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Nintendo Points

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Wii Points is a payment system that Nintendo uses for its Wii console through the Wii Shop Channel. Consumers can purchase points by an online credit-card transaction or by purchasing a Wii Points card at retail. These points may then be redeemed on downloadable games and other content in the Wii Shop.

File:Wii Points Card 2.JPG
A 2000 Wii Points Card

On December 8, 2006 Nintendo Europe confirmed that Star Points, which people collect when they buy Nintendo games in Europe will soon be able to be used to buy Wii Points, although the conversion rate is not yet known. It was announced on January 9, 2007 in a Nintendo Europe press release that Wii Points will not be available for purchase in "smaller increments" than the currently available 2,000 Wii Points card.[1]

On March 29 2007, Nintendo released the Wii Points Card in Singapore.

Uses

Wii Points are used to purchase a variety of items on the Wii Shop Channel, which is divided into two sections: the Virtual Console for older games, and the Wii Ware section for things like the Opera Wii Browser, although Opera can be downloaded for free until June 30 2007.[2][3] Wii Points are redeemed through the Wii Shop channel. There is a concealed panel on the back of the card which, when scratched, reveals a code. The code is then entered on to the Wii Shop channel and the requisite number of Wii Points are added to the user's account. Points can also be purchased directly through the Wii Shop channel using a credit card[4]

Pricing

A 2,000-point Wii Points card is available in the USA for around US$20, or for €20 in Europe and £14.99 in the UK[5]. Wii Points can be bought from retailers or purchased online directly from Nintendo. In the UK, buying Wii Points online is cheaper than buying them on Points cards, at £7 per 1000 points. When converting from Wii Points to American dollars, 100 Wii Points equals one dollar. Reggie Fils-Aime has stated that 2,000 Wii Points will cost about $24.99 Canadian[6]. Pricing was also given for Wii points in Japan, with 1,000 points being exactly equivalent to ¥1,000 ($8.46)[7]. Prepaid cards in Japan will be made available in multiples of 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 points, with the 5,000 point card coming bundled with a classic controller[8]. In all other regions, there will only be 2,000 point cards, at least initially. For example, in Australia you can buy a 2000 point card at retail for $30AUD or you can purchase through your Wii with a credit card 1000 points for $15AUD, 3000 points for $45AUD or 5000 points for $75AUD. Wii Points cards are region-specific and are not transferrable to different regions.

United States Canada Japan Australia Eurozone United Kingdom (when bought online) United Kingdom Mexico Chile Sweden Singapore
100 Wii Points USD 1.00 CAD 1.20 JPY 100 AUD 1.50 EUR 1.00 GBP 0.70 GBP 0.75 MXN 10.00 CLP 1000.00 SEK 10.00 SGD 1.90
USD Equivalent $1.00 $1.07 $0.84 $1.26 $1.36 $1.40 $1.50 $1.00 $1.89 $1.48 $1.26
EUR Equivalent €0.74 €0.79 €0.62 €0.92 €1.00 €1.03 €1.11 €0.74 €1.39 €1.09 €0.94
GBP Equivalent £0.50 £0.53 £0.42 £0.63 £0.68 £0.70 £0.75 £0.50 £0.94 £0.74 £0.63
JPY Equivalent ¥118.74 ¥126.88 ¥100 ¥149.13 ¥161.46 ¥166.59 ¥178.53 ¥118.98 ¥224.49 ¥175.67 ¥149.35

Currency conversion correct at 2007-04-23.

Virtual Console prices

The starting prices of the Virtual Console games depend on what system for which the game was originally developed. Some titles will cost more than these minimum prices[6]:

Original Format Price
NES/Famicom 500 Wii Points (600 for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in America)
SNES/Super Famicom 800 points (900 Wii Points for certain games in Japan and 1000 Wii Points for one game in Japan)
N64 1,000 points (1,200 for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in Japan)
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive 800 points (600 in Japan)
TurboGrafx-16/PC-Engine 600 points (800 for R-Type outside Japan)
MSX (Only in Japan) 800 points


WiiWare

Starting in early 2008, Nintendo will allow Indie developers to release software on the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo will decide the price of the software. This is similar to Xbox Live Arcade, and the PlayStation Network store.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Europe buy Wii points with stars". Kotaku. 2006-12-08. Retrieved 2006-12-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "Play with the Web: Opera browser now available for download on Wii" (Press release). Opera. 2006-12-22. Retrieved 2007-03-23. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Casamassina, Matt (2006-09-26). "Wii Surf for Free". IGN. Retrieved 2006-11-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Grant, Christopher (2006-11-18). "Joystiq Video: Buying Zelda (NES) on the Wii's Virtual Console service". Joystiq. Retrieved 2006-11-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Virtual Console: Secrets exposed". Computer & Video Games. 2006-11-03. Retrieved 2006-11-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ a b "Live at Nintendo's NYC Wii press conference". Engadget. 2006-09-14. Retrieved 2006-11-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Jenkins, David (2006-10-11). "Nintendo Briefing Talks Wii Games, Points Pricing". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2006-11-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "バーチャルコンソール - Ｗｉｉ (Japanese)". Nintendo. Retrieved 2006-11-20.
  9. ^ "WiiWare announcement". Nintendo.
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