According to Joystick, new details regarding the Nintendo Network were revealed recently.
The Network will handle in a similar way to the current 3DS eshop network where games are tied to user accounts and not just purely on a single hardware like the Wii was. It will also support multiple user accounts per system similar to the Xbox 360 in terms of game purchases and playability without the restrictions Xbox Live places for Gold and Silver users.
The biggest changes in comparison to PSN and XBLA will be the plan for digital retail games to go on sale the same day as their disc-based counterparts. Nintendo already promises the majority of their future games will take advantage of this setup and will include third party games. Currently Micorosoft and Sony only allow digital versions of retail games to be made available months after a game's release with Microsoft recently confirming they are sticking to the 6-month gap for their digital retail titles.
Listening to complaints from both users and developers, Nintendo also announced they are taking a cue from Valve by providing more frequent sales on digital retail games and games on the network in general than currently done by XBLA and PSN. The main idea is for digital versions to gradually match retail prices than Microsoft and Sony who only temporary discount digital retail games during special sales.
Pre-paid cards will now be unified to allow a single card to purchase both 3DS and Wii U related content.
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/26/wi...tendo-network/
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/ma...-sold-digital/
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-third-parties
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Daily Recap:
1) Sony considering expanding their paid Playstation Plus program into a tiered program with the regular yearly and 3-month set staying the same, a new $7.99 per month plan, and a new top tier of $10 per month. The top tier will allow free access to CoD Elite, more rewards, and even earlier access to stuff than regular PS+ users.
http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/...ystation-plus/
2) Microsoft cancels their Inside Xbox and all in-house created shows for the Xbox 360 with IGN rumored to have made the demand in order to provide more content and shows for the Xbox 360.
http://kotaku.com/5907133/microsoft-...x-video-series
3) Microsoft has been recently granted a patent which would allow electronic devices to be controlled based on muscle movements from a user through the use of a sensor on the body.
http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/...le-controller/