Androo from London shows us how wasteful Nintendo has been with Wii Points Cards in the UK.
“2000 Wii Points comes in a full fledged White DVD case that contains a 26-page Instruction Manual, a 10-page preview of upcoming Wii games, a printed DVD shaped piece of card, and finally, a credit card sized Wii Points card.
All of this seems like a terrible waste, considering you could sell the card all on it’s own, perhaps double size so that instructions could be printed on it.”
I still haven’t seen any Points Cards for sale here in the US, so I can’t confirm how they’re packaged. I think this is incredible overkill, although a free white case for Wii Sports would be handy. Do you think Nintendo should be taken to task for over-packaging?
[Click the image to check out everything that comes with a UK Wii Points Card.]
Just so you know, Wii Sports actually came in a white DVD case in the UK.
original wii cases always come in handy. As for the rest: europe does not have a large manual (at least I can't remember). I don't mind at all!
Almost all packaging, no matter the product, is sinfully wasteful though this is a particularly egregious example.The US packaging for Wii Pts is similar to the kind used for the controls, so it's not as bad. Just the plastic and a paper card.
In the US, the Wii Point Cards are sold in the fashion of the iTunes Music Store cards. It's simple, and doesn't have packaging at all…
The Wii Points cards are over-packaged in the US, too (though not as badly). They're encased in a clear plastic bubble-like package with a few extra pieces of cardboard – the disposable, unopenable packaging is much more sturdy than the flimsy little cardstock card.Why can't they just sell them like gift cards, instead of encasing them in all this packaging?
If they weren't packaged, then people in stores could copy the codes off the back. Duh. If they were sold the way gift cards are, then employees would steal the codes behind the counter.I bought one in the US, and I didn't think there was too much packaging. I just tossed the paperboard and clear plastic into their respective recycling bins when I was finished. Mine didn't come with those manuals, but I wish it did – a 10-page preview of upcoming Wii games? Rock on. I also wouldn't mind having a free white DVD case.How many people complain about wasteful packaging, but then don't recycle this sort of stuff? If it really bothers you, then you don't really have to buy one anyway. Just pay for the points on the Wii Shop channel with a credit card.
argus: I don't think employees would have an easy time getting the point codes from the backs of the cards though — they are scratch cards and I'm sure employers would be suspicious of finding cards already scratched off.Great point about recycling though! As a matter of fact I have already recycled my Wii Points DVD case! Unfortunately though, I don't have a credit card (evil things) with which to order more points direct from the Wii Shop so now I am forced into buying an item that is unnecessarily packaged and therefore needs to be unnecessarily recycled.Which is better? Being forced to recycle unnecessary packaging, or eliminating the packaging?
I like this site, and I check it often. However things that pop up like this often bother me:How can you be a committed Nintendo game blogger if you have YET to see a Wii points card somewhere? Even a casual gamer like me has had my eye out for new Wii stuff, and I've seen these cards all over the place. Just doesn't seem right to me, that's all.
I'd read about this before. And it is a waste. They could easily just sell the cards on their own. Mobile (Cell) phone top up cards in the UK are sold on their own in plastic wrappers and you just scratch the back off to obtain the code. Nintendo could easily do the same. As handy as it is to get a hold of another white DVD case – it is overkill and a bit much.
What Nintendo should implement is an online Wii-points purchase site!You could pay through the website with a credit card, then just get a code back through the site.If they get really sophisticated, they could even let you pay just for enough points for your purchase.Heck, let's do one better: why not purchase for the games themselves online?? You just get back an individual code for the games you purchased, input them on the VC through Wii, and you are done!Too much to ask? I'll bet this method would give Nintendo a higher profit per game sold!
@invisibleman:You can already buy wii points online with the wii and a credit card. You still have to buy them in 1000, 2000, etc. amounts though.
Guess Nintendo will never satisfy the public… if they make something simple, they are cheap and greedy company, and if they make a big package they aren't thinking straigth…You don't need to throw away the dvd case !
To the Anonymous who said: "How can you be a committed Nintendo game blogger if you have YET to see a Wii points card somewhere?"I've looked at every store I've been in and have yet to see a Wii Points Card. Target has had empty pegs for them every time I've been there; same story elsewhere. Because of that, I did take some time to look for pictures or articles about packaging in the US before I posted this article.
Wow…That “overkill†looks totally awesome. I want one. 🙁
I buy the points online so there is no wast and I don't have to pay the 9.25% TN sales tax. (No tax through the Wii Store!)Chris in TN
David, how can you still not have seen a Wii points card?! It seems in the town of Waco, Texas there are plenty at every store I go to. lol. We just had trouble getting Nunchucks, but plenty of Wii Point Cards….
Points cards for XBox Live are actually packaged exactly the same way here in Europe. You really have to wonder if there's no other way to sell these things. Maybe Nintendo didn't even make this choice on their own…?
Strange, both times I bought Wii points online, I was charged Pennsylvania sales tax. 🙁
Yea bro, Wii Points purchased from the Shop Channel have added tax too.
yeah dude, this is definetly immediately, nevertheless what if by yourself incorporate it with the eliquid? I recognize it strong weird, nevertheless yourself are a particular person with alot of intellect, if your self consider at eliquid as an asset for this, by yourself will come across a option in direction of mix it with the eliquid. If not oneself, then who?