Hardware Confirmed: The 3DS is region-locked

[CamulaHikari]

People are making a huge deal out of this.
1. It was VERY obvious this was coming.
2. How many of you actually import games that don't end up being sold in their country?

Looking at my DS library of games, too many~ All those poor games that never made it over here T.T
But meh, still need to check with my local shop for 100%, but I'm almost sure they'll import~!

Well if your local game store imports games wouldn't they import the systems?

That's what I don't know. The former owner wouldn't import shit that came to europe anyway >.>

About the internet suggestions, it's stupid, this would mean you can't play in places were you have no connection. This would also mean that when you're traveling you game will shut down every few minutes since it needs to connect to another place, that would be suicide action >.>

 

[TorNis]

You don't get it.
You need internet connection only when you install the game. Nintendo might bring updating A MUST updating once per week or so. If you fail to update, you won't be able to play. Have fun.

 

[FireGrey]

You don't get it.
You need internet connection only when you install the game. Nintendo might bring updating A MUST updating once per week or so. If you fail to update, you won't be able to play. Have fun.

WTF THIS IS NOT TRUE!

 

[BlueStar]

You don't get it.
You need internet connection only when you install the game. Nintendo might bring updating A MUST updating once per week or so. If you fail to update, you won't be able to play. Have fun.

No. Just no. You will not need an internet connection to 'install' the game, you will not be locked out if you don't update for a week. There is more chance of it being able to play PS3 games out the box.

You will be able to use your 3DS without ever connecting it to the internet in the system's lifetime, I can absolutely guarantee it.

 

[TorNis]

Then what's so special about AP in 3DS?
It's gonna fall quickly then.

 

[heartgold]

Then what's so special about AP in 3DS?
It's gonna fall quickly then.

There are other methods of installing firmware instead of internet connection, maybe firmware updaters stored in games. For all we know AP could be very difficult to crack and may never require a firmware update. =P However as 3DS looks likely they'll be adding features/software in I guess there will be more worthy updates.

 

[Tozarian]

This is why piracy is best! YAR HAR!

 

[FIX94]

Someone will defenetly hack the 3DS like the wii with the region free code

Or like in the old GCN times datel should make a 3ds freeloader

 

[darkangel5000]

So, I didn't read the whole topic, yet I want to point out something...

I understand, that Japanese products like Blurays, DVDs, Games sell for a lot higher price than they do elsewhere (like in Europe or NA), because the products will be sold, no matter how pricey (As an example: The AKB PSP Edition which was sold for around 330€).
As a student on an economics college, I also understand (from a company's viewpoint), that they don't want any re-imports (hence the waiting time for Anime on DVD/Bluray for European/NA-People) since it would render their type of marketing and also the whole price-thing moot.
Hell, maybe we all didn't understand the e-mail correctly. Maybe only Japanese 3DS' are affected by the region-lock, since it would at least help the Japanese economic when people buy their games in Japan.
But on the other hand could Japanese people also just import a European/NA console, which would make this whole post useless

... ;_;

 

[ItsMetaKnight]

Just ask yourselves, how much does the wii being region locked affect you guys? Very much, actually. So much I currently own three Wiis from different regions now.

QUOTE(shinkukage09 @ Jan 12 2011, 05:25 AM) Just wait for a flashcard. They'll crack regionlock soon enough.

I don't think so. I'll be getting a 3DS from every region and be on the safe side of things.

 

[spotanjo3]

EASY:

Dont buy it until hackers crack it then buy it. They just want our money and dont care about our problems . Screw Nintendo, that's simple.

 

[nutella]

They just want our money...

No shit.

 

[Nathan Drake]

EASY:

Dont buy it until hackers crack it then buy it. They just want our money and dont care about our problems . Screw Nintendo, that's simple.

There are actually very many good reasons for region locking a console. You would have to be ignorant to how sales work entirely to not see that there are at least one or two very good reasons for region locking the consoles.

It isn't about just wanting our money, it's about being able to cater the correct games to each region. Lets say they release a 3DS Layton game in America. The sales absolutely tank. They now know that Layton games shouldn't be localized more than every two games or so, as sales just aren't good enough in that region. In every country, they can watch sales by genre. If puzzle games do really well in Japan, but shooters don't, they'll be seeing more of the former. While on the other hand, if puzzle games did badly and shooters did great, we would probably see more of the latter.

Imagine we're all importing though. In Europe for example, they tend to get releases later, especially for the DS. If all the English speakers import games beforehand, handheld game sales for Europe will be miserable and Nintendo won't know what to send over there.

Marketing isn't as simple as "We want money, let's think of every way to screw the buyer that we can!"
It's a little more complicated than that.

 

[GameWinner]

Sigh, all the more reason for me not to get a 3DS right now...

 

[Nathan Drake]

Does region lock actually affect anybody enough to influence a purchase? I HIGHLY doubt that few, if not none of you would actually be seriously hindered by a region lock.

Way to blow something that barely matters leagues out of proportion. Mountains out of mole hills and all of that good stuff.

 

[deathking]

Does region lock actually affect anybody enough to influence a purchase? I HIGHLY doubt that few, if not none of you would actually be seriously hindered by a region lock.

Way to blow something that barely matters leagues out of proportion. Mountains out of mole hills and all of that good stuff.

yes it does as some people were going to buy the japenese model as soon as it came out then get the games from their region
so it means they will have to delay purchase or buy 2

 

[MelodieOctavia]

Does region lock actually affect anybody enough to influence a purchase? I HIGHLY doubt that few, if not none of you would actually be seriously hindered by a region lock.

Way to blow something that barely matters leagues out of proportion. Mountains out of mole hills and all of that good stuff.

You say that until theres a game you want bad enough to import, and oops, well I guess it was important enough wasn't it.

 

[Nathan Drake]

I assumed that most people wouldn't be purchasing a Japanese 3DS anyways with the international release being a mere month later at most. If you really can't wait a month for it, that's your problem. :3

Those who already pre-ordered better find a way to cancel their pre-order and get their money back though, otherwise they're going to be very disappointed due to their lack of patience.

Does region lock actually affect anybody enough to influence a purchase? I HIGHLY doubt that few, if not none of you would actually be seriously hindered by a region lock.

Way to blow something that barely matters leagues out of proportion. Mountains out of mole hills and all of that good stuff.

You say that until theres a game you want bad enough to import, and oops, well I guess it was important enough wasn't it.

I have never wanted to import a game except for kind of wanting to import KHII Final Mix, but I didn't have a region free mod and I didn't care enough. I don't like playing games I don't understand, I hate having to kind of mentally feel my way through a game. That isn't fun, it sucks.

 

[SmokeFox]

Maybe doing this they release the best japanese games that never came to US or EU.

 

[monkat]

Does region lock actually affect anybody enough to influence a purchase? I HIGHLY doubt that few, if not none of you would actually be seriously hindered by a region lock.

Way to blow something that barely matters leagues out of proportion. Mountains out of mole hills and all of that good stuff.

You say that until theres a game you want bad enough to import, and oops, well I guess it was important enough wasn't it.

God forbid you can't play a small percentage of worth-while video games that you have a limited understanding of on a console that has (or at least promises to have) a large and great library!