Nintendo has just announced a major change to its My Nintendo Gold Points program that is sure to excite all you Switch owners out there. As of today, Nintendo Switch owners can now use their hard earned My Nintendo Gold Points to purchase digital games for the Switch.  “Gold Points are awarded based on 5 percent of the amount you pay,” the company stated during the announcement. “You can use the Gold Points you’ve earned when purchasing downloadable software and DLC for the Nintendo Switch system.”

The Big N then further explained how each point translates to money. A single Gold Point is equal to one cent of currency, so those looking to purchase digital content will need to have a veritable treasure trove of points saved up. That said, five percent of digital purchases are given back as Gold Points, as well as one percent of physical purchases (with valid registration), so it won’t take long to start amassing points. As an example, the company stated that “If you pay $59.99 for a game on Nintendo eShop, you’ll earn 300 Gold Points. Those points can be redeemed for $3.00 toward your next eligible purchase.” Here are the stipulations in full:

Nintendo Gold Points

• Gold Points expire after 12 months on the last day of the month in which they were earned.
• Purchases made on Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, or Wii U, or on Nintendo.com (where available), will automatically earn Gold Points based on 5% of the total paid amount (excluding any points or discounts used).
• When purchasing retail package versions of Nintendo Switch software, points will be awarded when the software is registered via the HOME Menu on Nintendo Switch.
• Purchases of Nintendo 3DS or Wii U DLC do not qualify to earn Gold Points. Additionally, subscriptions, passes, in-game items, or virtual currency do not qualify to earn Gold Points.
• When redeeming a download code, Gold Points will be issued automatically.
• Gold Points for physical Nintendo Switch software can only be claimed within one year of the game’s original release date for countries in the North American and Australian regions, and within two years for the European region.
• Gold Points can be used toward eligible digital game and DLC purchases for the Nintendo Switch system, excluding passes, automatic renewals, in-game items, and virtual currency.

So, thoughts on the changes to the My Nintendo Gold Points program? Will the changes offer enough incentive to purchase games directly from Nintendo more often? Let us know in the comments section below, and as always, stay tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers for all the latest gaming and entertainment news! Don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for our 24/7 news feed!