Nintendo halts sale of digital download codes for its games through European retailers
Now only available directly from eShop.
Nintendo has announced it will no longer permit European retailers to sell digital download codes for its games starting tomorrow, 1st July, meaning digital sales of its first-party titles for Switch will be restricted exclusively to its own online eShop.
Retailers have had the option to sell digital download codes for first-party Nintendo titles (which would frequently be discounted to prices significantly lower than those offered directly on eShop) alongside physical copies for some time now - but that changes tomorrow.
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UK online store ShopTo.net first broke the news to customers yesterday evening, and Nintendo has since confirmed the decision in a statement provided to NintendoLife. The company didn't go into specifics, only saying it had ended digital download code sales for its "own-published software" after "careful examination of the evolving European marketplace in recent years."
It did note, however, that retailers will still be able to sell digital download codes for third-party titles as well as for Nintendo eShop funds, Nintendo Switch Online memberships, and DLC add-on content such as the recent Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass.
"We're always investigating new avenues, and will continue to work on new methods to bring Nintendo eShop content to as many players as possible," its statement concluded.