The Nintendo Wii U will not introduce Pass system for used games

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 have stirred up quite a storm with rumours that the games would impose measures against used games but it seems as if Nintendo will be kinder to the second-hand game market.

When there is little to no reliable information regarding a particular topic then rumours and speculation are rife. Everyone suddenly has a theory and the internet community, not knowing what to do, swallow up anything and everything on offer.

Recent reports emerged that both Sony and Microsoft were not going to be supporting used games on their next generation consoles. This brought up mass protests – from people sitting behind computers across the globe – and a Sony executive also admitted that attempting to make the used games market irrelevant would be a catastrophic move for the company.

For now it seems that publishers, such as Electronic Arts, Sony and Ubisoft, are content with a simple Online Pass system, which requires gamers to pay a little extra in order to purchase a code that allows them access to the game’s online features.

Gamers may not like it, yet when one hears news such as Quantic Dream losing $2-million due to second-hand game sales of their innovative and extremely risky title, Heavy Rain, one can understand where the publishers are coming from.

The used game market is one where many gamers go in order to catch up on games they have missed and with a single game costing anywhere between $50-$60, one can understand why gamers tend to wait until the price goes down before finally purchasing a game.

Nintendo seem to understand this concept and accept that the pre-owned game market is here to stay for generations to come, or at least until games become available as digital downloads only.

Scott Moffitt, the vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo North America, pointed out the company’s point of view when he acknowledged the second-hand game market.

He said, “It is a reality in the marketplace,” before going on to explain that Nintendo had no plans or measures in place against pre-owned games, “We haven’t incorporated any features that will discourage used game sales at this point. We’re not trying to circumvent that.”

However, whether or not Nintendo impose an online pass system similar to that of other publishers such as Sony, Ubisoft and EA remains to be seen.

The Nintendo Wii U failed to impress the masses during the Nintendo E3 Press Conference earlier on in the month, yet this news may just have Nintendo fans smiling.

But what do the readers think? Will Nintendo lag behind other publishers in terms of opening new revenue streams or will the support for gamers and the used games market work out for the company in the long run? Let us known in the comments section below.