Wii U's Restrictive DRM Is A Baffling Throwback

arstechnica.com: As Nintendo's Wii U FAQ makes clear, "a Nintendo Network Account can only be used on the console where it was created." Thus, any games tied to that unique online ID will only work on the first system they're purchased and downloaded to. This is in essence the same setup that Nintendo used to protect downloaded Virtual Console and WiiWare games on the first Wii, a setup that not only utterly failed to stop piracy on the system but also caused headaches for many early Wii owners with faulty systems.

[MartinB105]

One of the main reasons I bought very few Virtual Console games - the other reason being how overpriced they are.

Other companies like Sega, Capcom and Midway bundle dozens of games into a single bundle, like the Capcom Classics Collection and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, then sell them for the same price as Nintendo charge for one or two SNES or N64 game.

I'll stick with PC-based emulators for my old-school Nintendo gaming until Nintendo get their act together.

[nukeitall]

That is some nasty DRM. No thanks Nintendo!

[deafdani]

Yeah, well put article, and I absolutely agree with it. It's one of three major complaints I have with Wii U, the other two being the numerous freezes and long load times - which apparently were slightly alleviated on the latest system update, but they're still present: the majority of apps still take a long time to load, and I've already had the console freeze on me once since that update.

That aside, I love my Wii U, but NIntendo really needs to stop this. Tying the games to your Nintendo ID was a good idea, but tying the Nintendo ID to the console? Ridiculous.