One of the biggest issues I have with Nintendo on a consumer level is the lack of a family sharing program, like the one Valve implemented on Steam. It makes little sense to me why Nintendo hasn’t tried to replicate the family sharing option that Steam perfected.
Going Digital
For the first time in Nintendo’s history, all new games that they’re releasing are instantly available on the eShop on the Nintendo Wii U, 3DS, and 2DS. It’s clear that a move to go completely digital is on the rise.
Steam was only able to set up their family sharing program because their customers havie an all-digital library. That way when a user shares games with someone, they give them access to their entire library for download. The same thing could be done with the 3DS, where someone has access to a person’s gaming library and can pick what they want to download onto their own 3DS.
It’s not a crazy rocket science technology, if anything it would make the 3DS a more popular device.
Financial Decisions and Popularity
I feel that Nintendo should step it up a notch and set up a system that gives families a break during the hard financial times that have hit economies around the world. It’s difficult enough to justify buying a Nintendo console, which is already expensive and can only exclusively play their games. Add in the factor that each game ranges between $30 and $40 USD, and it makes it a near impossible dream for some people.
One of the great benefits of having a PC and Steam is the fact that almost every popular game that is released on the Xbox One and PS4 also has a PC edition. To play the newest Assassin’s Creed game, the user isn’t required to buy a whole new console for it – but instead they can play it on their PC, paying only the game price (or a discounted one, as is often the case on Steam).
With Nintendo facing competitors like this in the video game business, offering a family sharing program that could be active between 4 systems (ranging in Wii U, 3DS, and 2DS) would boost their console sales, and people would be able to purchase a wider variety of games.
It’s not that Nintendo games are bad – it’s that they’re only exclusive to a few consoles that you have to purchase first to then play the game. By giving the consumers a sharing program, people would most likely buy more consoles. It’s easier to justify the expense when you know you’ll have access to a library of games you won’t have to pay full-price for. This would also open up a larger array of games to be purchased over time.
Why do you think Nintendo hasn’t implemented a program as genius as Valve’s? Do you think people would be more willing to buy a Nintendo console? Let me know in the comments!
