This sucks. DS games in AUS are 2x-3x the price of US DS games.

Currently I can buy US DS games cheap and they work.

It went on: “Additionally we want to ensure the best possible gaming experience for our users and there is the possibility that Nintendo 3DS software sold in one region will not function properly when running on Nintendo 3DS hardware sold in another.”

Nintendo says “guidance” will be published on packaging for 3DS hardware and software to warn potential customers.

“Guidance will appear on every packaging of Nintendo 3DS hardware and the accompanying software. If you are in doubt, Nintendo recommends that you only purchase Nintendo 3DS software in the region where purchased your Nintendo 3DS system.”

To the bolded:

Uh

This doesn't sound like a universal region lock. Why would they phrase it this way? I am... somewhat confused. Why have packaging showing what regions a game can be played on? Could some games be region-free?

to avoid possible law suits?

You're going to have to explain that to me.

Sounds more like a fancy way to word that there will be a region-lock.

It might not fuction correctly ot foreign systems -> therefor we will make it not function at all so there are no confusions.

E.g. considering the Wii/DSi don't have accounts and you don't get to choose the online store for potential DLC, I could see why they'd want to avoid something that would make the user buy the wrong region DLC, or not find any DLC provided the link to that DLC is in the game.

E.g. on the PS3 if you are, say, using an European account playing a US copy of... Singstar comes to mind with its integrated shop, then clicking on that shop will either send you to the European Singstar store (and the DLC is not cross-region compatible), or show something empty. Don't know which since I don't have the game, but it definitely won't send you to the US store.

Or you can have a game like Nier, whose Japanese and Western PS3 versions (including DLC) are different, and DLC is still linked from inside the game.

Or something like multiplayer might not fuction correctly (which I think there is a problem with on the DS as well at times).

Maybe if you don't care about backwards compatibility. ;)

Why? If they are so big into importing won't they just import the console..?

You should be happy, Canadian! Only reason you guys get games before EU is because you are our hat :P

Pretty much.  I don't remember this much bitching with PS2 or 360.  Yeah it sucks, but the writing was on the wall when we got DSi, anyone expecting any different was fooling themselves.  And at least 3DS still plays DS games (and lets you migrate your DSi games), it could've been worse...

That's all well and good, Nintendo, but spare a thought for the Europeans and Aussies who sometimes get a game 6-18 months late (and sometimes not at all). Everytime I think you've turned over a new leaf, I get disappointed further down the road (still waiting on Kirby's Epic Yarn).

I could see region splitting being necessary back in the days of PAL/NTSC, but it's a damn portable! The specs are exactly the same in all areas! With the Australian dollar close to parity with the US$, and now being forced to buy our own region's copy at twice the price, I can say that my status of purchasing the 3DS has gone from "Definitely" to "Most likely not".