Nintendo Account registration opens February 17, offers Miitomo bonus

Nintendo has a lot planned for February and March in connection with the fast-approaching launch of Miitomo, a social experience for the mobile space. At the forefront is the introduction of the new Nintendo Account service, which debuted in Japan back in December 2015. At the time, some who were ahead of the game quickly tried registering to secure their usernames, but it's a separate entity from the North American version that will become available as of February 17.

3DS and Wii U owners can link their existing Nintendo Network ID (NNID) to claim the ID for a new Nintendo Account, which serves to consolidate information in preparation for both Miitomo and a new rewards program called My Nintendo. Anyone who follows through on this pre-registration process will earn themselves an undisclosed bonus for use in Miitomo when it launches the following month.

Nintendo's new rewards program — Club Nintendo's replacement — will launch simultaneously with Miitomo and it will go beyond the survey approach of its predecessor, although the core essence of Platinum vs. Gold Status has been adapted to Platinum Points and Gold Points. Players will be rewarded, not only for their purchases, but also how they interact with Nintendo games. Yesterday's financial briefing gave some examples of what Points can be used towards, such as 3DS themes, digital content for Miitomo, as well as discount coupons. If it's anything like the now-dead Deluxe Digital Promotion for Wii U, My Nintendo could have the makings of an appealing loyalty program.

This roll-out is a taste of more things to come, but it demonstrates that Nintendo has a handle on the situation and is taking their mobile debut — and by extension, their audience — seriously.