I don't understand why everyone thinks free games are a bad prize. I'd rather have an actual game than some stupid little Yoshi figure or something. My problem is just that I have a lot of them already. They aren't bad games at all, though.
I think it's just that many of us would rather have physical versions of the games, so a free digital copy just feels like something we'll end up replacing at some point anyway. That said, I'm gonna grab Animal Crossing - seems like a good game to have handy in the system all the time.
That's pretty much my point. On one hand, you can say that you are getting the stuff for free, why gripe? On the other, it's really not free. You are spending a premium to get the Nintendo-brand games/hardware/accessories that come with these little registration codes. Doing the online registration, surveys, etc. provides Nintendo with valuable feedback and takes time to complete on your part.
I look at the list of stuff they offer and to me, it's crap. You have the digital download games which cost Nintendo nothing. 99.9999% of them are old games they have already made their money on and it costs them nothing to let you download it. Any money they make on digital title sales is pure profit and double-dipping. The physical items (at least in this last year since I started visiting and registering) are pretty much a slap in the face. No calendars, statues, figures or decent collectibles. The best now is posters with the worst being crap like stickers or Mr. Griller Hand. That stuff is like the crap prizes you get from cashing in tickets at Chuck E. Cheese.
I get it if someone is happy with the download games, hey great. I just think that it was a pitiful way for Club Nintendo to ride off into the sunset.