In a less than shocking turn of events, Nintendo has decided to restrict online play in the new The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes game to players of the same region.

Although it's supposed to be to reduce latency and improve the game experience, this means you won't be able to play with your online buddy across the pond when the game hits shelves on October 22nd. This is coming from the only game company that still deploys region locking restrictions on its other consoles and games.

What do you think of Nintendo's region locking practices and is it time for them to rethink their policies?

Source (Pocket Gamer)

 

[BORTZ]

Luckily I almost never use my 3DS for multiplayer stuff... but this seems silly given that its 2015. Come on, Nintendo, get with the program here.

 

[xwatchmanx]

Well, AFAIK all online games (except Pokemon) have their online play region locked, so this isn't new.
Tested on Bravely Default US on an EUR console.

How is Bravely Default region locked? IIRC, the only online features are for recruiting friends, etc, and I'm pretty sure it's not region locked. I've added friends who are in other regions, and when I was in Disney World this January, the game definitely accepted villagers acquired by streetpasses from people in other regions (you can tell because the BD logo on the notification was the Eu or Jp version). I know that the streetpass part isn't online, but it would be odd of them to region lock the online features and not the streetpass features.

Also, there are a number of Nintendo games with region unlocked online. Mario Kart 8 gives you the option for worldwide matchmaking, and I'm pretty sure both Splatoon and Kid Icarus: Uprising allow western players to play with Japanese players.

 

[RevPokemon]

Luckily I almost never use my 3DS for multiplayer stuff... but this seems silly given that its 2015. Come on, Nintendo, get with the program here.

Issue is Nintendo has a quasi monopoly on the dedicated portable gaming market so they can suck as much as they want.

 

[aenoch]

Regionfree. Wont fix this. If your 3ds is hacked. And you are plsying a eu. Game on a usa system download play dosent even work

 

[BORTZ]

Issue is Nintendo has a quasi monopoly on the dedicated portable gaming market so they can suck as much as they want.

Which... Is pathetic. I have used my Vita for many a thing that requires multiplayer or heavy internet reliance and it works like a charm. I wish my 3ds was up to that kinda snuff

 

[RevPokemon]

Which... Is pathetic. I have used my Vita for many a thing that requires multiplayer or heavy internet reliance and it works like a charm. I wish my 3ds was up to that kinda snuff

Well the issue is since it is a monopoly it does not need to be. Granted the vita has better features but it doesn't matter if sales are bad. The only WiFi games on mobile Nintendo cares about are kart and Pokemon since lets face it, this game will never make as much as those do. But your right but it shows the dangers of a monopoly.

 

[MrJason005]

Kimishima to blame here?

 

[ultimatetemper]

How is Bravely Default region locked? IIRC, the only online features are for recruiting friends, etc, and I'm pretty sure it's not region locked. I've added friends who are in other regions, and when I was in Disney World this January, the game definitely accepted villagers acquired by streetpasses from people in other regions (you can tell because the BD logo on the notification was the Eu or Jp version). I know that the streetpass part isn't online, but it would be odd of them to region lock the online features and not the streetpass features.

Also, there are a number of Nintendo games with region unlocked online. Mario Kart 8 gives you the option for worldwide matchmaking, and I'm pretty sure both Splatoon and Kid Icarus: Uprising allow western players to play with Japanese players.

Try to update data from internet with a foreign BD rom, it doesn't work.

 

[InsaneNutter]

What I can't understand is Nintendo used to never region lock handheld consoles, now the majority of consoles by Nintendo's competitors are region free so Nintendo has started region locking.

 

[Dr.Hacknik]

Why would Nintendo restrict it to Regional only? Is it for safety, or just to prevent Offense to foreigners!?

Really, they should just have an option for Worldwide & Regional(Like in MKDS, and MKWii, etc)....i like playing with people who speak English, i do know Spanish though, but i still like people like me.

 

[zac122]

Nintendo's whole stance on region locking bothers me. A statement made some time ago made it seem like it was more their lawyers rather than the big N that wanted to region lock their stuff because of legal bullshit. I don't remember exactly what they said, nor do I have a link, but the general idea was that they region locked things) their consoles because ratings are different for separate regions. OK, I see the logic. I don't like it, but the logic is there anyway. The problem with this is that people import anyway, so it hardly matters.

 

[Meteor7]

Nintendo's whole stance on region locking bothers me. A statement made some time ago made it seem like it was more their lawyers rather than the big N that wanted to region lock their stuff because of legal bullshit. I don't remember exactly what they said, nor do I have a link, but the general idea was that they region locked things) their consoles because ratings are different for separate regions. OK, I see the logic. I don't like it, but the logic is there anyway. The problem with this is that people import anyway, so it hardly matters.

If it were such a legal impossibility because of rating standards across different countries, then the PSP, PS3, Vita, and even the original DS and GBAs would not have been region free. If that's really what they said, then I suspect Nintendo of spewing the stinkiest, shoddiest bullshap.

 

[zac122]

"made it seem like it was more their lawyers" was the key point with that, but either way i agree it's "legal BULLSHIT"...as i...also said earlier.

 

[Meteor7]

"made it seem like it was more their lawyers" was the key point with that, but either way i agree it's "legal BULLSHIT"...as i...also said earlier.

Well, what I was trying to say was that the law likely had nothing to do with it. If any company insists on region locking their consoles, it wouldn't be in order to please any lawyers.