Hardware 3DS Region Free by Update or Buying a new 3DS?

[Kunoha]

All the pros and non of the cons, in my humble opinion of having a region free device.

No pros and all cons is what developers and Nintendo see it.

I am still waiting for IE2 to the US, LEVEL-5.

 

[shinkodachi]

No pros and all cons is what developers and Nintendo see it.

Publishers.

 

[Kunoha]

In all of deathly jokes, if the publishers are revealed that support Nintendo's region lock, I'll execute them, Dangan Ronpa style.

 

[trumpet-205]

From my understanding (and other people's comments in various places) Nintendo is scared because some kid is gonna play some eroge game from Japan.

I'm pretty sure there is no eroge game on any game console/handheld for Nintendo. Ecchi yes, but never eroge. In fact, from 6th generation and upward I have not seen an eroge on major console or handheld system.

PS3 does have region lock mechanism, just not mandatory. Whether to use region lock or not is entirely up to publisher's discretion.

 

[Kunoha]

THEN AGAIN-, EXAGGERATION-

So it has seems that the only reason for region lock is money...

 

[shinkodachi]

THEN AGAIN-, EXAGGERATION-

So it has seems that the only reason for region lock is money...

Again, I'll quote myself...

"The decision to region-lock P4 Arena was a business one," http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07/07/atlus-addresses-persona-4-arena-region-locking

 

[Kunoha]

I meant FOR NINTENDO, not Atlus.

 

[Qtis]

Ahem. https://gbatemp.net/threads/nintendo-president-says-company-“must-consider”-removing-region-locks.373599/

Posted 4th of November.

But as mentioned, they can remove it via a firmware patch. This has been proven to be the case by Gateway & Co (ironic?). As for the reason of region lock, it can be seen as a way of dividing income between areas globally. If you can't play an import, you're forced to buy the local version. Should the 3DS or Wii/U be region locked? As a consumer I'd say of course not. It has no benefits for the consumer. Even though a company can't release game X in region Y due to content, it can still be released in game X's original region. If someone wants to import said game X in region Y, it can be done too.

 

[Kunoha]

Ahem. https://gbatemp.net/threads/nintendo-president-says-company-“must-consider”-removing-region-locks.373599/

Posted 4th of November.

Ah, feck. So I must shut down this thread now?

But as mentioned, they can remove it via a firmware patch. This has been proven to be the case by Gateway & Co (ironic?). As for the reason of region lock, it can be seen as a way of dividing income between areas globally. If you can't play an import, you're forced to buy the local version. Should the 3DS or Wii/U be region locked? As a consumer I'd say of course not. It has no benefits for the consumer. Even though a company can't release game X in region Y due to content, it can still be released in game X's original region. If someone wants to import said game X in region Y, it can be done too.

What is that import doesn't have a localized version? Wait a few years? It seems import games can only be played by multiple 3DS systems. Each from 3 regions.

 

[Qtis]

Ah, feck. So I must shut down this thread now?

Naw, I actually locked it for a moment, but figured it's better to leave it open. It does discuss the matter a bit differently (as in, how can it be done).

 

[Kunoha]

Anyway, look at my edit above yours~

 

[machomuu]

No pros and all cons is what developers and Nintendo see it.

I am still waiting for IE2 to the US, LEVEL-5.

IE2 is completely unrelated to this issue. Not only can it be imported from Europe/Japan on the DS, but it's very clear that the focus of both Kino Akihiro and Level-5 are on 2 things: The risk/reward factor and the integrity of the series. Inazuma Eleven 1 came over here almost without warning, but when it did, it had a new dub and an Americanized grammatical localization (favourite -> favorite, mum -> mom, so on and so forth). This actually leaks into the former focus, as the risk includes not only the cost of bringing it over, but also getting voice actors, fixing the script, and translating the 3DS games themselves (since they come from the collection rather than simply having been ported from the Euro DS versions). And yet, because of how well the first game did, whether the second will come over at all is still up in the air.

But my point in all this is, you can't really compare that to, say...EX Troopers, which had no English release whatsoever for different reasons.

 

[shinkodachi]

I meant FOR NINTENDO, not Atlus.

That wasn't my point. Persona 4 Arena is the perfect example: exactly the same game releasing in two different regions just weeks apart and the publisher (Atlus) made a business decision to region lock it. Again, even for Sony and Microsoft platforms, region locking is up to the publisher. Nintendo is not necessarily enforcing a region lock. The exception that proves the rule is the Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre software app, of which there is a retail version that is region free.

 

[Kunoha]

IE2 is completely unrelated to this issue.

Just felt like saying random shet out of le blue.

That rhymed.

 

[Treeko]

For too many people outside the middle east, region locking is not a problem, but for those of us in the middle east its nintendo's way of snatching more money from their customers, here's what I mean major retailers like virgin megastore sell the pal/European models of the 3ds only here in UAE, where as the official video games/game consoles retailer here in the UAE sell only ntsc/American consoles and games, the problem exists in the difference of prices, there is a difference of 10$ between American games and european games, the fact that nintendo has not properly assigned a region to middle eastern 3ds's is stupid, its a big problem for games in the middle east, region locking has to go nintendo are only doing this for money, its more evident in middle east than the western regions, people buy their console without knowing this problem and end up buying European consoles for which games can cost a whopping 60$, that's more than a usual newly released ps4/xbox one game here in the UAE, region unlocking has a benefit for both nintendo and their customers those who disagree don't know how big of a problem it is outside their region.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

From my understanding (and other people's comments in various places) Nintendo is scared because some kid is gonna play some eroge game from Japan.
Well, that's up to the parents or guardian to put a stop to that. There is no way a kid could import that game without a credit card.

I call BS on that. It's fully possible to use PayPal with nothing but a bank account, and plenty of sites accept PayPal.
Source: Me, age 13.

 

[shinkodachi]

To many people outside the middle east, region locking is not a problem, but for those of us in the middle east its nintendo's way of snatching more money from their customers,

You can't really fault Nintendo for issues that exist because of the grey market. Nintendo doesn't have an official presence in the Middle East, so the problem is not regarding region locking, but regarding political issues. Islamic views on video games would easily weigh down any attempts Nintendo (or any other company for the matter) would try to get into that market. That's a completely different issue of its own. A region free console would only encourage more activity in the grey market, it wouldn't solve anything.

 

[Treeko]

You can't really fault Nintendo for issues that exist because of the grey market. Nintendo doesn't have an official presence in the Middle East, so the problem is not regarding region locking, but regarding political issues. Islamic views on video games would easily weigh down any attempts Nintendo (or any other company for the matter) would try to get into that market. That's a completely different issue of its own. A region free console would only encourage more activity in the grey market, it wouldn't solve anything.

Sorry I don't see how islam has a relevance in this arguement, microsoft has a ever growing prescence in the middle east and so does sony, nintendo are just being lazy and stupid there is a reason why their market shares have been falling so badly, we have everything here thats gaming related conventions, gaming shows, everything, microsoft and sony both support most of the middle eastern regions and to top it off their online market places xbl/psn have everything that the western online marketplaces have, the problem lies with nintendo not with the region, as I've said the people in the western regions don't know how stupid nintendo is outside the 3 main regions America, europe and japan, and as for the grey market ps4 and xbox one are both region free, both their manufacturing companies officially sell them here please elaborate how islam is weighing down on sony and Microsoft from making moves in middle east.

 

[Monty Kensicle]

To many people outside the middle east, region locking is not a problem, but for those of us in the middle east its nintendo's way of snatching more money from their customers, here's what I mean major retailers like virgin megastore sell the pal/European models of the 3ds only here in UAE, where as the official video games/game consoles retailer here in the UAE sell only ntsc/American consoles and games, the problem exists in the difference of prices, there is a difference of 10$ between American games and european games, the fact that nintendo has not properly assigned a region to middle eastern 3ds's is stupid, its a big problem for games in the middle east, region locking has to go nintendo are only doing this for money, its more evident in middle east than the western regions, people buy their console without knowing this problem and end up buying European consoles for which games can cost a whopping 60$, that's more than a usual newly released ps4/xbox one game here in the UAE, region unlocking has a benefit for both nintendo and their customers those who disagree don't know how big of a problem it is outside their region.

That sounds like video game hell on earth.

Also, I want my Taiko no Tatsujin! I fell in love with the series when I found the first DS game at a local pawn shop, then I gobbled up the other two.

I then found out it was also on Wii, but was region locked. So I hacked my Wii. Then I heard about one coming out for 3DS and then region lock...

So my only option is to buy a second 3DS just to play this one game.

 

[Treeko]

That sounds like video game hell on earth.

Also, I want my Taiko no Tatsujin! I fell in love with the series when I found the first DS game at a local pawn shop, then I gobbled up the other two.

I then found out it was also on Wii, but was region locked. So I hacked my Wii. Then I heard about one coming out for 3DS and then region lock...

So my only option is to buy a second 3DS just to play this one game.

It is for nintendo enthusiasts only, Sony and Microsoft fans have no such problems because those companies actually see the middle east as a region.