Nintendo announced today their first smartphone application called Miitomo, along with the new “Nintendo Account” service, revealed in their latest briefing for investors.
Here are details from Nintendo’s IR Information. Since it’s pretty long, it’s broken into several parts to highlight the key details:
New Account System:
We are planning to introduce a new account system that connects all of these Nintendo experiences beyond platforms and operate a new membership service globally.
It is generally said for any account system that more than half of people registering accounts quit halfway through the process. Every one of you must share the same experience of not being able to recall your account name or password when trying to log in.
Accordingly, we have focused on making the new account easy to create or easy to sign up as well as easy to use, namely, it is harder for members to forget about it. Specifically, for our new account, you can log in with your Facebook, Google or Twitter account. Alternatively, you can log in with a combination of your email address and your password. Of course, you can continue using your Nintendo Network ID as well.
The name of this new account system is “Nintendo Account.”
With Nintendo Account as the basis, we will provide new membership services.
Today, let me introduce you to a part of the service.
Firstly, on
Nintendo’s official website, you will be able to purchase digital download software for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.
When you find an interesting title after seeing articles or videos introducing new games through your PC or smart device, you can buy it on the spot, and the purchased software will be automatically downloaded to your Wii U or Nintendo 3DS
Also, in accordance with each member’s profile, purchase records and play records, we will send notices and gifts.
For example, an Animal Crossing character called Isabel may send some information or a present to those who are playing with that game, Mario Kart players may receive a notice about add-on content and we may also send a message that enables the recipient to purchase some software at an attractive price point on his or her birthday.
New Point Program:
We will start a new point program as well, which not only involves Nintendo’s dedicated game systems but also smart devices.
With the Club Nintendo membership service that was ended on September 30, 2015, you earned points when you purchased software. With this new point program, you can earn points by playing games as well.
Whether you have played the software for dedicated game systems or our applications for smart devices, you can earn points that can then be used on our dedicated game systems or on smart devices.
Naturally, you can also earn points by purchasing software.
With the new points, you can obtain digital add-on content, which will make the game you are playing even more fun, original merchandise or a coupon, which can be used as a discount for new software.
In terms of creating connections among the members, members can make friends with those who enjoy playing games together by establishing “Friend” relationships.
As we place importance on the security of our consumers, a Friend relationship can be established only between two people who know each other and have consented to the relationship. This Friend relationship can be used for software for dedicated game systems and for our smart device applications.
If I can discuss our plans for the future, the service will eventually allow game save data, such as character data, to be stored in our cloud system so that you can use them both for the software for dedicated game systems and for our smart device applications.
My Nintendo:
The name of our new membership service is “My Nintendo.”
My Nintendo will work as a bridge between dedicated game systems and smart devices.
Now, I would like to introduce you to a free-to-start type communication application for smart devices, namely, our smart device application, which can be started for free and will push forward the My Nintendo membership service.
