No specific date was announced for the reopening of the stores.
While digital games might make experiences more accessible, they can also be more fickle. The Wii and DSi were Nintendo’s first home and portable systems to sell digital games, through the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop.
The Wii Shop Channel ceased in 2019 and the Nintendo DSi closed in 2017. However, Nintendo said that customers who already bought games on both stores may re-download them.
After the Nintendo DSi Shop closes, material may be redownloaded or transferred to a Nintendo 3DS family system for an unknown period of time. We strongly urge you to transfer your DSiWare material to a Nintendo 3DS family system while the service is still accessible.
Kotaku recently reported that consumers trying to re-download their games had been experiencing difficulties for days, unable to access their paid material. After Nintendo announced the shutdown of the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops, the subject of re-downloading content has resurfaced.
Nintendo has subsequently issued the following statement:
Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop are now down. We’ll update you later.
Of course, this is ambiguous, and the danger of digital titles being lost to time is unsettling. A future option to move games to the Wii U or Nintendo 3DS may provide players better protection for their games. We’ll keep you informed of any further developments.