Wii Points
| Nintendo Points | |
|---|---|
| Denominations | |
| Plural | Nintendo Points |
| Banknotes | |
| Freq. used | 1000 Nintendo Points 2000 Nintendo Points 3000 Nintendo Points (Not in Australia or New Zealand) 4000 Nintendo Points (Japan only) 5000 Nintendo Points (North America and Japan only) 7500 Nintendo Points (Comes with a Classic Controller) |
| Demographics | |
| User(s) |
Wii Shop Channel Nintendo DSi Shop |
| Issuance | |
| Central bank | Nintendo |
Nintendo Points are a virtual currency that Nintendo uses for its Wii and Nintendo DSi systems through the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop respectively. Consumers can purchase points by an online credit card transaction or by purchasing a Nintendo Points Card at retail stores.
Nintendo Points were originally named Wii Points, though with the introduction of the Nintendo DSi and its own download service, they were renamed, and new Nintendo Points Cards with new values distributed. Once purchased, Nintendo Points must be converted into either Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points before they can be used, locking the points for use on one platform only. However, some countries still have Wii Points Cards that can also be used as Nintendo Points cards.
The Nintendo Points currency system is not supported by the Nintendo eShop, currently available on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, as well as future Nintendo consoles, and will eventually become fully obsolete on the Wii and Nintendo DSi as well when Nintendo's real currency-based system becomes standard. In Japan, the Wii and Nintendo DSi shops already converted to the new currency system that is used by the Nintendo eShop. In the case of Wii U, however, it currently provides legacy support for Nintendo Points via Wii Mode, which allows access to the original Wii Shop Channel.
Nintendo Points are redeemed through the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo DSi Shop. With Nintendo Points Cards, there is a concealed panel on the back of the card which, when scratched, reveals a code. The code is then entered on to the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo DSi Shop and the requisite number of Nintendo Points are added to the user's account. Points can also be purchased directly through the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo DSi Shop using a credit card. These points may then be redeemed on downloadable games and other content in the Wii Shop Channel or the Nintendo DSi Shop, but are not interchangeable between the two systems. In other words, when one redeems their points on one of the two consoles, they are locked to that same console and cannot be transferred to or used on the other. Also, there are some Wiiware-only games that have add-on content that the player can buy with their Wii Points (for example, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King).
...
Wikipedia