Topic: Club Nintendo of America Officially Launches

[Chessa]

Members can register games and take surveys to earn coins and redeem exclusive prizes.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17409

 Earlier this week the much awaited Club Nintendo of America officially launched. For the first time, people were able to get a glimpse of the prizes available to them including a Game and Watch Collection game, hanafuda cards, and playing cards emblazoned with favorite Nintendo characters, just to name a few prizes. According to Nintendo, members who reach a specified point level in a Club Nintendo year (July 1st until June 30th) will also qualify for gold (300 Coins) and platinum (600 coins) memberships which will yield special prizes.    

In order to redeem prizes members must earn coins by registering their games and completing a corresponding survey. The amount of coins earned by games is as follows: Wii (50 coins), DS (30 coins), WiiWare (10 coins), and Virtual Console (10 coins). Currently, the only exception to this is Wii Fit which will net members 80 coins.    

Club Nintendo also offers ways to increase the coin total of particular games in three ways. The first is informing Nintendo of your "Intent to buy" a game. After purchasing the game and completing a survey, members will earn ten extra coins. Another set of ten coins can be redeemed by purchasing a game and completing a survey within the first four weeks of its launch. Finally, a member can earn an additional ten coins by completing a "Post play survey" available four to six days after the game launches.    

Any games released during December 2008 or later can be registered and surveyed; however, only specific titles released earlier have the same ability. The list of titles available for survey can be found below. Players should take note that any unredeemed coins will expire after two full Club Nintendo years.    

Currently the system seems to be in turmoil due to high traffic, often prompting users that "the sign in function may not be working properly." After login, many users are reporting that previously registered games from their My Nintendo account are not showing up to be surveyed due to other problems with the system. Furthermore, simply navigating the site can result in random logging out.    

   

Wii Games  

 
• Animal Crossing: City Folk
 
• Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree
 
• Endless Ocean
 
• Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
 
• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
 
• Link's Crossbow Training
 
• Mario Kart Wii
 
• Mario Party 8
 
• Mario Strikers Charged
 
• Mario Super Sluggers
 
• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
 
• Pokemon Battle Revolution
 
• Super Mario Galaxy
 
• Super Paper Mario
 
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl
 
• Wario Land: Shake It!
 
• WarioWare: Smooth Moves
 
• Wii Fit
 
• Wii Music
 
• Wii Play
 

   

Wii Shop Channel games and Wii Channels  

 
• Alien Crush Returns
 
• Art Style: Cubello
 
• Art Style: Rotohex
 
• Big Kahuna Party
 
• Boingz
 
• Boogerman: A Pick and Flick Adventure
 
• Brain Challenge
 
• Bruiser and Scratch
 
• Digital Champ Battle Boxing
 
• Earthworm Jim
 
• Enduro Racer
 
• Forgotten Worlds
 
• Gradius II Gofer No Yabou
 
• Hockey Allstar Shootout
 
• Home Sweet Home
 
• Mega Man 3
 
• Metal Slug 2
 
• Pit Crew Panic!
 
• Secret of Mana
 
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
 
• Space Harrier
 
• Space Invaders Get Even
 
• Space Invaders: The Original Game
 
• Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
 
• Strong Bad Episode 3: Baddest of the Bands
 
• Strong Bad Episode 4: Dangeresque 3
 
• Strong Bad Episode 5: 8-bit is Enough
 
• Sudoku Challenge!
 
• Target Toss Pro: Bags
 
• Tetris Party
 
• The Incredible Maze
 
• World of Goo
 
• Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam
 

   

Nintendo DS Games  

 
• Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
 
• Animal Crossing: Wild World
 
• Big Brain Academy
 
• Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day
 
• Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day
 
• Clubhouse Games
 
• Crosswords DS
 
• Diddy Kong Racing
 
• Electroplankton
 
• Elite Beat Agents
 
• Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day
 
• Hotel Dusk: Room 215
 
• Kirby Super Star Ultra
 
• Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
 
• Mario Kart DS
 
• Mario Party DS
 
• Master of Illusion
 
• Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir
 
• New Super Mario Bros.
 
• Nintendogs: Chihuahua and Friends
 
• Nintendogs: Dalmatian and Friends
 
• Nintendogs: Labrador Retriever and Friends
 
• Nintendogs: Miniature Dachshund and Friends
 
• Personal Trainer: Cooking
 
• Planet Puzzle League
 
• Pokemon Diamond
 
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
 
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
 
• Pokemon Pearl
 
• Pokemon Ranger
 
• Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
 
• Professor Layton and the Curious Village
 
• Super Mario 64 DS
 
• Tetris DS
 
• Yoshi's Island DS
 

   

CLUB NINTENDO OFFERS SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP FOR FANS    

Dec. 16, 2008    

Starting today, Nintendo welcomes its North American fans to Club Nintendo™, a special club that rewards members for registering Nintendo products and completing surveys. Nintendo fans can sign up by visiting Club.Nintendo.com. After joining, fans can register select Nintendo hardware and Nintendo-published games in exchange for Nintendo Coins, which can then be redeemed for limited-edition Nintendo rewards available only to Club Nintendo members.     "Club Nintendo gives fans what they want - access to exclusive rewards for their loyalty to our brand and our products," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America Inc.'s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "We're offering some unique items as a way to say thanks for their support of Nintendo."    

Once they become Club Nintendo members, Nintendo fans and former My Nintendo members can create a profile and register select Nintendo products on the site by inputting a product serial ID (a list of compatible products is posted on the site). The user is then asked to complete a survey about the product. Coins are awarded once surveys are complete. That's when the fun begins. Some of the exclusive rewards include the Game & Watch™ Collection for the Nintendo DS™ and a set of traditional Hanafuda cards printed with Nintendo characters.    

Customers who purchase a new Wii™ or Nintendo DS™ system can register the product with Club Nintendo and complete a survey to extend the product warranty. Club Nintendo members can reach Gold and Platinum status by collecting a certain amount of Coins each year. Gold and Platinum members will be eligible to receive exclusive rewards. As members, fans can also sign up for personalized newsletters to learn about upcoming products that best match their interests.

[kraken613]

Its not very stable or usable yet! It keeps kicking me out!

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Club Nintendo sucks!  I asked for lettuce and tomatos!

[AV]

Club Nintendo sucks!  I asked for lettuce and tomatos!

LOL

[nitsu niflheim]

Now I can't even log in.  They should not have let this go up the way it is.  It's completely Un-Nintendo.  They should have known that people were going to want to do this stuff and yet they start it up half-assed and pretty much blind.  Unacceptable.

[UncleBob]

Now I can't even log in.  They should not have let this go up the way it is.  It's completely Un-Nintendo.  They should have known that people were going to want to do this stuff and yet they start it up half-assed and pretty much blind.  Unacceptable.

They should have did a small test run, allowing only the most loyal MyNintendo to sign up at first...

[Tanookisuit]

Things finally cleared up for me!  PLATINUM!

[Myxtika1 Azn]

Does this mean I can't register my Cube version of Twilight Princess?

[Caliban]

From all the available rewards only the Hanafuda cards, and the Game and Watch Collection are of interest to me. I'm leaning towards the Hanafuda cards.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Any good rewards yet.

[vudu]

I'm disappointed by the limited games that count towards coins.  All Wii and DS games with a PIN should be included.  And what the Hell is up with the VC/WiiWare list? 

[Bill Aurion]

I'm disappointed by the limited games that count towards coins.  All Wii and DS games with a PIN should be included.  And what the Hell is up with the VC/WiiWare list? 

It seems that the list is made up of mostly still-in-print games (a few exceptions like Electroplankton and Elite Beat Agents), which actually makes sense...The VC/WiiWare list IS pretty random, though...

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

No Battalion Wars.

List is complete fail.

[NWR_insanolord]

It seems to be getting better. I just managed to fill out 3 or 4 surveys before it kicked me off and wouldn't let me log in again.

[vudu]

It seems that the list is made up of mostly still-in-print games (a few exceptions like Electroplankton and Elite Beat Agents), which actually makes sense...

It makes no sense.  I purchased a Nintendo game with a unique PIN.  I registered that PIN at My Nintendo.  Why can't I get the Club Nintendo points?

[NWR_insanolord]

It seems that the list is made up of mostly still-in-print games (a few exceptions like Electroplankton and Elite Beat Agents), which actually makes sense...

It makes no sense.  I purchased a Nintendo game with a unique PIN.  I registered that PIN at My Nintendo.  Why can't I get the Club Nintendo points?

It would make more sense if the surveys were tailored to each game instead of being the exact same thing for each game.

[GoldenPhoenix]

It seems that the list is made up of mostly still-in-print games (a few exceptions like Electroplankton and Elite Beat Agents), which actually makes sense...

It makes no sense.  I purchased a Nintendo game with a unique PIN.  I registered that PIN at My Nintendo.  Why can't I get the Club Nintendo points?

It would make more sense if the surveys were tailored to each game instead of being the exact same thing for each game.

I'm surprised they are so generic. I preferred the ones where they ask you to rate certain aspects of the game.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Nintendo, your surveys suck.

[UncleBob]

It makes no sense.  I purchased a Nintendo game with a unique PIN.  I registered that PIN at My Nintendo.  Why can't I get the Club Nintendo points?

You registered that PIN at MyNintendo.  This is Club Nintendo.
Club Nintendo isn't a "Thank you for buying stuff."  It's a "Buy more stuff and get this."

In theory, Nintendo could have just said "Only games purchased after December 16th count." - Be thankful they're letting you get coins for any of the old stuff.

[GoldenPhoenix]

It makes no sense.  I purchased a Nintendo game with a unique PIN.  I registered that PIN at My Nintendo.  Why can't I get the Club Nintendo points?

You registered that PIN at MyNintendo.  This is Club Nintendo.
Club Nintendo isn't a "Thank you for buying stuff."  It's a "Buy more stuff and get this."

In theory, Nintendo could have just said "Only games purchased after December 16th count." - Be thankful they're letting you get coins for any of the old stuff.

Yeah you always should be thankful for a company policy or club that only rewards those who are late to the party, not those who supported them to that point.

[UncleBob]

It makes no sense.  I purchased a Nintendo game with a unique PIN.  I registered that PIN at My Nintendo.  Why can't I get the Club Nintendo points?

You registered that PIN at MyNintendo.  This is Club Nintendo.
Club Nintendo isn't a "Thank you for buying stuff."  It's a "Buy more stuff and get this."

In theory, Nintendo could have just said "Only games purchased after December 16th count." - Be thankful they're letting you get coins for any of the old stuff.

Yeah you always should be thankful for a company policy or club that only rewards those who are late to the party, not those who supported them to that point.

That'd make sense - except for the part where Nintendo *is* rewarding all of us.  After doing all the surveys I was eligible for, I was awarded 1,430 points.  That's 1,430 points that Nintendo *didn't* have to give me, but they did.

[nitsu niflheim]

It makes no sense.  I purchased a Nintendo game with a unique PIN.  I registered that PIN at My Nintendo.  Why can't I get the Club Nintendo points?

You registered that PIN at MyNintendo.  This is Club Nintendo.
Club Nintendo isn't a "Thank you for buying stuff."  It's a "Buy more stuff and get this."

In theory, Nintendo could have just said "Only games purchased after December 16th count." - Be thankful they're letting you get coins for any of the old stuff.

Yeah you always should be thankful for a company policy or club that only rewards those who are late to the party, not those who supported them to that point.

That'd make sense - except for the part where Nintendo *is* rewarding all of us.  After doing all the surveys I was eligible for, I was awarded 1,430 points.  That's 1,430 points that Nintendo *didn't* have to give me, but they did.

And it only took them how long to finally give us a rewards program?  (again? if you count the old Nintendo Power Stamp program they did back in the 90's)  And do you think we'll every really get the same treatment the Japan Club gets, or even the Europe club gets?

[UncleBob]

I think this is exactly the reason Nintendo has always been so reluctant to launch Club Nintendo in the US.  US Customers seem to have a sense of entitlement - it's like giving Nintendo $50 for a game isn't just giving them $50 for a game - they owe you their first born as well.

I'm completely and utterly thrilled that Nintendo has launched this program in the US and is offering us the opportunity to get free junk *in addition* to the stuff I normally buy from them.

Don't get me wrong, I don't just open up my wallet for Nintendo willy-nilly (waited until I could get Wario World Shake It for under $30, for example).  But simply buying a game doesn't mean Nintendo has to give me a bunch of free stuff.  I bought Professor Layton at launch (well, before launch, actually) - I don't feel Nintendo owes me those awesome foam hats they gave out to those who bought the game at Nintendo World Store or select members of the press who stole them.

If Nintendo says "Buy GameX get ThisY free", then they owe you the free gift.  Otherwise be happy with GameX or don't buy it.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Yes I'm entitled to free stuff. Seriously it is more like the decent thing to do is if they are going to have a reward program give those that have supported you for the longest some kind of bonus, or at the very least if they bought the SAME EXACT GAME but registered it before anyone else, at least give them credit.

[UncleBob]

Yes I'm entitled to free stuff. Seriously it is more like the decent thing to do is if they are going to have a reward program give those that have supported you for the longest some kind of bonus, or at the very least if they bought the SAME EXACT GAME but registered it before anyone else, at least give them credit.

Like all the free stuff Sony and Microsoft give out?
And they're doing that.  Everyone who registers the exact same list of games, either before or after the Club Nintendo launch, gets the same amount of coins...