The end of Club Nintendo is really a tragedy. It feels like it’s happening at what could possibly be the worst time, too. Not that there’s ever a good time to cut off a loyalty program for people who have been using it for years, but you get what I mean. Now, more than ever, Nintendo needed to show that it was listening to and caring about it’s customers. Over the last few years, Club Nintendo seemed to prove it was doing just that.
Sure, the number of physical rewards dropped off, but still. It was updating monthly, and the digital game rewards were often incredibly appealing titles. Not to mention, it seemed like the information people were providing on the surveys mattered. We ended up getting the Virtual Console release of Earthbound , for crying out loud. Even if it was minor, people were being heard. Now, it’s being cut off, with no confirmation of the launch of a program to replace it, at a time when Nintendo shouldn’t cause people to doubt them.
I mean, the company already has enough ill will against them, at the moment, due to the New 3DS launch. People in North America are upset that they’re only getting the New 3DS XL. Some people in Europe who purchased the Ambassador Edition of the New 3DS are upset because the European Nintendo Store is now letting people build their own bundles for £159.99. Abruptly ending Club Nintendo isn’t going to make things better.
Especially since new consoles and handhelds are things that provide the largest number of Club Nintendo points. People investing in the new system might have thought they’d be collecting coins that could be saved and eventually put toward something awesome. Except now, it seems like the last run of physical rewards will be sent out in February, and who knows what kind of digital rewards will be available as the program comes to an end. All that time saving up could be for naught, and people might have to settle so they don’t go to waste.
Not to mention the run of Wii U games coming soon. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse and Mario Party 10 are on the horizon, with a run of major releases like Xenoblade Chronicles X, Splatoon , a new Legend of Zelda , and more eventually inbound. Even though the number of coins coming from each one isn’t as large as the amount gained from a console, people keep that extra incentive in mind when it comes to purchases. Ending everything so quickly leaves us wondering what’s next, when will it come, and would it be better to wait and buy when the new loyalty program is instituted.
But, there’s nothing we can do now but lament Club Nintendo’s forthcoming loss. At least we’ll all be getting Flipnote Studio 3D, a new assortment of gifts, and one last Elite Status Gift for 2015 as a means of saying goodbye. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have about 15 Club Nintendo codes to redeem, because I was always one of those people who would stop redeeming codes after hitting Platinum status and guaranteeing myself the best Elite Status gift.