+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted January 11, 2011 Subscriber² Share Posted January 11, 2011 Importers and globetrotting gamers suffered a blow today after it emerged that Nintendo 3DS software will be region-locked.Confirmation comes from an email from Nintendo of Japan support, translated by user farnham on forum NeoGAF. This means that software specifically created for the Nintendo 3DS will be region-locked: European software will only work on European consoles, and more importantly US and Japanese software won't. While the move is sure to disappoint importers, it comes as no surprise. Although previous DS handhelds - and GameBoys before them - had been region-free, the DSi and the DSi XL are region-locked. Nintendo was undecided on the matter as late as E3 2010 in June, when Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said the company had yet to make a decision. The 3DS is due out in Europe and the US in March, and in Japan on 26th February. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-01-11-nintendo-3ds-region-locked (N) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Kinda lame and in a way gives an advantage to pirates :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasethebase Reporter Posted January 13, 2011 Reporter Share Posted January 13, 2011 NO. THIS CAN'T HAPPEN. :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XIII Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Boo, that totally defeats the purpose of a portable console. What if you do a lot of international travel and want to pick up a couple of titles in foreign countries while travelling... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasethebase Reporter Posted January 13, 2011 Reporter Share Posted January 13, 2011 Boo, that totally defeats the purpose of a portable console. What if you do a lot of international travel and want to pick up a couple of titles in foreign countries while travelling... It was more to do with the fact that numerous games I picked up from a store in my local city because they imported the US versions, which were out at least 2 months before the UK version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timster Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Boo, that totally defeats the purpose of a portable console. What if you do a lot of international travel and want to pick up a couple of titles in foreign countries while travelling... then you must purchase a 3DS for every region and carry them all around with you everytime you travel. that's what Nintendo wants you to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glassed Silver Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 AHHHHH! I hate region-locks! Who ever came up with that donkey sh** should go see a psychiatrist! Glassed Silver:mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XIII Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 then you must purchase a 3DS for every region and carry them all around with you everytime you travel. that's what Nintendo wants you to You should have at least added /sarcasm to your comment... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexcyn Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Wow the 3DS keeps getting better and better! /sarcasm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyq3 Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 For the 85% of people who don't buy foreign games, don't really care. I do get why I think they are trying to throw a blanket over a lighter. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo_spook Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Its like they want to lose to Android and iOS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasethebase Reporter Posted January 13, 2011 Reporter Share Posted January 13, 2011 Its like they want to lose to Android and iOS They aren't gaming platforms. games consoles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xilo Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Region locking only encourages piracy. Stupid move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glassed Silver Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 They aren't gaming platforms. games consoles. Whilst I agree to them being gaming platforms, but not consoles, people do some maths: purchase smartphone/phone + NDS = have multiple devices, stuffed pockets, more costs eventually, ... purchase iPhone/iPod touch/... = be done with it This leads to them BEING competitors... Whether actually being in the same section of devices or not. That doesn't matter. Your device can have 75% market share, that is dandy, but if that market is declining like heck due to another market actually being on the way up your percentage of nothing gets you nowhere... In the end it's actual sales. End of line. Region locking only encourages piracy. Stupid move. It sure does support hacking... I for one am a big anime fan... Now imagine this common thing happens: Say a game for an anime series I totally adore comes out... in Japan... There's a workaround to get a ROM loading region-free on my 3DS... I want the game. Game not available to me by simply purchasing it. I want the game.... There IS a way... F*** that ****! Game wins! How stupid do you have to be to NOT make that connection.... Of cause I see reasons not to make it region-free, but what has come to the old saying "costumer is king"? Yes... King without a crown maybe... Glassed Silver:mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azusa Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 so the 3DS might be the Razer Switchblade's first victim? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zodiarck Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Stupid thing and lame as well ......... :no: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xilo Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 so the 3DS might be the Razer Switchblade's first victim? The two aren't even targeted towards the same audience... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azusa Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 The two aren't even targeted towards the same audience... What mobile gamers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamawesomewicked Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 What mobile gamers? One is PC gamers. The other are handheld gamers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glassed Silver Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 One is PC gamers. The other are handheld gamers. I'll have a go at my 360 tomorrow on the train to Osnabrueck (Y) Glassed Silver:mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azusa Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 One is PC gamers. The other are handheld gamers. Is it me or is that hand held? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corris Veteran Posted January 14, 2011 Veteran Share Posted January 14, 2011 Think I've only ever had one game from another region across all of the Nintendo Handhelds I've had, but I can see why it would be annoying to those that travel a lot or just want games not available here. Instead of Nintendo selling games to these users, it will just make them find other ways of acquiring the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamawesomewicked Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Is it me or is that hand held? Because you can totally play 3DS games on a switchblade right? and in 3D right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Gimmick-y 3D, horrible battery life, and now region-locking? Thank you Nintendo for making up my mind to NOT buy the 3DS. I'll stick with my NDS Lite for now :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xilo Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Is it me or is that hand held? The Switchblade plays PC games. PC games are entirely different from the types of games that are typical on portable consoles like the NDS. The difference is like the type of people the Wii attracts and the type of people the 360/PS3 attracts. The Wii and the 360/PS3 are not marketed towards the same people. Also, the Switchblade is much bigger than a typical hand held console like the PSP and NDS. If people want portable, they will get an actual easily portable console. The Switchblade is basically a Netbook with a beefier video card. Honestly, this isn't a tough concept to understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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