In a statement sent to Nintendo Life, the company said that Nintendo will no longer allow retailers in Europe to sell codes for first-party games. This means that anyone looking to download a game published by Nintendo would be required to purchase either a physical copy or the download directly from the publisher.
“After careful examination of the evolving European marketplace in recent years, Nintendo has decided to end the availability of download codes for its own-published software via retailers,” said the company. The company also said that they are exploring options for the future. “We’re always investigating new avenues, and will continue to work on new methods to bring Nintendo eShop content to as many players as possible.”
Nintendo has made it clear that gamers will still be able to get Nintendo games via the eShop in Europe and other markets. The move means that comparison shopping will no longer be a thing for some eShop titles. Gamers would have been able to shop around to find the best prices for games, but that’s not the case any longer.
Retailers and gamers are reacting with a mixture of shock and resigned acceptance. The gamers aren’t losing out too much, but retailers are probably a bit miffed over not having that revenue stream available anymore.
