Confirmed: Wii U is Region Locked

[MakiManPR]

Nintendo has just confirmed that the Wii U will be Region Locked. All Nintendo Home Consoles has been Region Locked so this isn't really surprising. Only the handhelds were Region Free but that ended with the 3DS. What are your thoughts about this? Did you suspect this was going to happen or did this take you by surprise?

Source

 

[Auyx]

Sucks for some people but I won't be buying one till its able to run homebrew anyways. Same thing for the 3DS.

 

[Deleted-236924]

Oh em gee!
That totally was unpredictable!

 

[Just Another Gamer]

I guess if I'm gonna buy one I guess I'll be getting the JPN one but I'm still undecided about getting one though.

 

[Carnivean]

Shame. I won't be bothering until it's hacked then.

 

[chris888222]

I just hope that there will be some sort of cross region compatibility with 3DS. I really don't want to import a Japanese Wii U.

Then again, I'm not really a home console player...

Not surprised at all really. Nintendo are masters at region locking. I just hope they won't go too far into proxy locks like online lockouts.

 

[porkiewpyne]

Nope, not throwing money at my screen Ninty

 

[FAST6191]

Although I despise region locking in all forms* up to and including things that might have made some technological sense I had kind of hoped they would go down the 360 path at least and have optional region locking.

*I would still spit in their face but if they would effect some sort of timed unlocks I might have at least found it a bit more palatable.

Roll on the Wii U hacks.

 

[Rydian]

If it wasn't region locked, then there would be a surprise.

Gotta' love price control.

Also potentially censorship, but it's a money issue in the vast majority of cases anyways since region-locking for content control because of country morals is useless (out-of-country system to match and suddenly the content's in), while region-locking content per country depending on licensing is a money issue.

 

[Deleted member 194275]

Now tell me: How a home console can be region free? You buy an European game, put on an American video game, got a black and white screen, call Nintendo and then they say that you must enter settings and force NTSC?

I only can imagine region free GAMES (like PS3).

 

[Just Another Gamer]

Now tell me: How a home console can be region free? You buy an European game, put on an American video game, got a black and white screen, call Nintendo and then they say that you must enter settings and force NTSC?

I only can imagine region free GAMES (like PS3).

You just answered your question since the PS3 is region free and it's a home console, it also sold well the only problem I have with getting one is the price.

 

[chris888222]

Now tell me: How a home console can be region free? You buy an European game, put on an American video game, got a black and white screen, call Nintendo and then they say that you must enter settings and force NTSC?

I only can imagine region free GAMES (like PS3).

PS3 says hi.

As long as Nintendo does RL appropriately and NOT locking the main features then I'm fine.

EDIT:
Based on what I heard about 3DS, the RL is software based. Nintendo just won't approve any game that is region free.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

Based on what I heard about 3DS, the RL is software based. Nintendo just won't approve any game that is region free.

And here I had hope that devs can choose if they want to region lock their games or not.

 

[chris888222]

Based on what I heard about 3DS, the RL is software based. Nintendo just won't approve any game that is region free.

And here I had hope that devs can choose if they want to region lock their games or not.

This was from quite long ago and I really have no idea whether its real.

But I guess it is true. RE Revelations had multiple language options but it is still RLed. It could have been the 3DS's first region free title.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

Based on what I heard about 3DS, the RL is software based. Nintendo just won't approve any game that is region free.

And here I had hope that devs can choose if they want to region lock their games or not.

This was from quite long ago and I really have no idea whether its real.

But I guess it is true. RE Revelations had multiple language options but it is still RLed. It could have been the 3DS's first region free title.

I guess nintendo are really giving devs the choices about how they want to go about their games. /sarcasam

 

[Lumstar]

Nintendo didn't adequately communicate that the 3DS designers based it upon DSi. Rather than original DS.
If one takes a good look at how 3DS regions and languages are handled, it all fits into place that they tested the waters for some time.

 

[FAST6191]

Re the console itself being region free

90% of my devices seem to operate on 110V to 240V at 50 or 60 Hz and a transformer capable of handling the power requirements (700W maybe) vs an individual one for both broad requirements is probably not that bad, indeed even if it does end up being more expensive there might well be an initial tradeoff between operating parallel construction lines. Beyond that the actual consoles themselves all seem to operate on low voltages (usually PC a like ones) internally anyway.

The TV stuff- European TVs have actually supported NTSC signals for decades now and if we are all supposed to be on HDMI or a proper digital signal then it is something of a moot point as well- most of the underlying chips do both modes well enough and although options are nice forcing a video mode is a simple trick that has long been performed. Going for the Wii U itself I would have sided with Nintendo on the avoiding HDMI/HDTV stuff this go around for not enough install base reasons, but when the thing itself is supposed to come with a monitor that would also play into it ("you can play anything you like but if you do not have a proper TV then you are limited to the tablet").

About the only possible reason is places like France I think it was (although the EU did seem to be getting in on it and companies often say screw it and spin off a model to comply with it and ship it across Europe) require you to limit the maximum output of a headphone socket (for good medical reasons- lots of kids have serious hearing damage from bad headphones being cranked too high) where other places do not care so much. That is not such a problem either as again software and hardware limits are trivial really.

Short version- there is no real technological need for region locking these days which means companies can be called on it.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

Short version- there is no real technological need for region locking these days which means companies can be called on it.

So overall there is no need and the only reason for region locking exist is just companies want to be able to over charge you for the same product.

 

[Flame]

I just hope Europe gets the good shit.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

I just hope Europe gets the good shit.

From what I seen of the 3DS I wouldn't get my hopes up.