Club Nintendo Shut Down; New Nintendo Loyalty Program Being Set Up for Users

Those using Club Nintendo program to earn credits in the form of "coins and "stars" will soon not be able to do so as it will gradually shut down and be replaced by a new loyalty program.

Club Nintendo currently allows users to get credits by completing surveys and entering codes they find on Nintendo's hardware and first party games they purchase. After which these earned credits or coins can be used to get toys, posters, greeting cards and even download games and other virtual items.

The announcement regarding the discontinuation of the program came from Nintendo, America. In a statement, the company's Sales and Marketing Executive Vice President Scott Moffitt thanked all club Nintendo members for their patronage. He also thanked them for their "dedication to Nintendo games and their ongoing love for our systems and characters."

Moffitt said Nintendo wanted "to make the transition easy for Club Nintendo members and we're adding dozens of new rewards and downloadable games so members can clear out their coin balances."

Next month, according to Forbes, Nintendo will provide additional physical rewards for members of Club Nintendo. The company also plans to provide the "Flipnote Studio 3D" as a free download as a token of appreciation for club members. It will allow Club Nintendo members who reside in the U.S. and Canada to earn coins until March, register their products and sign up for new memberships. After March, the earning option will be shut down and they will have until June 30 to redeem their credits. The credits earned will not be transferable to the new loyalty program and will be deleted on July 1.

On June 30, Club Nintendo will shutter in North America. It will close in other regions on Sept. 30 this year.

While membership figures for Club Nintendo in North America and Canada have not been released, Japan has 6.2 million members while Europe and South Africa account for another 6 million.