I know this already been discussed before, but least let me say something now. I think it is a problem at least for me. This is my current nintendo status. You see I have a lot of silver coins over gold ones. You think it would be a good thing, but as you know, silver is less valuable than gold.
This is when it becomes a problem. The silver coins are fairly easy to obtain most of the time. You can earn large amounts playing the four mobile games (And I'm sure more will come and go soon) like Super mario run, Fire emblem heroes, Miitomo and Animal crossing pocket camp. It's more like nintendo's version of a achievement system. You do simple stuff like Linke social networks (facebook, twitter, nintendo account) And other things like collect ____ number of times, complete this stage or what not. If you don't have interest in the mobile games like I haven't, there is still a set of other ways to earn them. Earning gold coins which is probably the most simple of them all and even lowest rate to acquire lots of them is to simply buy games.... Doesn't matter if is retail or download. As long as you link your nintendo account to your 3 nintendo eshop enabled systems, you earn gold coins from buying games As established, gold more value than silver so of course make it worth something to obtain. The more you spend on a purchase the more you can earn. Full list is on the website, link here (Log into my nintendo first).
The second part of the problem is the expiration. When you obtain coins, the day you earn them, is set with a time limit. This limit is to let you know when your earned coins that goes unused for long time start to expire. Silver coins expire every 6 months from earn date and gold is every year from earn date. For example, if i earn 50 Silver and gold gold coins today, 6 months from now which is August, it will expire in September (the actual expiration date is the next month after the full month's cycle. January 1 - July 1 = Next month will expire, see image below) according to my observation. It would make sense the Silver coins don't last as long as gold ones, because you earn so many of them and you figure you would use them more. Still, because of this expiration time, I just don't like it. It adds pressure to use them or lose them, especially if you want to conserve it for something you would prefer having rather than the random "STUFF" they offer during each reward cycle period... which brings me to my next problem.
This is entirely subjective to me alone, but the problem I have the most, and some others do is the reward prizes themself. Some of them just aren't as appealing. These are the list of prizes. Remember how i said you can earn coins playing mobile games? Yeah well those are special as in each mobile game can only grant you reward relevant to that specific mobile game. So unless you are really into them, then that is 4 rewards off the list, gone is half of what you would expect to be good, again, subjective and my opinion. I already said I had no interest in them so that is %50 of the coins I don't use.
The other four are for pc and smartphones, spoiler is just wallpapers, nothing special, Unless you like collecting them and using them on your 1920X1080 Desktop or smartphone, all of them are 50 Silver each. Coupon discounts which range from 3DS/Wii U games, allowing you to lower the price of specified game and actual freebies you can obtain that range from free dlc, 3DS themes or apps, download a full game or some other thing with just coins alone. The nintendo switch rewards aren't available yet as you can see in the pic.
The rewards for the discounts are erratic. The better discounts that go up to least %50 are games that are already dirt cheap, and the lower value discounts are for high pricing items, and cost more coins to obtain. Super mario bros 3 a nes game, it's $4.99, nice job saving $2.50 it would be better if it was a $60 game for %50 off, but those tend to get %10-%20 discount which only save about $10. The free stuff i mentioned, well like i said, ranges from 3DS themes, DLC, and full game downloads. Excluding the themes which I have no interest in, Some of the games I actually do own or played already, and others are indie games which I kinda didn't find interesting. Once again, is all subjective and the cycle changes often, but with all the coins i earn and the fact they expire as often as you earn them, you are pressured to use them so they don't go to waste, but the stuff you would want to spend them on may not be of much interest to some people. So trying to panic on not wasting them vs using them on unwanted stuff is just a vicious cycle since you can't save them.
It wouldn't be a problem if they didn't expire, or maybe had more optional rewards or even custom ones. For example maybe select a game you want from eshop and select a discount percentage or even if you want the game for free and calculate how much coins it would require for the wanted reward. You know, allow me to spend them on something I want and not worry about wasting them by not using them. Yeah i know, is been discussed but I never gave it a in depth opinion about it.
Now I know most of you would probably care less about this considering majority of people here have homebrew on their stuff probably lost access to eshop, banned for life and what not. "I can just get any game or 3DS theme I want, I don't need this, why should I care?" Well this isn't about that and maybe this isn't for you. It is just a idea of what I observed. Is more about how Nintendo is conducting things, and how they conduct things is important from a industry standpoint and consumer standpoint as well. It is better to let people know who is providing things for you and asking for feedback to give it to them if consumer want to see results of it or industry want to keep our investments secure.
Well that is all for now, I think I said too much already. So think I'll end it here, you can leave a comment about your opinions as well.
This is when it becomes a problem. The silver coins are fairly easy to obtain most of the time. You can earn large amounts playing the four mobile games (And I'm sure more will come and go soon) like Super mario run, Fire emblem heroes, Miitomo and Animal crossing pocket camp. It's more like nintendo's version of a achievement system. You do simple stuff like Linke social networks (facebook, twitter, nintendo account) And other things like collect ____ number of times, complete this stage or what not. If you don't have interest in the mobile games like I haven't, there is still a set of other ways to earn them. Earning gold coins which is probably the most simple of them all and even lowest rate to acquire lots of them is to simply buy games.... Doesn't matter if is retail or download. As long as you link your nintendo account to your 3 nintendo eshop enabled systems, you earn gold coins from buying games As established, gold more value than silver so of course make it worth something to obtain. The more you spend on a purchase the more you can earn. Full list is on the website, link here (Log into my nintendo first).
The second part of the problem is the expiration. When you obtain coins, the day you earn them, is set with a time limit. This limit is to let you know when your earned coins that goes unused for long time start to expire. Silver coins expire every 6 months from earn date and gold is every year from earn date. For example, if i earn 50 Silver and gold gold coins today, 6 months from now which is August, it will expire in September (the actual expiration date is the next month after the full month's cycle. January 1 - July 1 = Next month will expire, see image below) according to my observation. It would make sense the Silver coins don't last as long as gold ones, because you earn so many of them and you figure you would use them more. Still, because of this expiration time, I just don't like it. It adds pressure to use them or lose them, especially if you want to conserve it for something you would prefer having rather than the random "STUFF" they offer during each reward cycle period... which brings me to my next problem.
This is entirely subjective to me alone, but the problem I have the most, and some others do is the reward prizes themself. Some of them just aren't as appealing. These are the list of prizes. Remember how i said you can earn coins playing mobile games? Yeah well those are special as in each mobile game can only grant you reward relevant to that specific mobile game. So unless you are really into them, then that is 4 rewards off the list, gone is half of what you would expect to be good, again, subjective and my opinion. I already said I had no interest in them so that is %50 of the coins I don't use.
The other four are for pc and smartphones, spoiler is just wallpapers, nothing special, Unless you like collecting them and using them on your 1920X1080 Desktop or smartphone, all of them are 50 Silver each. Coupon discounts which range from 3DS/Wii U games, allowing you to lower the price of specified game and actual freebies you can obtain that range from free dlc, 3DS themes or apps, download a full game or some other thing with just coins alone. The nintendo switch rewards aren't available yet as you can see in the pic.
The rewards for the discounts are erratic. The better discounts that go up to least %50 are games that are already dirt cheap, and the lower value discounts are for high pricing items, and cost more coins to obtain. Super mario bros 3 a nes game, it's $4.99, nice job saving $2.50 it would be better if it was a $60 game for %50 off, but those tend to get %10-%20 discount which only save about $10. The free stuff i mentioned, well like i said, ranges from 3DS themes, DLC, and full game downloads. Excluding the themes which I have no interest in, Some of the games I actually do own or played already, and others are indie games which I kinda didn't find interesting. Once again, is all subjective and the cycle changes often, but with all the coins i earn and the fact they expire as often as you earn them, you are pressured to use them so they don't go to waste, but the stuff you would want to spend them on may not be of much interest to some people. So trying to panic on not wasting them vs using them on unwanted stuff is just a vicious cycle since you can't save them.
It wouldn't be a problem if they didn't expire, or maybe had more optional rewards or even custom ones. For example maybe select a game you want from eshop and select a discount percentage or even if you want the game for free and calculate how much coins it would require for the wanted reward. You know, allow me to spend them on something I want and not worry about wasting them by not using them. Yeah i know, is been discussed but I never gave it a in depth opinion about it.
Now I know most of you would probably care less about this considering majority of people here have homebrew on their stuff probably lost access to eshop, banned for life and what not. "I can just get any game or 3DS theme I want, I don't need this, why should I care?" Well this isn't about that and maybe this isn't for you. It is just a idea of what I observed. Is more about how Nintendo is conducting things, and how they conduct things is important from a industry standpoint and consumer standpoint as well. It is better to let people know who is providing things for you and asking for feedback to give it to them if consumer want to see results of it or industry want to keep our investments secure.
Well that is all for now, I think I said too much already. So think I'll end it here, you can leave a comment about your opinions as well.
