: Wii U & Nintendo 3DS eShop Discontinuation

web.archive.org web.archive.org
Once it is no longer possible to purchase software in Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, many classic games for past platforms will cease to be available for purchase anywhere. Will you make classic games available to own some other way? If not, then why? Doesn't Nintendo have an obligation to preserve its classic games by continually making them available for purchase?
  • Across our Nintendo Switch Online membership plans, over 130 classic games are currently available in growing libraries for various legacy systems. The games are often enhanced with new features such as online play.
  • We think this is an effective way to make classic content easily available to a broad range of players. Within these libraries, new and longtime players can not only find games they remember or have heard about, but other fun games they might not have thought to seek out otherwise.
  • We currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways.
Click to expand...
 
Vivica said:
Does that mean no more platinum My Nintendo Points upon sign-in every week?
Click to expand...
You'll still be able to redownload games that you've already purchased after the ability to purchase new games shuts down, so it likely shouldn't effect that since you'll still have to login to the eShop to redownload stuff.

Of course this is just my assumption here and nothing more.
 
Fair.
 
Mcmadness said:
Fair.
Click to expand...
Why do you think that? Fans won't be able to buy games on older consoles, and Nintendo will lose money by not having the games able to be purchased on those consoles. It's a lose-lose.
 
YOU'VE KILLED ME said:
Why do you think that? Fans won't be able to buy games on older consoles, and Nintendo will lose money by not having the games able to be purchased on those consoles. It's a lose-lose.
Click to expand...
Probably because the service is seen as old, not profitable enough, requires too much maintenance for its dwindling payoffs, and ready to move on, to be discontinued. All other services before have shuttered, so I'm not particularly surprised the previous generation's online shops are eventually closing.

But it's galling that current generation Nintendo consoles are still lacking in legacy content, after, what, 5+ years? And that's only for the Switch generation; Nintendo's been like this since legacy gaming's a thing in their consoles. There's also no assurance that anything you get from the NSO subscription is going to transfer to the next Nintendo console either, as that has never been the case since Virtual Console existed (yay spending more money for the same games). Sure, the libraries are getting bigger and bigger, but most games after SNES are going to be out of reach. The N64 games, you say? Pathetic offering. I don't encourage dropping extra money for the NSO's miserable "expansion", even in hopes that it'll get a substantial expansion (history has shown Nintendo always drip feeds games) as that'll only encourage Nintendo to overcharge and exploit customers.

That Nintendo thinks their service is sufficient tells me they're either pretty cynical or seriously out of touch, maybe both. It's hilariously depressing.
 
YOU'VE KILLED ME said:
Why do you think that? Fans won't be able to buy games on older consoles, and Nintendo will lose money by not having the games able to be purchased on those consoles. It's a lose-lose.
Click to expand...

They are paying money to keep those shops running and people have largely moved on from both. Shutting these down really only affects a very small group.

I mean don't get me wrong it would be nice if they could stay up but this is how media, both physical and digital work. Things just stop being made/sold and become collectors/curiosity items.

Or uploaded to the internet.
 
Nintendo really needs to work on actually doing basic decent things like putting digital versions of their games on modern consoles instead of just leaving them to die on consoles no one uses anymore. Just plop some ROMS on the eShop and call it a day. That overpriced flaming pile of shit that is the NSO Expansion Pack is unacceptable. The motherfuckers in charge need to get their shit together because I'm this close to abandoning Nintendo altogether.