Do you reckon the next Nintendo handheld will be region free?

  • Thread starter Saiyan Lusitano
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Do you expect region free to be on Nintendo's next handheld?

  • Yes

    Votes: 3 6.0%
  • No

    Votes: 36 72.0%
  • Maybe

    Votes: 11 22.0%

  • Total voters
    50
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Saiyan Lusitano

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And with this, also make backwards compatibility region free for 3DS games too?

I would very much appreciate if Nintendo went back to not region locking their handhelds.
 

FAST6191

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I would like to think Nintendo would see the light and do it out of the goodness of their hearts, or that the various international trade bodies would get some teeth and do something about it. However the only hope I will have is if someone manages to slip a reading of the finances in there that says it lost them money and it gets picked up. I am not sure how one would actually set about telling what it cost or gained*, especially for a multi regional company, and that is before I even consider what the effects of bad PR might be but hey.

*costs
Different hardware lines for the regions. Seen as there is no PAL/NTSC to deal with any more it is all doable in software really, which they did. About the only things you might have to worry about is wifi (Europe has more channels) but you can make models that are acceptable all over the world for no great issue -- France's headphone rulings are easy enough to do and nobody would really object if they went worldwide.
Different charge adapters. Most things are 110-240 anyway and it is just a different pack in for the box if not.
Games might not reveal unexpected audiences.
Games with pretty defined small audiences (Japanese style shmups outside Japan for instance, possibly also some fighting games) are troubled. They might buy it anyway but might not.
With region free modding tends to come hacking and all that other jazz. I think I would sooner estimate the cost of bad PR that tackle this one.
Bad PR. I know I said I wouldn't but when you can convince people it is a bad thing ( http://www.actsofgord.com/Justice/chapter01.php ) then it could be that there really is no such thing as bad PR.

Unknown.
Warranty issues. Disposal of goods issues.

Gains.
Regional price setting. Some money is better than no money and if the peeps in Japan and the English speaking world are prepared to pay a premium over Russia and more developing Asian countries then best to trouble the would be types that might circumvent that.
Profits going to the regions that might have done the advertising, translating and whatever else. If you are a company with a regional mindset and short term thinking then this is can't lose territory.
Release date setting. Marketing holds that release dates matter. If dealing with supply issues then you can try to game things here or release alongside something that boosts awareness or not release on a date which drives down sales (election days apparently, various holidays do various things).
 
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Saiyan Lusitano

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Nintendo won't even put a ethernet port on the console itself so i doubt they will have region free. Nintendo is always living in the stone age.
So even with the new president of Nintendo who admitted that Wii U was a bad idea you don't think there's hope?
 
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InsaneNutter

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The thing is Nintendo handhelds have always been region free until the 3DS, region locking always seemed like a backwards move on the 3DS. Then again Nintendo sold the 3DS XL without a charger here in the UK, thinking everyone who purchased it would be upgrading from a 3DS... so who knows with Nintendo, anything is possible.
 
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Taleweaver

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I honestly think it can go either way. It is hard to argue, though, as these forums are usually filled with people who hate region locking enough to trow false accusations and ridiculisations around. I'm sure there are benefits to it FOR THEM. The question is whether it outweighs (or continues to outweigh) the hassle that come with it, or the cons that others have with it. Oh, and...that con only counts in so far it sells less. And I'm sure that group is far lower than the people who voice opinions on it.

Some reasons it may change (though I'm not saying they are likely):
-the newest generation of consoles are region free and sell fine.
-it wasn't until the wiiu that they hit an actual loss. That realisation really might lead to things changing in the long run.
-a new CEO. Not sure to what degree Iwata defended region locks, but...who knows?
-ninty's eservice is...it is...well...it is getting there. Somewhat. Slowly. Okay, not much, but still: games can quickly become worldwide available (just like commercials like direct are available worldwide). Region locking hinders that availability.

Some reasons it may remain the same:

...

Yeah, I've got nothing. But that's the problem: I can dance around the subject all day, but I don't think anyone absolutely KNOWS why they still use it (the whole "prevent sales outside a region"-argument is about the only remaining one, and it's getting harder to believe each year).


Nintendo won't even put a ethernet port on the console itself so i doubt they will have region free. Nintendo is always living in the stone age.
*sigh*
Lemme guess: everyone who uses advanced technology you don't like is living in the stone age? :rolleyes: Nintendo started region locking their handhelds AFTER initially region free handhelds, so your chronology is screwed up.
 

cvskid

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I honestly think it can go either way. It is hard to argue, though, as these forums are usually filled with people who hate region locking enough to trow false accusations and ridiculisations around. I'm sure there are benefits to it FOR THEM. The question is whether it outweighs (or continues to outweigh) the hassle that come with it, or the cons that others have with it. Oh, and...that con only counts in so far it sells less. And I'm sure that group is far lower than the people who voice opinions on it.

Some reasons it may change (though I'm not saying they are likely):
-the newest generation of consoles are region free and sell fine.
-it wasn't until the wiiu that they hit an actual loss. That realisation really might lead to things changing in the long run.
-a new CEO. Not sure to what degree Iwata defended region locks, but...who knows?
-ninty's eservice is...it is...well...it is getting there. Somewhat. Slowly. Okay, not much, but still: games can quickly become worldwide available (just like commercials like direct are available worldwide). Region locking hinders that availability.

Some reasons it may remain the same:

...

Yeah, I've got nothing. But that's the problem: I can dance around the subject all day, but I don't think anyone absolutely KNOWS why they still use it (the whole "prevent sales outside a region"-argument is about the only remaining one, and it's getting harder to believe each year).



*sigh*
Lemme guess: everyone who uses advanced technology you don't like is living in the stone age? :rolleyes: Nintendo started region locking their handhelds AFTER initially region free handhelds, so your chronology is screwed up.
Get upset all you want, they still are behind the times. :rolleyes:
 

Muffins

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The thing is Nintendo handhelds have always been region free until the 3DS, region locking always seemed like a backwards move on the 3DS. Then again Nintendo sold the 3DS XL without a charger here in the UK, thinking everyone who purchased it would be upgrading from a 3DS... so who knows with Nintendo, anything is possible.

There's actually a pretty big reason for that, actually.

In terms of innovations, one of the biggest, most far reaching inventions Nintendo has ever made has to be region-lock. They invented it, first implemented it on the original NES (if you've ever encountered the blinky light of doom, you've seen it in action) and in some form has had it on literally every single home console they've ever produced since then. However, up until a very short period of time, Nintendo actually had separate teams that designed home consoles and handhelds. The original GB was created by a man named Gunpei Yokoi and followed a distinctly different design philosophy than the console team- and the systems that followed that philosophy, even after the man had left Nintendo and died, were all region free.
This all changed recently- Nintendo began merging the design teams and now has one single group that makes both consoles and handhelds. Because of that, certain things are now being implemented; one of those things is the all-encompassing region lock.

And it will never go away.
 
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Saiyan Lusitano

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I predict the next Nintendo console will be MORE locked, probably to each country rather than continent.
That would make absolutely no sense at all. Nintendo of Europe makes their Special Editions based in Germany for all of Europe if they were country-lock it then it'd defeat that purpose and make it all around unnecessarily complicated.
 

TotalInsanity4

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I believe there is hope but last time i check that new president of nintendo is only temporary. Could be wrong on that part though.
Nope, he's permanent. Every Nintendo president needs to be "reelected" every year, but he's not expected to not make it. Supposedly they only get the boot if they're doing absolutely horribly for the company, and it sounds like he's doing ok so far
 
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cvskid

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Sorry...you're not important enough to me to become upset over your ignorance. How about we'll meet each other half way and agree nintendo uses a technology you and I don't like?
How bout no. Don't like what i say then don't reply to it. You got upset enough to respond to me. Get lost.
 
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The Catboy

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That would require Nintendo admitting they had a bad idea. Nintendo is not known for giving up on an idea, once they have it, it stays. Remember when they said the Wii U will be "hardcore" and get 3rd Party games like the XBone/PS4? But instead we got "Wii 2," because Nintendo kept up with the same bullshit from the Wii. Remember their other promises? But instead we got stripped down games, censorship, and region-locking.
Nintendo doesn't go back on an idea, once it's set in motion, they keep moving with it.
 

nero99

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Nintendo won't even put a ethernet port on the console itself so i doubt they will have region free. Nintendo is always living in the stone age.
Why the hell should they have put an Ethernet port on a handheld? That would be a very dumb idea.
 

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