‘The way it works on Nintendo systems just didn’t work well for us’
For years, we played a “will they or won’t they” drama was playing out in the background of Nintendo’s eShop in regards to Cross-Buy. Nintendo seemed adverse to the idea, but after years of wearing them down on both the 3DS and Wii U platforms, they caved and added the option. But the problem, according to indie developer Adam Rippon (Dragon Fantasy), is that it’s not actually true Cross-Buy.
Speaking to Seafoam Gaming, Rippon explained:
“I love the idea of crossbuy and I would always prefer to do things that way, but the way it works on Nintendo systems just didn’t work well for us. On Sony platforms, crossbuy means that if a user buys it on one system, they get it added to their account on the other system. But on Nintendo platforms, they give you a free download code for the other system. People just ended up giving those codes to friends, which meant nearly half the people who got the game didn’t have to pay for it. It wasn’t the end of the world, and our sales numbers for the first game were reasonably okay, but it just wasn’t something I wanted to do again. I love crossbuy, but I just have a hard time justifying it when it’s not actually used for the intended purpose.”
That’s unfortunate that a content provider for Nintendo’s waning eShop feels that way, given all of the strides they’ve been making in so many areas (like the mobile arena and account systems). Hopefully by the time the NX rolls around they can truly be caught up to Xbox Live and the PSN.
Interview with Adam Rippon of Muteki [Seafoam Gaming]
