Hardware Does Nintendo have a problem with importing?

[PriMieon]

i think it is really stupid that the dsi dsixl and 3ds turned into nazis

I think Nintendo has lost track of being international lately. I wish they can improve in the future but I doubt it with the way they're going.

with the 3ds being region locked i hope pokemon trades wont be

Pokemon trades arent "region-based" since GBA era.
Region lock wont prevent people from trading pokemon or even battling people from other regions.
The Wi-Fi is there in pokemon so you can play people online.

I dont think region-lock affects cross region online play in any game.

Trading is done by Wifi so its not region locked but the games are which is a huge downside in the future, I mean look at all the Japan only DS exclusives.

A 3DS game costs here in official retailers around US$ 115,50 (R$ 199,99). They sue direct importers here, so I might imagine that they do not like importing.

Seriously they sue direct importers?
Any news articles on that?

local trades... i only trade local

 

[Deleted member 473940]

i think it is really stupid that the dsi dsixl and 3ds turned into nazis

I think Nintendo has lost track of being international lately. I wish they can improve in the future but I doubt it with the way they're going.

with the 3ds being region locked i hope pokemon trades wont be

Pokemon trades arent "region-based" since GBA era.
Region lock wont prevent people from trading pokemon or even battling people from other regions.
The Wi-Fi is there in pokemon so you can play people online.

I dont think region-lock affects cross region online play in any game.

Trading is done by Wifi so its not region locked but the games are which is a huge downside in the future, I mean look at all the Japan only DS exclusives.

A 3DS game costs here in official retailers around US$ 115,50 (R$ 199,99). They sue direct importers here, so I might imagine that they do not like importing.

Seriously they sue direct importers?
Any news articles on that?

local trades... i only trade local

I knew you were and thats why I refered to GBA pokemon games.
Ever since GBA, you can trade with different language/region no problem.

 

[Click This]

Even though I'm probably a small minority, I think Nintendo shot themselves in the foot by doing this.
I'm one of the people that almost passed on the 3DS because of region lock.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

Still can't find any article about nintendo sueing direct importers...

 

[loco365]

Nintendon't like you importing their games, but there isn't a law or rule directly stating that you aren't allowed to buy it as far as I know. If I were to send in my 3DS for repairs right now, I wouldn't mind that I have an import game in my Play Log (See my Play Log to get what I mean) but if they tried to do anything to me, it'd be completely unfair. Even though the games are different for the censorship reasons (Slot machines in the J release and Voltorb Flip for international releases) I can't get in trouble as (in a way) Nintendo still got my money, even though I got it on eBay.

 

[xist]

Still can't find any article about nintendo sueing direct importers...

"We in no way condone the importing of games into territories other than where they are supposed to be sold," Nintendo's Robert Saunders told Kikizo.
"As in the past, if deemed necessary we will issue cease and desist letters to retailers whom we know are selling imported games not intended for sale within the EEA. Nintendo rigorously protects its worldwide trademarks and in doing so ensures fair play in the market for all retailers."

http://archive.video.../200612/076.asp

 

[Just Another Gamer]

Still can't find any article about nintendo sueing direct importers...

"We in no way condone the importing of games into territories other than where they are supposed to be sold," Nintendo's Robert Saunders told Kikizo.
"As in the past, if deemed necessary we will issue cease and desist letters to retailers whom we know are selling imported games not intended for sale within the EEA. Nintendo rigorously protects its worldwide trademarks and in doing so ensures fair play in the market for all retailers."

http://archive.video.../200612/076.asp

Ah okay. Thanks for the link.

Now, wow just wow but this only applies to local stores and so forth not and I don't think it applies to those people who import the game at home so to summarize unless your a retailer then you can import to your hearts content, well not really since you'll run out of money quickly if you do that but I don't think any company can touch you for importing 1 game not yet released in your area for yourself.

 

[PriMieon]

i think it is really stupid that the dsi dsixl and 3ds turned into nazis

I think Nintendo has lost track of being international lately. I wish they can improve in the future but I doubt it with the way they're going.

with the 3ds being region locked i hope pokemon trades wont be

Pokemon trades arent "region-based" since GBA era.
Region lock wont prevent people from trading pokemon or even battling people from other regions.
The Wi-Fi is there in pokemon so you can play people online.

I dont think region-lock affects cross region online play in any game.

Trading is done by Wifi so its not region locked but the games are which is a huge downside in the future, I mean look at all the Japan only DS exclusives.

A 3DS game costs here in official retailers around US$ 115,50 (R$ 199,99). They sue direct importers here, so I might imagine that they do not like importing.

Seriously they sue direct importers?
Any news articles on that?

local trades... i only trade local

I knew you were and thats why I refered to GBA pokemon games.
Ever since GBA, you can trade with different language/region no problem.

ever since the game boy was out the games were region free... 3ds changed it... ever since gba and ds local playing was not region locked... they changed stuff.. hope the do not do it with pokemon

 

[JoostinOnline]

ever since the game boy was out the games were region free... 3ds changed it... ever since gba and ds local playing was not region locked... they changed stuff.. hope the do not do it with pokemon

The DSi was region locked for DLC, and both the Wii and GC were region locked. I don't know about previous consoles.

 

[PriMieon]

ever since the game boy was out the games were region free... 3ds changed it... ever since gba and ds local playing was not region locked... they changed stuff.. hope the do not do it with pokemon

The DSi was region locked for DLC, and both the Wii and GC were region locked. I don't know about previous consoles.

64 super and nintendo classic were toooooo

 

[Just Another Gamer]

ever since the game boy was out the games were region free... 3ds changed it... ever since gba and ds local playing was not region locked... they changed stuff.. hope the do not do it with pokemon

The DSi was region locked for DLC, and both the Wii and GC were region locked. I don't know about previous consoles.

64 super and nintendo classic were toooooo

Yea nintendo loves their region lock alot more than sony or microsoft but the GBA and DS was region free and it sold very well, I don't see why they would opt to lock the whole console and not just online services instead I mean Sony locked the Vita's PSN to 1 region only and changing it is annoying while the console and games are region free.

 

[JoostinOnline]

ever since the game boy was out the games were region free... 3ds changed it... ever since gba and ds local playing was not region locked... they changed stuff.. hope the do not do it with pokemon

The DSi was region locked for DLC, and both the Wii and GC were region locked. I don't know about previous consoles.

64 super and nintendo classic were toooooo

Yea nintendo loves their region lock alot more than sony or microsoft but the GBA and DS was region free and it sold very well, I don't see why they would opt to lock the whole console and not just online services instead I mean Sony locked the Vita's PSN to 1 region only and changing it is annoying while the console and games are region free.

They do it so they can control prices across regions.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

ever since the game boy was out the games were region free... 3ds changed it... ever since gba and ds local playing was not region locked... they changed stuff.. hope the do not do it with pokemon

The DSi was region locked for DLC, and both the Wii and GC were region locked. I don't know about previous consoles.

64 super and nintendo classic were toooooo

Yea nintendo loves their region lock alot more than sony or microsoft but the GBA and DS was region free and it sold very well, I don't see why they would opt to lock the whole console and not just online services instead I mean Sony locked the Vita's PSN to 1 region only and changing it is annoying while the console and games are region free.

They do it so they can control prices across regions.

I honestly don't see the need I mean if you import a game the company still gets the profit so they don't lose at all so I hardly see the point to have to control prices and force people in a place like australia where retailers overcharge to pay much more than every where else.

 

[Skelletonike]

Prices might be one of the reasons, but I doubt that's really the main issue.
I sometimes import game swhen they don't get released in Europe, however since the 3DS was released, Nintendo has been treating Europe much better, games that usually never reached our shores, are now being localised: Tales of the Abyss, Spirit Camera, One Piece (although that started with the wii), Inazuma Eleven (started on the DS but seems like they're planning on releasing all the games in Europe, seeing as the anime is being aired here for a long time now), among others.
Nintendo is getting better at localising games in Europe, and if the rumours of Monster Hunter being released in Europe are indeed true, then I won't have any complaints regarding the region lock. The one game that I'd like to play but can't is SMT Devil Survivor Overclocked, but seeing as I have a DS imported copy already, I don't really need it anyway. >.<
And Ghostlight seems to be thinking about localising Overclocked anyway. =3

 

[tbgtbg]

ever since the game boy was out the games were region free... 3ds changed it... ever since gba and ds local playing was not region locked... they changed stuff.. hope the do not do it with pokemon

The DSi was region locked for DLC, and both the Wii and GC were region locked. I don't know about previous consoles.

64 super and nintendo classic were toooooo

Well, N64 and SNES were just physical lockouts, where you can't normally fit carts from Japan into an American system (or vice versa) but cut some tabs out of the slot (or use a convertor) and no problem. PAL region is trickier just because of the different video standards, and NES/Famicom is also trickier because the cart connector itself is a different design with a different number of pins but convertors do exist.

GB, GBC, GBA, and DS carts are all completely interchangeable between region.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

Prices might be one of the reasons, but I doubt that's really the main issue.
I sometimes import game swhen they don't get released in Europe, however since the 3DS was released, Nintendo has been treating Europe much better, games that usually never reached our shores, are now being localised: Tales of the Abyss, Spirit Camera, One Piece (although that started with the wii), Inazuma Eleven (started on the DS but seems like they're planning on releasing all the games in Europe, seeing as the anime is being aired here for a long time now), among others.
Nintendo is getting better at localising games in Europe, and if the rumours of Monster Hunter being released in Europe are indeed true, then I won't have any complaints regarding the region lock. The one game that I'd like to play but can't is SMT Devil Survivor Overclocked, but seeing as I have a DS imported copy already, I don't really need it anyway. >.<
And Ghostlight seems to be thinking about localising Overclocked anyway. =3

Your lucky your in the UK, being in Australia we usually get things last and I mean very bloody last.

I wish Nintendo come out and say the real reason why they decided to region lock the whole console and not just the online services instead of letting us speculate why they decided that..

 

[Cyan]

About the Snes, it wasn't only a physical lockup.
The games (Some of them) checked the region on boot and printed you a nice message saying that this game is not for your region.

It was mainly a frequency checking, as installing a modchip (or resistance/diode) to switch 50/60Hz fixed that.
Some adaptaters existed too, where you had to put two cartridge, one from your region and one imported.

Only very few games (Super Mario RPG, maybe Star Ocean too?) had a real region protection, it didn't work on PAL chipped console.
Or maybe it's caused by the internal cartridge chipset and wasn't an intended protection.

 

[Kuragari Ryo]

I wish they hadn't decided to region lock the 3DS; how will I play my new precious Puyo Puyo games now? D:
Good thing I still have my DS and PSP to get my fill of Puyo

 

[Jetowa]

When did the 3DS get region lock for DS games? As far as I remember I was able to play jap/ds games with 3.0 firmware?

 

[Just Another Gamer]

When did the 3DS get region lock for DS games? As far as I remember I was able to play jap/ds games with 3.0 firmware?

3DS is only region locked for 3DS games not DS games. All region DS games work with the 3DS.