Club Nintendo coming to North America 'by the end of the year'
by Christopher Grant 
{ Oct 2nd 2008 at 1:28PM }
Okay, so Nintendo's Cammie Dunaway didn't quite pull a Steve Jobs but she did save some of the biggest news for last. Japan's (and Europe's ... and Australia's) envy-inspiring Club Nintendo service – a "loyalty program" which rewards your Nintendo purchase with points to be redeemed for cool swag – will be making its way to North America "by the end of the year." Is this a move to placate the dissatisfied "core" gamer, still bitter from Nintendo's mainstream E3 pitch? Or a plan decades in the making which just so happens to coincide with said dissatisfaction? We may never know, but we're anxious to see what sort of goodies Nintendo offers its too-long taken for granted fanboys and girls.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dirty @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:31PM
Nothing that Nintendo announced today made me regret selling my Wii. They should really fire Cammy.
MowDownJoe @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:41PM
You probably only bought one to sell it on eBay in the first place.
Dirty @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:52PM
No, mine sat on my entertainment center for a long time before I just gave up on it. I just could not get excited about any of the games, and the online made me sad.
Ridgecity @ Oct 2nd 2008 4:01PM
I'm glad you sold it. It was too crappy for you anyways...
Tez (PSN: Tezasaurus) @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:34PM
So are they going to be coming out with some games core gamers want to buy so we could get these points?
Red Leader @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:38PM
My thoughts exactly.
John Z @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:52PM
Nope. To get core games you have to send in points from the envelopes of all that haterade you're chugging.
aj @ Oct 2nd 2008 5:32PM
I don't understand what a "core" gamer is. I thought it mean "hardcore", but it sounds like it just means "Zelda fan".
tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:37PM
Depends on what this "swag" is. If it's like clothing and trash like that then forget it. If it can go towards games however, that's a much better deal. You'd just have to find a game worth spending those points on :P
Kye - Me_DF @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:54PM
On the UK Nintendo site, it says that the points you get from buying Nintendo stuff, will also be given when you buy virtual console games. Even in arrears.
If that makes no sense it's cau'se i'm tired.
:(
Titanium_Orchid @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:38PM
The decision to make Cammy Dunaway a face of Nintendo is really odd. On one hand, she is supposed to represent/appeal their casual gamer audience. Unfortunately the casual audience probably has no interest in watching a press conference and the people who actually attend/watch these things probably can't relate to Cammy, so putting her on stage doesn't seem to be very productive.
I second the firing of Cammy.
Titanium_Orchid @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:38PM
this was supposed to be a reply to the dirty walrus
ZaxCG2 @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:51PM
That walrus lost a bucket. Is sad.
Dirty @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:53PM
I know she probably does a good job...at something, just keep her of the goddamn stage.
Ridgecity @ Oct 2nd 2008 4:11PM
"I am the Walrus!"
-John Lennon
aj @ Oct 2nd 2008 5:33PM
"The Walrus was Paul"
- John Lennon
JPN @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:42PM
If it's the same incredible stuff as Club Nintendo got in Japan then....hells yeah
Joystiq needs to do a top ten stuff from Japan Club Nintendo to get us in the mood :) There has been some awesome stuff over the years....
Noshino @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:48PM
Hopefully they do pay attention to this one, seriously, the european Club Nintendo is god awful, I think the best thing I once saw were wavebird controllers...
Mr Khan @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:31PM
They just started up that Music exchange program, though, right?
religiousjedi @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:50PM
Ooo...interesting.
Lessee what you can bring this way Club Nintendo (better not be swag that Nintendo Power used to give with subscriptions...)
acefondu @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:50PM
I thought today's announcements were pretty sweet after the dismal E3. Come on Sin and Punishment 2, Mario & Luigi RPG 3, Punchout (though hopefully not marred by the motion control), and a good solution to the storage problem rounds out a decemt show for me. Though it can be argued that this is putting lipstick on a pig. Haha for me with political humor.
John Z @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:59PM
Hey Joystiq, here's an interesting follow-up question you might want to consider asking-- especially if the program's supposed to be out before the end of the year. Is the program going to be tied at all to the existing My Nintendo program being run, and if so, will games purchased/codes entered prior to the launch of the NA Club count towards Club rewards? I imagine that folks who buy a lot of VC stuff (like, well, us) would hate to have our previous purchases not count.
acefondu @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:03PM
Yeah, agreed! I have over 50 items registered to Nintendo's website, and COUNTLESS other things I just haven't bothered putting up there. Really lost interest registering when I wasn't getting anything to do it.
danny. @ Oct 2nd 2008 5:41PM
I have enough registered for a Nintendo themed Vespa, so I'm hoping it's retroactive as well.
ScottG13 @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:01PM
10 years too late. Thanks Nintendo.
Megadanxzero @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:23PM
There's absolutely nothing to be excited about. Club Nintendo is a way of making Nintendo seem like they love their fans, when in actual fact there's never ANYTHING of any value available to trade in your points for. About once a year they'll put 5 copies of some really old games you already own up there, and someone else will get to them before you have a chance to click on the link...
Megadanxzero @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:24PM
Actually wait, that's not entirely true... In Japan it's fucking awesome, you can get loads of awesome stuff off there. Nintendo hates us Europeans though, and probably you Americans too... Sorry...
Chris Greenhough @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:54PM
Actually I rather enjoyed being able to buy Wii Points -- sorry, *Nintendo* Points -- with my Stars.
Megadanxzero @ Oct 2nd 2008 4:51PM
You mean the Wii points cards that they make about 5 of available each day? I've never once been on there when they haven't been sold out
Mr Khan @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:33PM
Sweet. Even if it's only the kind of swag you wouldn't pay for anyway.
But no, i doubt they'll care enough to try and make it rival the awesomeness of the Japanese one.
Immortal Technique PSN: johnnynumber5 @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:14PM
Fernando will certainly win whatever they have to offer.
Snowblind @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:56PM
Club Nintendo isn't particulary good in the UK, you need to have bought a LOT of games to have enough points for anything, and most of it is just crap anyway.
Anything remotely good that shows up from time to time requires a crazy amount of points, and sells out in seconds.
Perhaps the US version won't be handled so badly, but then it's just going to feel like us European gamers are being screwed over by Nintendo even more.
Rob Accomando @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:18PM
Hey! I was a Nintendo Fun Club member and never got anything except a ID card!
enix @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:11PM
as bad as the Europe one, shed a tear for the Australian club Nintendo. Its been 6 months since its launch and we are yet to be able to see any of the 'prizes'. All we can do is enter the coupon codes.
I expect the US one to be more functional AT its launch, which is just disappointing for NoAU.
smashdude @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:52PM
So how exactly am I going to get these points (I got a Wii in 2006)?