Nintendo starts selling digital games in Russia through Yandex

Nintendo has started selling games as digital downloads through Yandex.Money, the largest electronic payment service in Russia.

Nintendo opened its eShop for Russian gamers two years ago. Now it is taking a further step in addressing that market by selling digital distribution codes for its games through Yandex.Money in Russia and other Eastern European countries. Gamers in those countries can use the service to buy games for the Nintendo 3DS handheld and Wii U home console.

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According to a TNS survey carried out in March, 87 percent of users from big Russian cities are familiar with the Yandex.Money service. In addition to its payment solution, the service offers a wide selection of digital goods from publishers and developers including: software, games, music and others. About 65,000 online stores use Yandex.Money.

“In the last year, the number of users who buy games through Yandex.Money has doubled,” said Yandex.Money’s director of sales, Eugene Maleev, in a statement. “Digital distribution is one of the fastest growing segments for us and the same section on our site is one of the most visited. Now we have games for Nintendo, and every user from Russia or the CIS can buy them easily, quickly, and commission free. In the future, we plan on increasing the selection, adding more new and popular games.”

“For digital distribution of our games in Russia, it was essential to choose a partner who Russian audiences know well and trust,” said Yasha Haddaji, general manager of Nintendo in Russia. “And in that sense, Yandex.Money is the perfect partner.”

Nintendo games are now available in Russia through all major payment channels, including Yandex.Money e-wallet, VISA/VISA Electron, MasterCard, Maestro bank cards and also cash payment kiosks. Previously, Nintendo eShop in Russia was only offering payment by bank card. About 60 games are available for purchase, including Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y.