Iwata-san Clarifies Revolution Download Charges

Nintendo need to get the price and release schedule right. They can't charge more than £5 per game. And we can't see the backcatalogue being opened in Europe later than everywhere else.

In addition, it might be wise for Ninty to look at game downloading in the same way as M$ are looking at it.

This is what i've been saying and thinking since the back-catalogue has been announced, some sort of catalogue like the stars catalogue. Buy a game, register, get credits that you can get classics for. Makes a lot of sense. The old games are free, but stimulate purchasing new software.

I can see it being a "register online and get the original 19xx [ninty console] release for download free!" offer.

Imagine, for example, buying the new Mario, and getting Super Mario All-Stars for free... A fantastic idea, with much potential. Shame they can't put the fantastic Goldeneye or Perfect Dark in it, or even Banjo-Kazooie...

Hell, even Blast Corps would have done.

This is where problems are created and the same problem with Xbox Live and any online service in a way.

If people are gonna have to pay you'd need a universal method of payment. Not everyone owns a credit/debit cards you know. It's this hurdle that has stopped me from playing games online altogether. I suppose Paypal or Western Union is a better possibilty too.

Then there's the price of these games. How much is too much? I'd pay 50p-£1 per game, any more than that would be too much IMO. Mp3s are still having price problems to this very day so they must get it right. Which is why many still get them for free, Nintendo must be alert by this. They have to give folk an incentive to not download them for free.



Perhaps having a credit system would be good next to the ''buy a new game get an old one for free'' model. Or perhaps as extras in the new games you play in a Shenmue style or when you complete them. The credit system would work like this. A credit system would work in a similar way that the memory card biz worked with F-Zero Arcade. Play and win extra credit for getting so far on your Rev. Reset Rev then go online and using credits you just won to bag a few new games. Such credit system could also run into the code of all Rev games thus making sure you are always accumilating credits which ever game you play.

I don't know, call them Game Rupees (after Legend of Zelda) or something.

If I remember correctly, Nintendo own the publishing and [game?] license for GoldenEye 007. So they could technically be well within their rights to release it. Of course all third party games have to go through Nintendo for licensing, but second party games are a little bit different... (especially GoldenEye, as Nintendo had a pretty big part to play in that to my knowledge).

Nintendo published all Rare titles, but don't have IP rights to games such as Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini and co, and therefore would be unable to republish.

However, I don't know if the Goldeneye 007 licence was granted to Nintendo or Rare. It could be that its now expired, especially as EA have rights to the Bond films until, I believe, 2010 (or at least for several years to come).

Interestingly, now that Sony own MGM after EA's licence expires Sony can create PS-exclusive Bond games, and probably dent EA's profits in the process.

I've alway heard Nintendo owned the rights to GoldenEye, not Rare. The list someone made, based on Nintendo owned games, also has GE listed. You can find it on IGN, though the list was made by someone else. The list doesn't include PD however.

As for how to pay for the games (Joji), Iwata said they were thinking about selling paper cards with an code on. Enter the code online to download a game. The cards could be bought in any game store. Also, i'd personally go for buying new games and saving credits for old games à la Stars Catalogue.

As I said above, the PD IP is owned by Rare and therefore Nintendo would be unable to publish :).



Yeah, I prefer that idea with cards (Animal Crossing style) or a swipe card like a phone (Top up your Revolution).

The Stars Catalogue was one of the more pointless ideas.

Finally, I hope they keep the Revolution name.

Aaah.. Paper cards with codes on!

See, when I first heard the "Cards" comment, the first thing I thought of was that the "Unopenable" front tab on the Revolution could've had a little card slot in it..

Paper cards + codes = piracy!!