Nintendo aware of requests for unified accounts, not a barrier for devs
If there’s one feature that’s been requested more than any other for the eShop, it’d be unified account. Users on both Wii U and 3DS have requested this functionality so that they don’t have to worry about their games being tied to any hardware they purchase.
Nintendo hasn’t introduced a unified account system for either of its platforms, but according to Nintendo of America’s head of business development Dan Adelman, the company is “very much aware of” the feedback.
Adelman told Destructoid:
“We don’t have anything new to announce, unfortunately, other than we’ve definitely heard that feedback many times from both inside and outside the company. It’s definitely something that we’re very much aware of. All development for the infrastructure really happens out of Japan, so we’ve kind of communicated this need in the market, and they’re very much aware of it and working towards really just always improving the eShop.”
Adelman added that while the lack of unified accounts may be frustrating for consumers, it’s not a big barrier for developers:
“In terms of how developers or consumers are impacted by it, I’ve definitely read a lot of frustrations from consumers. I actually haven’t heard it too much from developers — it just doesn’t come up as much in conversation, or if it does come up, it’s usually from a standpoint of them also being a consumer as well as a developer. But I have never heard a developer say, ‘I’m interested in making games for the eShop, but because of this account system, I really don’t feel comfortable doing that.’ That hasn’t seemed to be a barrier at this point.”
