Hardware Confirmed: The 3DS is region-locked

[Juanmatron]

This makes an easy decision even easier. Shit price, shit battery, and now shit games (if you prefer Japanese). Waiting for the Lite and a flashcart to go with it

Shit price that hasn't been announced.
Shit battery that no one has tested since the 3DS isn't out anywhere yet.

Your logic is flawed.

Shit battery. DS Lite has even batteries of 2000 mAH.
Shit controlls.
Shitty Region-Block. Now I can't play awesome games that Nintendo and other will not bring in our countries. Wanna see how bad I felt when Baten Kaitos II didn't come to Europe?
Shitty Friends Code.
Boring games library. I only buy 3DS for Kid Icarus, Mario Kart and Level-5 games.

 

[Leiw]

using region locks on a console released in 2011 is just plain lame!!
either I'll buy a 3DS from the US or I'll be waiting for some kind of hack


F@%& you Retardendo

 

[Nollog]

i for one, am going to wait.

once there is a flashcard that allows me to use the hardware the way i want to use it (test my games before i buy), i'll buy one.

Face it, most games i (illegaly) download are ubber crap, i play them for 10 minutes and throw out the rom. Ever once in a while, i come acorss a game so good that i decide to spend money on it.

Untill i have the chance to try before i buy, i won't be getting the 3DS. Once there are flashcards that boot comercial roms, i will get one.

3DS will have demos.

http://www.3dsbuzz.com/free-street-fighter...3d-for-everyone
Fellow, with developers like that, you need not worry.
I just hope it's a trend which catches on.
I'm buying sf4 based on this news alone.

 

[notmeanymore]

i for one, am going to wait.

once there is a flashcard that allows me to use the hardware the way i want to use it (test my games before i buy), i'll buy one.

Face it, most games i (illegaly) download are ubber crap, i play them for 10 minutes and throw out the rom. Ever once in a while, i come acorss a game so good that i decide to spend money on it.

Untill i have the chance to try before i buy, i won't be getting the 3DS. Once there are flashcards that boot comercial roms, i will get one.

3DS will have demos.

http://www.3dsbuzz.com/free-street-fighter...3d-for-everyone
Fellow, with developers like that, you need not worry.
I just hope it's a trend which catches on.
I'm buying sf4 based on this news alone.

Ooh. That'll make my SSFIV vs DoA decision slightly easier. Guess I won't be getting a game day 1. (Day 2 instead, after I play the demo)

 

[MizuInu]

That too bad for region-locking...but it is a trend? Will the NGP goes that way too?

I don't import much but I can't always get a N4 card for import games later.

This makes an easy decision even easier. Shit price, shit battery, and now shit games (if you prefer Japanese). Waiting for the Lite and a flashcart to go with it

Shit price that hasn't been announced.
Shit battery that no one has tested since the 3DS isn't out anywhere yet.

Your logic is flawed.

Shit battery. DS Lite has even batteries of 2000 mAH.
Shit controlls.
Shitty Region-Block. Now I can't play awesome games that Nintendo and other will not bring in our countries. Wanna see how bad I felt when Baten Kaitos II didn't come to Europe?
Shitty Friends Code.
Boring games library. I only buy 3DS for Kid Icarus, Mario Kart and Level-5 games.

DS and 3DS are two different beasts. DS is more like an N64 on portable. Graphic is not extensive at all and thus do not use that much battery.
So far the 3-5 hours is on maximum settings and about 8 hours without 3D effect or so what I heard. Considering the 3D effect draining battery and other bells and whistle, the battery life is pretty decent for a 1300mAh. Also DS Lite was the 2nd revision model of the DS and upgrading on most aspect of it.

The closest system we can compare is the PSP. First model PSP battery wasn’t that impressive but still good enough, compare what under the hood to the DS.

Now we got a glimpse of the NGP…they say it is comparable to the PSP. But it is at maximum settings or not? Will be around 5 to 8 hours on normal settings?

Region block is a shame but from the information I read, seem like it is similar to the 360 region lock, it is up to the publisher to lock it or not.

Shitty friend’s codes? At least we only need one on all system, you don’t even need to input it if your friend next to you as you can simply add it, nit picking really.

Boring games? That very subjective, I love fighting games and SSF4 is a must have (I own both on 360 and PS3), not counting DoA and can’t wait for BlazBlue.

You only buy for 3 games…and they are among the best the system will have, what wrong with that? I still remember not too long ago, someone telling me the DS library sucks because he didn’t like any games….really? Out of the 1000 of games and there is none or at least maybe 50 that interested him?

To each, his own.

 

[Luna]

There are around 5600~ games for the DS alone.
If you cant in DSi Games etc around 6000 ds games.

 

[Maedhros]

There are around 5600~ games for the DS alone.
If you cant in DSi Games etc around 6000 ds games.

You know this isn't correct, right?
You can't say the same games from different regions are different games. Besides that, a great part of these games are shovelware (or crap).

 

[jintoki]

I wil buy 3DS Japan only
because I Like Japanesegame, animegame very ctue

 

[FluffyLunamoth]

-removed-

 

[Aeladya]

I've never understood the logic behind region locking. Surely it cuts down on revenues, and it puts up a totally unnecessary barrier between countries. You're fucking with world peace, Nintendo.

There's a reason for it. Currency may be stronger or weaker in different countries so if you import, things can be cheaper in another country. That's the reason, even though it's still stupid. For example. Australia can charge like $50+ for a DS game and over $100 for an Xbox 360 game. Games in the US are much cheaper. If they allowed importing that would be a loss of revenue for them. I agree though, it is stupid.

 

[Nollog]

Shit battery. DS Lite has even batteries of 2000 mAH.

DS and 3DS are two different beasts. DS is more like an N64 on portable. Graphic is not extensive at all and thus do not use that much battery.

MAh isn't a measurement of time, but a measurement of possible charge capable of being held within a battery.
2,000 > 1,300

 

[violagirl23]

There's a reason for it. Currency may be stronger or weaker in different countries so if you import, things can be cheaper in another country. That's the reason, even though it's still stupid. For example. Australia can charge like $50+ for a DS game and over $100 for an Xbox 360 game. Games in the US are much cheaper. If they allowed importing that would be a loss of revenue for them. I agree though, it is stupid.
I could respect Nintendo's reasoning a lot more if every other handheld till now (excluding the DSi) hadn't been region-free. To implement this now, after all these years of region-free hand-held gaming, seems ridiculous, especially considering all the other companies are slowly heading towards more region-free consoles, even if they aren't handheld.

QUOTE(Goofy Time @ Jan 11 2011, 02:49 AM) ??? ?????? ????? ?????????????
If the region codes are different. For example
??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?????????
If you play a korean 3DS game with a Japanese 3DS system
?????????????????? ??????????
(or vice versa) you wont be able to play at all.

I'm confused. I thought the three regions were the US, Asia, and Europe. Isn't Korea in Asia? Are they putting Korean games in the European region or something?

Well this really screws me over. I import for a reason not yet stated--games are great language-learning tools. Playing a game in a language you are learning is a great, fun way to pick up new vocabulary, and to boot, the DS actually had a ton of educational games, and for Japanese alone, there were tons of kanji learning games only released inside of Japan. I am learning Korean and Japanese, and it was a great asset to me to be able to play my regular English games, but then also buy a few games in Japanese and Korean for learning purposes, and to even buy the educational games to help me learn the language as well. Now I don't know what I'm going to do. =( Especially if Korea is in a different region than Japan.

 

[Ritsuki]

I'm confused. I thought the three regions were the US, Asia, and Europe. Isn't Korea in Asia? Are they putting Korean games in the European region or something?

Well this really screws me over. I import for a reason not yet stated--games are great language-learning tools. Playing a game in a language you are learning is a great, fun way to pick up new vocabulary, and to boot, the DS actually had a ton of educational games, and for Japanese alone, there were tons of kanji learning games only released inside of Japan. I am learning Korean and Japanese, and it was a great asset to me to be able to play my regular English games, but then also buy a few games in Japanese and Korean for learning purposes, and to even buy the educational games to help me learn the language as well. Now I don't know what I'm going to do. =( Especially if Korea is in a different region than Japan.

Most of the time, regions are Europe (E), American (US), Japan (J), Korea (K).

 

[machomuu]

Well, this sucks. Following in the stupid fucking trend of the Wii, Nintendo has decided to make the 3DS locked so it can only detect games from the region you bought the device from.

I beg to differ.
All other game consoles have been region locked as well... (no, not the 360 and ps3... (and dreamcast?)) but every other. So it's not following a trend of the wii... It's following a trend of DSi if anything. Since it's their first region locked handheld console...

But I do however agree that this is soooooooooooooo damn stupid! Region locking just makes it harder for us gamers to get what we want. A game sells out in europe? still available in large quantities in the US? Too bad. A fun rythm game or manga/anime-beatemup from Japan? Tough luck....

I guess we will have to get used to our dumbed down european games now then.... (refering to the dumbing down of the titles in many european games)

The 360 is region locked.

 

[FluffyLunamoth]

The PS2 was region-locked, too.

 

[violagirl23]

Most of the time, regions are Europe (E), American (US), Japan (J), Korea (K).

*fumes* Figures the three languages I want are English, Japanese, and Korean. I hope someone can just hack the region-locking. I don't want to get banned from online play just for having a 'hacked DS.' All I want to do is to be able to buy legit games in different languages and play them on the same system. I think for me, the ideal firmware hack would be one where you could just have an option to change the region of your DS before you play a game. Like if you're about to put in a Korean game, you could change the DS code to match for Korea, and when you were done, change it back, but still have it look legit. I dunno. I don't want to use flash carts or pirate games. I want to buy games proper. I just don't want to have to buy multiple systems to aid in my language learning.

 

[Nollog]

I'm confused. I thought the three regions were the US, Asia, and Europe. Isn't Korea in Asia? Are they putting Korean games in the European region or something?

Well this really screws me over. I import for a reason not yet stated--games are great language-learning tools. Playing a game in a language you are learning is a great, fun way to pick up new vocabulary, and to boot, the DS actually had a ton of educational games, and for Japanese alone, there were tons of kanji learning games only released inside of Japan. I am learning Korean and Japanese, and it was a great asset to me to be able to play my regular English games, but then also buy a few games in Japanese and Korean for learning purposes, and to even buy the educational games to help me learn the language as well. Now I don't know what I'm going to do. =( Especially if Korea is in a different region than Japan.

Korea is an emerging market, which means they need to price their games lower than in the developed markets like Japan, Europe and America.
To keep everyone from buying Korean and Chinese games for a fraction of the price they could locally, they invent regions.

 

[Maedhros]

The PS2 was region-locked, too.

Sony now let this decision to the developers.

 

[Hop2089]

Well, this sucks. Following in the stupid fucking trend of the Wii, Nintendo has decided to make the 3DS locked so it can only detect games from the region you bought the device from.

I beg to differ.
All other game consoles have been region locked as well... (no, not the 360 and ps3... (and dreamcast?)) but every other. So it's not following a trend of the wii... It's following a trend of DSi if anything. Since it's their first region locked handheld console...

But I do however agree that this is soooooooooooooo damn stupid! Region locking just makes it harder for us gamers to get what we want. A game sells out in europe? still available in large quantities in the US? Too bad. A fun rythm game or manga/anime-beatemup from Japan? Tough luck....

I guess we will have to get used to our dumbed down european games now then.... (refering to the dumbing down of the titles in many european games)

The 360 is region locked.

Although it's region locked, it's up to the developers, many Japanese Shoot em ups are Region Free for the 360, I also recall one dating sim that was region free as well.

 

[Nollog]

The PS2 was region-locked, too.

Sony now let this decision to the developers.

That's what Nintendo said about the 3DS after the launch announcement.
I think they now keep saying that all games will be region locked.

All these sub-companies not talking to NoJ can make things really confusing.