Club Nintendo will soon become a thing of the past after the company decided to finally shut down its long running loyalty program. The move is applicable worldwide but the date of the shutdown varies according to region.
The program, which had been running for more than six years, will be replaced with a new rewards program that is slated to launch in the near future. U.S. based members will be allowed to earn coins until the end of March and redeem them by Jun. 30.
In order to help members who are worried about how they should spend their remaining balance, Nintendo is adding a number of downloadable games and tangible stuff to the store. Moreover, the company will allow users to access its Flipnote Studio 3D animation software at no extra cost.
All members of Club Nintendo in North America will receive the software's code for the free download in February.
"We thank all Club Nintendo members for their dedication to Nintendo games and their ongoing love for our systems and characters," said Scott Moffitt, executive VP of Sales & Marketing of Nintendo America.
Club Nintendo is a free loyalty rewards program where customers can receive tangible rewards such as posters, accessories, toys and downloadable games. In February, members can start receiving more reward options as the company promises to add a number of physical rewards.
The above-mentioned Flipnote Studio 3D software will enable users to create their own unique versions of animation in a 3D format, which they can exchange through wireless transaction with co-Flipnote Studio 3D owners. They can upload their creations to Flipnote Hatena, which becomes automatically stored as personal animations and downloadable content in the software's Nintendo DSi Library menu. The software will remain accessible to Club Nintendo members until the end of June.
"All users who register to Club Nintendo before registration closes will be eligible to receive Flipnote Studio 3D," added Nintendo.
Club Nintendo members ought to know that their account information will not be transferred to Nintendo's new loyalty program. Other dates to remember are Mar. 31, the last day for creating a new account in Club Nintendo; May 1, prior to this date, Elite members are expected to have chosen a 2015 Elite Status Gift; Jul. 31, the expiry date of the Nintendo eShop downloaded codes from Club Nintendo.
