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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Rumor: 3DS is region locked.

http://ds.ign.com/articles/114/1143473p1.html

Nintendo's much-anticipated 3DS handheld will apparently be region-locked, meaning that software will only work on hardware from the corresponding territory. 

That could be bad news for anyone hoping to import the console upon its release in Japan on February 26, or those hoping to sample any of the games that won't make it over to their own shores. 

Confirmation seemingly came from an email from Nintendo of Japan, spotted and translated by NeoGAF. While region-locking is historically commonplace on home consoles (Sony's PS3 a recent exception), handhelds have traditionally been free from the restriction – that is until the release of Nintendo's DSi and DSi XL which introduced the feature. 

European and American customers may not have to wait too long for the release of the 3DS, however, with the current March release window for those territories expected to be narrowed down to a specific date next week. 

IGN has reached out to Nintendo for further clarification and comment, and we're awaiting a reply. 

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Sucks for those wanting to import. Oh well...



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This doesn't affect me much but I still have to really wonder why.  I thought it was generally regarded that region locking was kind of pointless and only really served to piss people off.

I understand that publishers want to keep certain money's in their respective places (as in they don't want a large NA audience buying a large amount of the JP product) but I wouldn't really think the people that import games is actually that significant.



That really sucks as an import gamer myself.  Region locking is something that really needs to go.  While it has it's reasons, I think it mainly punishes honest consumers and encourages piracy.



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Conservatives:  Pushing for a small enough government to be a guest in your living room, or even better - your uterus.

 

If so, it's probably an anti-piracy thing. Nintendo is far to commercially inclined to do this for fun.



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FFS. A lot of DS games published in the states never come here or come here very late. All these minor problems with the 3DS are building up fast...



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Not that surprising to be honest. But still slightly bad news, especially for us who live in regions where software (and hardware) cost a whole lot. They are adding VAT's to out foreign online purchases as well now, making everything I buy off of Steam for instance, 25% more costly. DAMMIT!



For me this isn't a problem if all  major games I want are released in Europe.

I recently imported an NTSC PSX to play the likes of Xenogears, Chrono Cross and Valkyrie Profile.  It isn't cheap at all and I would far prefer not to replicate it will the 3DS in a decade or so.




Bad news, it seems to be true

http://www.ruliweb.com/ruliboard/read.htm?num=30071&table=game_nds&main=nds



Stefan.De.Machtige said:

If so, it's probably an anti-piracy thing. Nintendo is far to commercially inclined to do this for fun.


Oh really? Maybe you would care to elaborate on that, because I have no information about the ability of a region lock to prevent piracy.

Actually, now that I think about it, isn't PS3 region-free? And it took pirates very long to crack that console.



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Cobra_ said:
Stefan.De.Machtige said:

If so, it's probably an anti-piracy thing. Nintendo is far to commercially inclined to do this for fun.


Oh really? Maybe you would care to elaborate on that, because I have no information about the ability of a region lock to prevent piracy.

Actually, now that I think about it, isn't PS3 region-free? And it took pirates very long to crack that console.


Off topic, but it really only took them a year since the people that actually cracked it didn't actually start trying until they removed otherOS.

But yeah, I don't think region locking has a lot to do with piracy and more to do with who gets what money.