Hardware Confirmed: The 3DS is region-locked

[Arras]

Not to mention the Wii is region locked too but you can play online with people from other regions just fine.

Not for all games.

 

[FireGrey]

WTF GUYS, were you really expecting the 3ds to be region free when the wii and dsi is region-locked...

 

[rockstar99]

WTF GUYS, were you really expecting the 3ds to be region free when the wii and dsi is region-locked...

Yeah we thought the were more intelligent this generation.

 

[Goli]

Not to mention the Wii is region locked too but you can play online with people from other regions just fine.

Not for all games.

In which ones you can't? Also, before you say anything, I'm referring to games that use the Nintendo WFC, not their own private servers like Monster Hunter Tri.

 

[Goofy Time]

WTF GUYS, were you really expecting the 3ds to be region free when the wii and dsi is region-locked...

Region locks were bad there, too. Nintendo of Europe had to deal with massive amounts of people importing Super Smash Bros and hacking their systems by having an official warning on their website about it. DSi is only somewhat acceptable because it involves downloadable titles.

If the 3DS had region locking only on downloadable games, I can get that. Licences directly have a factor there. But being unable to buy a physical object and having it work on my system? That's bullshit.

It was bullshit in 1991, and it's still bullshit in 2011. Even moreso now.

 

[mkoo]

Damn.. I never get direct imports from US but I might import 3DS this time.

 

[Isabelyes]

I've been wondering - if I'd have an American 3DS, and some friends of mine would have a European 3DS, and we'd all have Mariokart 3D (or a random, different multiplayer game), would we be able to play together? :curious:

 

[Goofy Time]

I've been wondering - if I'd have an American 3DS, and some friends of mine would have a European 3DS, and we'd all have Mariokart 3D (or a random, different multiplayer game), would we be able to play together? :curious:

No clue. Nintendo may lock it out based on regions there, too. Satoru Iwata mentioned a few years ago that limiting games to regions gave a level of "individuality" to the game when discussing the game with people in other countries, which is pure fucking nonsense.

 

[Isabelyes]

I've been wondering - if I'd have an American 3DS, and some friends of mine would have a European 3DS, and we'd all have Mariokart 3D (or a random, different multiplayer game), would we be able to play together? :curious:

No clue. Nintendo may lock it out based on regions there, too. Satoru Iwata mentioned a few years ago that limiting games to regions gave a level of "individuality" to the game when discussing the game with people in other countries, which is pure fucking nonsense.

That /is/ pretty stupid indeed. >->
Was the PSP region-locked? Would a PSP multiplayer game be able to be used as reference?
Hmmm....*starts thinking*

 

[Goofy Time]

I've been wondering - if I'd have an American 3DS, and some friends of mine would have a European 3DS, and we'd all have Mariokart 3D (or a random, different multiplayer game), would we be able to play together? :curious:

No clue. Nintendo may lock it out based on regions there, too. Satoru Iwata mentioned a few years ago that limiting games to regions gave a level of "individuality" to the game when discussing the game with people in other countries, which is pure fucking nonsense.

That /is/ pretty stupid indeed. >->
Was the PSP region-locked? Would a PSP multiplayer game be able to be used as reference?
Hmmm....*starts thinking*

PSP is region free. PSN is based on region, but you can make an account for other regions to get content there.

 

[Isabelyes]

I've been wondering - if I'd have an American 3DS, and some friends of mine would have a European 3DS, and we'd all have Mariokart 3D (or a random, different multiplayer game), would we be able to play together? :curious:

No clue. Nintendo may lock it out based on regions there, too. Satoru Iwata mentioned a few years ago that limiting games to regions gave a level of "individuality" to the game when discussing the game with people in other countries, which is pure fucking nonsense.

That /is/ pretty stupid indeed. >->
Was the PSP region-locked? Would a PSP multiplayer game be able to be used as reference?
Hmmm....*starts thinking*

PSP is region free. PSN is based on region, but you can make an account for other regions to get content there.

You can actually make an account for other regions!?
...what's the point of having PSN region-locked, then? >->
(By the way, PSN is kind of like Sony's download service, right?)

 

[Goofy Time]

I've been wondering - if I'd have an American 3DS, and some friends of mine would have a European 3DS, and we'd all have Mariokart 3D (or a random, different multiplayer game), would we be able to play together? :curious:

No clue. Nintendo may lock it out based on regions there, too. Satoru Iwata mentioned a few years ago that limiting games to regions gave a level of "individuality" to the game when discussing the game with people in other countries, which is pure fucking nonsense.

That /is/ pretty stupid indeed. >->
Was the PSP region-locked? Would a PSP multiplayer game be able to be used as reference?
Hmmm....*starts thinking*

PSP is region free. PSN is based on region, but you can make an account for other regions to get content there.

You can actually make an account for other regions!?
...what's the point of having PSN region-locked, then? >->
(By the way, PSN is kind of like Sony's download service, right?)

PSN is Sony's download service. The reason it's region based has to do with licences is all. For example, Square has been able to release Parasite Eve 1 and 2 on the Japan PSN, but due to licence issues with the game, they cannot have it on the US store.

I think Sony's philosophy has been that you're going to be giving them money for the games you want, so there shouldn't be much at holding you, the consumer, from doing so and getting the games to work. It's a much better philosophy for gamers, I think.

Importing games has actually benefited gamers too. Enough people imported the Asian version of Demon's Souls to prompt Atlus to localize the game. Elite Beat Agents was another example.

 

[CarbonX13]

*sigh* Why Nintendo? Why? = =

 

[rikuumi]

 

[Goli]

That /is/ pretty stupid indeed. >->
Was the PSP region-locked? Would a PSP multiplayer game be able to be used as reference?
Hmmm....*starts thinking*

PSP is region free. PSN is based on region, but you can make an account for other regions to get content there.

You can actually make an account for other regions!?
...what's the point of having PSN region-locked, then? >->
(By the way, PSN is kind of like Sony's download service, right?)

PSN is Sony's download service. The reason it's region based has to do with licences is all. For example, Square has been able to release Parasite Eve 1 and 2 on the Japan PSN, but due to licence issues with the game, they cannot have it on the US store.

I think Sony's philosophy has been that you're going to be giving them money for the games you want, so there shouldn't be much at holding you, the consumer, from doing so and getting the games to work. It's a much better philosophy for gamers, I think.

Importing games has actually benefited gamers too. Enough people imported the Asian version of Demon's Souls to prompt Atlus to localize the game. Elite Beat Agents was another example.

But s/he's talking about multiplayer, not the PSN STORE. As far as I know, most PSP games have region free infrastructure and ad-hoc multiplayer, save for a few exceptions like PSP 2.

 

[Cyan]

I guess I'll have to by an USA version, because I want to play US game instead of crappy translated french RPG.
And, the advantage is that 250$ is cheaper than 250€ ! :yaycurrency:
(nintendo usually just change the currency without converting the price. Will they do it with 3DS too?)

 

[Rydian]

EDIT: With consoles I can understand why they lock them by region, what with the different tv standards and all that, but regionlocking a handheld is just kicking yourself in the nuts.As loaders on the Wii have proven, the refresh rate is adaptable in software, there's no technical reason to region-lock. It's for price and content control now, they just don't say that because they know people think it's still a technical issue, so they don't mention it in order to let people keep on thinking it's a technical issue (when in reality the locking is purposeful).

QUOTE(thieves like us @ Jan 11 2011, 08:15 AM) the reason for the region locking (as bad as it sounds) comes down to licensing and content laws by country.

a good [older] example of this was the movie titantic which was distributed by paramount pictures in the united states, but by 20th century fox everywhere else. another example is is capcom's breath of fire II (snes/sfc), which was actually released by squaresoft in the united states.

Actually the first was brought over by Square, then Capcom themselves brought the second one over because they saw the first worked. Too bad their translation was ass.

A better example is the US and Europe, how they deal with violence and nudity. In the US it's all violence violence violence, but god forbid a nipple appear on screen. It's the opposite in Europe for the most part, there's nudity everywhere, but they tend to censor the violence. Then you get into actual localization problems when it comes to slang and such, but mostly it's for price control and to censor different content in different areas as to not offend their target audience. Also price control. Did I mention it's so they can control the price?

 

[Ikki]

Fuck that.

Now, either Namco localizes Tales of the Abyss or I change my mind about getting a 3DS flashcard.

 

[DeadlyAnGeL91792]

Wow...thanks for giving hackers a reason nintendo lol

 

[powered_by_tux]

Sigh, soo just for you, Nintendo. Here are the facts:

1. You can't stop piracy.
2. You can't stop piracy.
3. GET OVER IT.
4. History has shown that any counter-measures to hinder (not stop - see 1. and 2.) piracy will eventually backfire, that means, it p***** off legit customers and drives them to piracy.
5. Pirates do not have to worry about that.

Lastly, Nintendo, you should be dead thankful, that there are way too many forgiving customers out there, heck, some people will *snicker* buy two 3DS because of that region-lock. But then again, who isn't so forgiving nowadays. Now, if you excuse me, I'll have to go outside and yell at some clouds.