Topic: Paper Mario Color Splash Preload Unlocks Full Game Immediately: Preload Removed

[Shaymin]

An oddity in nearly 2 years of game preloads.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/43484/paper-mario-color-splash-preload-unlocks-full-game-immediately-preload-removed

Paper Mario Color Splash releases at retail on October 7, but digital preloaders may have the full game now.

First found by @Electivirus on Twitter, the 8GB preload appears to include the unlock key that is normally only made available at midnight Eastern time on the day of release.

IT'S TRUE

DIGITAL COPIES OF COLOR SPLASH CAN BE PLAYED RIGHT NOW DDMFKJDJFBF pic.twitter.com/We2Bed3M2a

— Alola Form Bidoof 🐻 (@Electivirus) September 23, 2016

UPDATE: We have confirmed that the preload did unlock the full game temporarily, but the preload option has been removed from the game's eShop page. Presumably, those who downloaded and ran the game before the shutdown at about 8:45 Eastern will get to keep the game.

Letsa go pic.twitter.com/sJzrfcADTf

— Donald Theriault (@DonaldMick) September 23, 2016

[Lemonade]

Nice one, Nintendo

[Disco Stu]

Seems appropriate for the last first party exclusive on the console.

[ejamer]

I'm still shocked this isn't "normal" yet. Digital distribution doesn't really offer good value, so early releases are something I expected to become standard practice... I guess the need to keep retailers (and gamers who prefer to buy retail) happy is still to strong?

[Soren]

You can no longer pre-purchase the game on the eShop.

[Shaymin]

I'm still shocked this isn't "normal" yet. Digital distribution doesn't really offer good value, so early releases are something I expected to become standard practice... I guess the need to keep retailers (and gamers who prefer to buy retail) happy is still to strong?

Yep. Retail got MAJORLY cheesed off when Nintendo put Wind Waker HD out digitally two weeks early.

[ejamer]

Yep. Retail got MAJORLY cheesed off ...

They did?

... Nintendo put Wind Waker HD out digitally two weeks early.

They did?


(As you can likely tell, minor differences to release dates don't impact me that much... Perhaps because preorders for physical games in Canada often show up several days late anyway?)

[Mythtendo]

From what I remember (and could find online), the digital version was only available early to those who bought a Zelda Wii U hardware bundle (which had a regular Wii U, but the GamePad and some gold symbols on it) that came with a download code for the game. And I never saw reports of retailers being upset with it (because you still had to buy the console bundle to get the digital copy of the game).

[broodwars]

Nintendo should go ahead and drop the review embargo on this game now that it's out in the wild officially. Otherwise, we're going to have a Mirror's Edge Catalyst problem where the game is out but reviewers can't say anything for weeks.

[Soren]

From what I remember (and could find online), the digital version was only available early to those who bought a Zelda Wii U hardware bundle (which had a regular Wii U, but the GamePad and some gold symbols on it) that came with a download code for the game. And I never saw reports of retailers being upset with it (because you still had to buy the console bundle to get the digital copy of the game).

The game was launched digitally to everyone two weeks before physical copies shipped.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/35289/wii-u-price-drop-announced-alongside-wind-waker-hd-bundle

[Mop it up]

That's pretty funny, but yeah, it's always seemed weird to me that a game is fully ready but still can't be played.

I'm still shocked this isn't "normal" yet. Digital distribution doesn't really offer good value, so early releases are something I expected to become standard practice... I guess the need to keep retailers (and gamers who prefer to buy retail) happy is still to strong?

Yep. Retail got MAJORLY cheesed off when Nintendo put Wind Waker HD out digitally two weeks early.

I don't recall hearing about this. Do you have a source handy to point me to? I'm curious.

[fred13]

I can confirm that EVERYONE was able to buy Wind Waker HD early because I own a launch Wii U (not the special edition Zelda one) and I bought the game 2 weeks early. It was great! I was hoping that all games would do that, but obviously that didn't happen. I had been wondering why, but I didn't realize that retailers were upset about it. Do you know that they were, or are you just assuming that they were?