Remember that Japanese Love Plus gamers where going to be charged 200 yen for the ability to import their girlfriend data into the upcoming 3DS title? The pricing seems to be out out of Konami's control.

The data import is done by first downloading a program from the eShop. According to 4Gamer's latest report on New Love Plus, Nintendo currently does not offer third party companies a way to distribute free programs through the e-Shop. So, Konami set the price to the lowest possible pricing tier on the service, ¥200.

The eShop does have some free software, of course. The DSi Ware transfer program and Spot TV program are available as free downloads. These are all Nintendo product, though.

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Couldn't Konami implement the importing inside the game or as DLC? It just seems like paid DLC content to me.

Nintendo... you said this new generation was about giving options... so, why no free third party apps?

Nintendo does not want free third party aps for a very simple reason. When third parties start launching free software consumers might be drawn to download the free software rather then buy Nintendo or third party content. Nintendo is seeing whats happening on I-Pad/Phone and computers. Free to play games are stealing market share from expensively developed software, infact free games are a bigger threat to Nintendo then the cheap 99cent games found on phones.

So Nintendo is going to ensure that all content on its systems cost money, a minimum of 200Y is good for Nintendo and third parties who actually sell content. No free games is beneficial to developers who work really hard on their software. Nintendo needs to maintain profitability and if gamers can play free games why would they buy Nintendo's online games for example?

Nintendo is trying not to compete with itself. On 3DS and WiiU Nintendo wants to ensure that all software is profitable for them. They don't want to have to compete for your dollar on their own system. It wouldn't be a smart buisness decision to allow free software to be made availible from third parties.

That includes free DLC or content transfers!

I'm not talking about games, those should always cost at least the minimum price, but applications and extra contents should have the option of being free.*

You're giving Nintendo double standards, they themselves have released the FREE Pokédex to both introduce eShop software and some Pokémon advertising. Wouldn't you have liked to have seen last week a SEGA app that introduced 3DS consumers to Sonic's gaming history on his anniversary? The app in question could have showed all the Wii's VC and WiiWare, to the future GG VC and Sonic Generations.

Just as Nintendo can use the platform to promote their software, third parties should also have the oportunity to create awareness of their own games through the device itself.

*: Notice how Excitebike is being offered for free as a limited offer, they are devaluating the game value right there. A better procedure would have been giving users 10$ when they first logged on the eShop (just like they previously with the DSi). That gives the user the option/experience of buying Excitebike (not getting it for free), and also buying a VC game. A much bigger incentive to get people's 3DS online. Plus it could have been used as free advertisement of the online service by adding it on the 3DS's packaging, increasing the value of the system.

Bummer. :/
I think it's like Joel said. They don't want the service flooded with free stuff. But still...

Nintendo does have double standards to this, they are thinking about Nintendo's well being and not the third parties.

If Nintendo can encourage you to go onto the Eshop and download something they have a new customer. So they release a free game to entice people into the E-Store. I think the reason they didn't give 10$ away this time is simple, they want you to spend your money on the games you want. So they grabbed Excite Bike probably because they didn't think many consumers would buy it anyways and gave it free to entice gamers online.

Also about the ten bucks, Nintendo doesn't want you spending that ten bucks on a third party title. If they are going to offer free content they want to control what content is offered as well as not draw money away from its franchises. They picked the least popular title they could and the title that showed 3D. They released this title free to draw consumers into the E-Shop so they would spend money on titles that would actually turn Nintendo a profit!

Nintendo is a shrewed and smart buisness company. They don't want to compete with third parties for your money. Their free content that they offer is their content. Allowing third parties to offer free content would take buisness away from their content. Free games, DLC would all harm Nintendo's sales and as such Nintendo isn't likely to allow such content.

As for trailers, I dunno Nintendo has already allowed third party trailers. So a Sonic trailer showing all that stuff I'm sure would be allowed. Its the gaming content that Nintendo doesn't want free. For good reasons like I explained earlier and above!

There's already free DLC. And I repeat, I'm not saying third parties should be able to release free games, but free applications.

I undestand what your saying, but that's the Nintendo of the last generations, not the new actively seeking third party Nintendo:

Maybe they are still changing strategies for their handheld, or might think they don't need third parties to release free apps. But by giving them the option, they might come up with interesting applications.

Obviously all content will be controlled as they did with WW or DW (remember they even suggested prices), so the service doesn't get flooded.

They give you options... to pay more ;)

Hell will freeze first before you see any decent selection of free stuff on any Nintendo system.