Game preservation is an important issue for many gamers as today digital storefronts are how many purchase their favorite games. The issue with this is that when a game is purchased digitally, it isn’t truly purchased. What you’ve purchased is a license to play the game. That game can be taken away from you at any point by a company like Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo. This has already started to happen as Nintendo is shutting down the Wii U and 3DS eShops.
Nintendo Will Not Offer Classic Games Without a Paywall
The company announced in a post yesterday that they would be shutting down both eShops by late March 2023. The shutdown process will begin by May 23, 2022, when credit cards will no longer be usable on both eShops. By August 29, 2022, Nintendo eShop gift cards will no longer be usable on either eShop. This will prevent new purchases but according to Nintendo, you’ll be able to play and download content you already own:
“Even after late March 2023, and for the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to redownload games and DLC, receive software updates and enjoy online play on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.”
Despite Microsoft’s attempts at backward compatibility, there are still companies like Nintendo who have not done the same. An article from Kotaku shows the shutdown agreement had a FAQ section. This section basically tells gamers worried about having to repurchase games they previously owned on the Wii U or 3DS that they will have to buy a Nintendo Switch Online membership. This section ended with the following statement: We currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways.
That statement no longer exists on the Nintendo website. If you’re looking to purchase anything digitally for the Wii U or 3DS now is your chance.
