Hardware Would changing the motherboard in a 3ds change its region?

[TripleSMoon]

I hate piracy, as well as Region Locks.

Yeah. Honestly, I can't imagine how region locking prevents piracy. All region locking does is arbitrarily keep you from buying another country's games, or version of a game that's also available in your country. They're getting the same amount of money from you either way, so why would Nintendo care?

But that's a completely different subject, so I'll stop there.

 

[bowser]

It's a risky undertaking because of the complexity of the hardware.

Please post the results and step by step pics!

 

[mepstein10]

I hate piracy, as well as Region Locks.

Yeah. Honestly, I can't imagine how region locking prevents piracy. All region locking does is arbitrarily keep you from buying another country's games, or version of a game that's also available in your country. They're getting the same amount of money from you either way, so why would Nintendo care?

But that's a completely different subject, so I'll stop there.

I can hazard a guess why Nintendo cares from a legal standpoint. It has to do mainly with licensing and different content per region. For instance Europe is more free with sexual content but tones down the violence, with USA, it's the opposite, and Japan.....well Japan is Japan. There also is the issue with games that will be published soon, but gamers from other regions get it earlier and potentially for less (as in the case of UK gamers who have imported games from the USA, and the sales of those particular games suffering in the UK as a result). Another reason Nintendo has mentioned was online game interactions and different rating systems (PEGI vs ESRB). It would have been easy to keep the system region free but lock the online stores to separate regions as they did with the DSI, or as sony did the PS Vita.

It's a risky undertaking because of the complexity of the hardware.

Please post the results and step by step pics!

I shall. Of course it is a risky undertaking, but is anything worthwhile ever without risk? It is the risk that makes our successes so worthwhile.

 

[YamiHoshi.nl]

I can't agree with the Rating Systems, as Germany uses different ratings as the rest of Europe, and Australia uses a different one as well.
And yet they're compatible with each other.

Also, I had a good laugh, when you said, "Japan is Japan".

 

[mepstein10]

I can't agree with the Rating Systems, as Germany uses different ratings as the rest of Europe, and Australia uses a different one as well.
And yet they're compatible with each other.

Also, I had a good laugh, when you said, "Japan is Japan".

Well that was the intent so I am glad someone enjoyed it. I have to admit I do not agree with rating systems. I think we all should just use the Japanese one. The entire system is so counter-intuitive, but then again that's what happens when governmental organizations become involved. A guarantee for something to not get anywhere is to involve the government, because by the time a decision is made, the universe would have undergone heat death!

 

[Cartmanuk]

It should be straight forward swapping the Mobos over.

Would the cart reader for the 3ds need to swapped as well or would just the motherboard be sufficient?

The slot 1 is universal as its just a case with pins that allows the cartridge to be read and nothing more.

Everything that controls region lock and read data is contained within the motherboard so change it over and job done to get your white USA

 

[mepstein10]

It should be straight forward swapping the Mobos over.

Would the cart reader for the 3ds need to swapped as well or would just the motherboard be sufficient?

The slot 1 is universal as its just a case with pins that allows the cartridge to be read and nothing more.

Everything that controls region lock and read data is contained within the motherboard so change it over and job done to get your white USA

That's what I thought.

 

[bowser]

I shall. Of course it is a risky undertaking, but is anything worthwhile ever without risk? It is the risk that makes our successes so worthwhile.

I agree. I recently had to completely disassemble my iPhone 4 to replace the home button. I was successful and it was well worth the risk

 

[AceWarhead]

I shall. Of course it is a risky undertaking, but is anything worthwhile ever without risk? It is the risk that makes our successes so worthwhile.

I agree. I recently had to completely disassemble my iPhone 4 to replace the home button. I was successful and it was well worth the risk

I disassembled my Mad Catz GC controller to fix an analog nub issue... and all the wires snapped off...
But the 3DS will be much simpler, I think. From the stripdown photos, at least

 

[Janthran]

I disassembled my Mad Catz GC controller to fix an analog nub issue... and all the wires snapped off...

Those things sucked anyway.

 

[TripleSMoon]

I can hazard a guess why Nintendo cares from a legal standpoint. It has to do mainly with licensing and different content per region. For instance Europe is more free with sexual content but tones down the violence, with USA, it's the opposite, and Japan.....well Japan is Japan. There also is the issue with games that will be published soon, but gamers from other regions get it earlier and potentially for less (as in the case of UK gamers who have imported games from the USA, and the sales of those particular games suffering in the UK as a result). Another reason Nintendo has mentioned was online game interactions and different rating systems (PEGI vs ESRB). It would have been easy to keep the system region free but lock the online stores to separate regions as they did with the DSI, or as sony did the PS Vita.

That would just be overly controlling, in my opinion. There's already ratings in each country, what are they to say what foreign buyers (many, if not most, of whom will be 18 or older) can and can't buy, just based on ratings?

 

[mepstein10]

I can hazard a guess why Nintendo cares from a legal standpoint. It has to do mainly with licensing and different content per region. For instance Europe is more free with sexual content but tones down the violence, with USA, it's the opposite, and Japan.....well Japan is Japan. There also is the issue with games that will be published soon, but gamers from other regions get it earlier and potentially for less (as in the case of UK gamers who have imported games from the USA, and the sales of those particular games suffering in the UK as a result). Another reason Nintendo has mentioned was online game interactions and different rating systems (PEGI vs ESRB). It would have been easy to keep the system region free but lock the online stores to separate regions as they did with the DSI, or as sony did the PS Vita.

That would just be overly controlling, in my opinion. There's already ratings in each country, what are they to say what foreign buyers (many, if not most, of whom will be 18 or older) can and can't buy, just based on ratings?

It would be less controlling than it is now. As it stands, consumers can't access games or the online stores other than the one in their region unless they have a different region system. And most companies do not really care about foreign buyers, or import buyers, they make a very small percent of their profit margin, and if a said game was even in consideration of being localized, regardless if there is a set date or not, the head section of the region would consider the import as a lost sale. Not many people buy games twice afterall.


But regardless of our debates and counterpoints, we are not the ones in control. Until a circumvention measure is put into place all we can do is dream.

 

[TripleSMoon]

It would be less controlling than it is now. As it stands, consumers can't access games or the online stores other than the one in their region unless they have a different region system. And most companies do not really care about foreign buyers, or import buyers, they make a very small percent of their profit margin, and if a said game was even in consideration of being localized, regardless if there is a set date or not, the head section of the region would consider the import as a lost sale. Not many people buy games twice afterall.


But regardless of our debates and counterpoints, we are not the ones in control. Until a circumvention measure is put into place all we can do is dream.

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough... I meant the way it is NOW is too controlling, not what you were proposing.

 

[mepstein10]

It would be less controlling than it is now. As it stands, consumers can't access games or the online stores other than the one in their region unless they have a different region system. And most companies do not really care about foreign buyers, or import buyers, they make a very small percent of their profit margin, and if a said game was even in consideration of being localized, regardless if there is a set date or not, the head section of the region would consider the import as a lost sale. Not many people buy games twice afterall.


But regardless of our debates and counterpoints, we are not the ones in control. Until a circumvention measure is put into place all we can do is dream.

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough... I meant the way it is NOW is too controlling, not what you were proposing.

Oh I see. Well needless to say I wholeheartedly agree. Hopefully a solution will be found sometime soon.