2014 Club Nintendo Gold/Platinum Rewards

[dsheinem]

Is there that much to complain about? It is 'free' stuff after all.

Yeah, but many of us are already so used to getting "free" downloadable stuff from Sony and MS on a monthly basis…this is just a big "so what?". It is stupid that the Platinum and Gold awards are just games that anyone can download and buy as I'd have already bought these games to get my Platinum status if I wanted them at all. I've read plenty of comments elsewhere from people who did just that - bought a lot of the games already that are now being offered as a reward just to be eligible for that reward in the first place.

I myself spent $40 or so on a few digital titles to get myself to Platinum status this year because I figured that I'd be able to pick up something relatively unique once the rewards were announced. i like the games I picked up, but I probably wouldn't have spent the cash right before the deadline if I knew that I'd just be getting a download code for something I can buy at any time anyway. They should have offered some limited thing…even an exclusive download or something would be fine.

What's the point of spending money on games to try and reach Gold/Platinum if you can just buy the rewards themselves (if they interest you) regardless of your club status?

I'm pretty happy with these, actually. The physical rewards always end up on my auction block because I can't stand the clutter.

At least then you got some money back for them…

As a big Nintendo fan, are there really any games offered as a reward that you are still dying to play? If so, why didn't you just pick it up at release on the way to earning your status?

[Jmustang1968]

Is there that much to complain about? It is 'free' stuff after all.

Yeah, but many of us are already so used to getting "free" downloadable stuff from Sony and MS on a monthly basis…this is just a big "so what?". It is stupid that the Platinum and Gold awards are just games that anyone can download and buy as I'd have already bought these games to get my Platinum status if I wanted them at all. I've read plenty of comments elsewhere from people who did just that - bought a lot of the games already that are now being offered as a reward just to be eligible for that reward in the first place.

I myself spent $40 or so on a few digital titles to get myself to Platinum status this year because I figured that I'd be able to pick up something relatively unique once the rewards were announced. i like the games I picked up, but I probably wouldn't have spent the cash right before the deadline if I knew that I'd just be getting a download code for something I can buy at any time anyway. They should have offered some limited thing…even an exclusive download or something would be fine.

What's the point of spending money on games to try and reach Gold/Platinum if you can just buy the rewards themselves (if they interest you) regardless of your club status?

I'm pretty happy with these, actually. The physical rewards always end up on my auction block because I can't stand the clutter.

At least then you got some money back for them…

As a big Nintendo fan, are there really any games offered as a reward that you are still dying to play? If so, why didn't you just pick it up at release on the way to earning your status?

Those games from MS and Sony arent free. You pay for a service to get them and lose access to them if you stop subscribing. There are several games on that list I dont own and I hit platinum, most of them actually.

If you are spending all that extra money to get platinum status you are doing it wrong. But that money you spent you know actually bought you the game. You also get to spend the points in the points redemption section.

[dsheinem]

Those games from MS and Sony arent free. You pay for a service to get them and lose access to them if you stop subscribing. There are several games on that list I dont own and I hit platinum, most of them actually.

Right, thus "free". The point is that a lot of people are spending money on a monthly/yearly basis with Live or PS+ in part because they like the idea of getting some free games regularly. They may be tied to the service, but Nintendo's downloads are tied to the console...which I find to be worse. The cool thing about Club Nintendo was that you can get something physical and limited.

If you are spending all that extra money to get platinum status you are doing it wrong. But that money spent you know actually bought you the game. You also get to spend the points in the points redemption section.

A lot of people spend a little extra near the end of the year to get to Gold/Platinum because they want access to some exclusive/limited thing. Maybe that's "doing it wrong" but that's pretty common. I'm mostly ticked that there's nothing exclusive available for people who earned the status. As i said, even an exclusive download would have been fine.

[Jmustang1968]

Again, you are typically critical of the 'entitled' mindset which this is. You are getting free stuff for buying games. You still get the game you paid for and you can spend points to get stuff. This is still just a complaint about my free shit isnt good enough.

[dsheinem]

Again, yu are typically critical of the 'entitled' mindset which this is. You are getting free stuff for buying games. You still get the game you paid for and you can spend points to get stuff. This is still just a complaint about my free shit isnt good enough.

I don't think I am "entitled" to anything, but I did have good reason to "expect" something different than what I got and there's nothing wrong with finding that frustrating and thus complaining. I feel a bit hoodwinked is all, as do many others who approach the club and its rewards from a similar perspective as I do.

[bmoc]

They may be tied to the service, but Nintendo's downloads are tied to the console...which I find to be worse. The cool thing about Club Nintendo was that you can get something physical and limited.

That pretty much sums up my feelings about it. I have yet to buy a digital game on a Nintendo platform for that reason.

I should think that the point of the Club Nintendo is to foster brand loyalty and Nintendo is falling short of the mark by excluding those that don't like their digital offerings.

[Jmustang1968]

Again, yu are typically critical of the 'entitled' mindset which this is. You are getting free stuff for buying games. You still get the game you paid for and you can spend points to get stuff. This is still just a complaint about my free shit isnt good enough.

I don't think I am "entitled" to anything, but I did have good reason to "expect" something different than what I got and there's nothing wrong with finding that frustrating and thus complaining. I feel a bit hoodwinked is all, as do many others who approach the club and its rewards from a similar perspective as I do.

You are basically saying you are entitled to a free reward and are now angry it isnt what you expected. They were probably better off just not giving anything and cancelling the service. I see it as a nice little extra or bonus. I buy the games I want, not to get some cheap rewards. I say you are doing it wrong if you are shelling out an extra $40+ on games you may not really want just to get some little trinket.

[MrPopo]

I never got around to getting NES Remix, so I guess I'll snag that.

Best reward was still the SFC Classic Controller for the Wii that Japan got.

[isiolia]

You are basically saying you are entitled to a free reward and are now angry it isnt what you expected. They were probably better off just not giving anything and cancelling the service. I see it as a nice little extra or bonus. I buy the games I want, not to get some cheap rewards. I say you are doing it wrong if you are shelling out an extra $40+ on games you may not really want just to get some little trinket.

Arguably, Club Nintendo rewards aren't entirely free for buying games, they're the incentive to fill out the subsequent product surveys. Nintendo is basically paying for marketing data and customer feedback with the rewards/shipping (if applicable). In that way, the program makes sense for them on a business level, I think.
Assuming that, the rewards need to be enticing enough to convince their customers to spend a few hours a year (or whatever it'd wind up being) filling in enough surveys to hit Gold/Platinum levels. For all we know, of course, a majority of people might already be spending their points on downloads, making it a logical transition.

[Reprise]

Best reward was still the SFC Classic Controller for the Wii that Japan got.

And Europe

And that was the only good reward we got.