Gaming subscription services have changed a lot in the last decade, and Nintendo Switch Online’s addition of Features & Rewards is the latest upgrade that service has received. While each platform handles multiplayer and online services differently, Nintendo‘s approach has typically been subtle perks rather than larger bonuses that keep gamers actively engaged outside the multiplayer sphere.
Some fans might remember Club Nintendo, a free customer loyalty program that provided gamers with an opportunity to redeem physical rewards in exchange for feedback and loyalty credits earned by purchasing official Nintendo products. The concept of Club Nintendo’s signature currency, Coins, was carried over to the juggernaut’s next chapter of its loyalty program and rebranded as Points. While Gold Points still count toward digital purchases on the Nintendo eShop, the company’s latest endeavor to include Platinum Points in its Nintendo Switch Online service is a big deal.
Thanks to the recent update, Nintendo Switch Online members can now earn Platinum Points by completing weekly missions tied to the benefits of an active subscription. They will be able to redeem their hard-earned points for physical and digital rewards from the My Nintendo Store, the latter allowing for account customization, which will be visible to other members in the online spaces. This includes a selection of member-exclusive icon elements, such as backgrounds, characters and frames, which will be refreshed and updated on a weekly basis. Furthermore, every month will have a different theme.
In terms of weekly missions, players are given five simple tasks that encourage participation in Nintendo Switch Online services. While some missions will have the players explore Nintendo’s library of games, others will require that they utilize the existing perks of their subscription or try out new titles. The amount of Platinum Points awarded per task completion is generous and ranges between 20 and 100, allowing players to redeem multiple digital rewards per week or save hundreds of Points for physical items instead.
By and large, Nintendo is not the first company to introduce a modern take on age-old loyalty programs. Whether its newly launched Missions & Rewards system draws inspiration from those that have already established their presence on the market is arguable, but still leaves ample room for comparison. The Microsoft Rewards program, Xbox Game Pass Quests, addresses the benefits of online service subscriptions in a similar manner, though with enhanced accessibility and an extensive range of rewards.
Gamers with an active Xbox Game Pass subscription can access their quests via console, computer or smartphone app and have several means of amassing points, which are not strictly tied to in-game or subscription-related activities. Aside from playing games to complete the assigned quests, they can also earn points by watching movies, shopping at the Microsoft Store and searching the web with Bing. In line with Microsoft’s multi-platform accessibility, the reward pool is adjusted to feature gift cards, sweepstakes, donations to charitable causes, and more.
While it may be easy to group Nintendo’s Missions & Rewards system with Xbox Game Pass Quests, it is important to remember that the companies cater to different audiences, meaning their respective platforms are not necessarily comparable. The rewards and tasks featured in Nintendo’s program are designed to appeal to all ages, whereas Microsoft leans towards a more mature audience. That said, both companies share the same approach to consumerism while taking advantage of gamer psychology.
Nintendo Switch Online’s Rewards & Missions are more than a simple way of promoting the service to attract new users. In fact, the first missions prompt players to make the most of their Switch Online subscription through active participation in multiplayer segments and encouraging them discover new niches that could broaden their interests at no additional cost. In that sense, the latest player-centric update serves gamers as much as (if not more than) it boosts subscriptions.
Since the Missions & Rewards system is still in its early stages, Nintendo is likely to include a broader range of tasks and rewards in the future. For the time being, players can steadily earn Platinum Points by running a game that supports Online play, backing up their Save Data and loading up the Nintendo Switch Online application once a week. Even if the remaining two missions are not recurring, subscribers can rest assured that they will always have enough Points to customize their Online icon with assets from some of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises just by interacting with the application. While Super Mario and Animal Crossing are the first to be featured, The Legend of Zelda, Splatoon and others are bound to follow in the upcoming months.
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