As reported back in January, Nintendo will sadly be shutting down its loyalty point scheme after eight years in service and closures have now begun in North America.
Reports from sources including IGN suggest that Club Nintendo members across the Atlantic are no longer able to access the website or cash in their coins, earned from Nintendo product purchases, for goods ranging from novelties and memorabilia to digital content for Wii U and 3DS consoles.
Also See: Club Nintendo To Close This September After 8 Years
Download codes obtained before the closure can still be used in the Nintendo eShop but now when you visit the once thriving Club Nintendo homepage from a North American IP address it will redirect you to a landing page with a message which states the following:
“Our heartfelt thanks to our members for your support over the years. Please stay tuned for more information on our new loyalty program.”
We were still able to access the Club Nintendo homepage when we checked here in the UK and players here and in the rest of Europe can still sign in and redeem their coins until September 30th when the cut off happens and the scheme is done for good.
The next Nintendo loyalty program is in the works, expected to be announced between now and the end of the year, and is believed to utilise multiple platforms including both Nintendo’s current consoles and mobile devices thanks to its recent partnership with Japanese app developers DeNA. However at present details are vague at best and with Nintendo being super secretive about its current developments everything is up for speculation.
Also See: Nintendo’s NX Kept Secret to Stop Competitors Stealing Ideas
Source: IGN.com