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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Nintendo 3DS Download Play Is Region Locked For 3DS Games!

While Nintendo 3DS systems can communicate and exchange StreetPass data around the world, you cannot wirelessly share game data with a system from a different region. Download play is also region locked.

 

Download play beams a portion of a game to another handheld, usually for multiplayer sessions. This way someone who doesn’t have a particular title can still play with a friend. I tried to set up a wireless battle in Star Fox 64 3D between my US region 3DS and my Japan region system and the two units wouldn’t connect. The receiving unit could not find any software.

 

Just a little heads up for future importers – if you get a system from another region you won’t be able to use download play either. Download play worked between regions with the regular Nintendo DS. I suppose it makes sense since a region lock was said to be implemented for parental controls and download play games could have ratings (CERO, ESRB, PEGI) tied into the download, but it’s still bummer that you need everyone to have the same region 3DS just for a multiplayer game.

http://www.siliconera.com/2011/09/02/nintendo-3ds-download-play-is-region-locked-for-3ds-games/#disqus_thread

so my question is....why? :S I don't honestly understand the reasoning behind this



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Why could just as easily be answered with "why not" in this case, simply because how many people are actually going to do inter-regional download play?

Though it is vexing that Street Pass data can be swapped interregionally but this cannot...



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Not a big deal but interesting.



So if I take my 3DS on an international trip, I can't kick butt overseas? Another dream of mine, shattered.



Since I don't travel much I don't think it'll be an issue for me. However I would love to play people in other countries if I did. Nintendo probably has a good reason!



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That sucks although I honestly can't say I would use that feature often if I had a 3ds, Still, what is Nintendo's reasoning for this? Does it fight piracy in some new and complex way or were they just trying to save money in some way?



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Mr Khan said:
Why could just as easily be answered with "why not" in this case, simply because how many people are actually going to do inter-regional download play?

Though it is vexing that Street Pass data can be swapped interregionally but this cannot...


lol that's not good reasoning..heck that's not even reasoning I would say. for a company to do something like there should be some logic behind it...and I'm asking what that is? however the number of people it would be, taking away a feature like this WITHOUT a benefit to the company is just plain stupid. I'm sure there are at least some who take their 'portables' when going abroad..and not being able to use a feature like this even then? I'm sorry but it just does not make any sense to me whatsoever.

I mean region locking in general is stupid....but this is just going too far isn't it?. but sadly it doesn't look like many people on this forum are heavy travellers.

so try and give me what possible reasoning ninty could have had behind doing this...I'm honestly curious

@homer: exactly!



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I think the reason is basically due to the games themselves already being region locked. It would be like having different games for different parts of the world, but then allowing for international demos. It makes no sense. Streetpass, on the other hand, is a system-level feature and is identical throughout the world.



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No localization is probably the reason... At least that's the only reason I can imagine



The Japanese 3DS is so snooty that it doesn't want to speak to slack-jawed American 3DS systems.