Nintendo comments on 3DS region locking

by James Ransom-Wiley on Jan 18th 2011 11:30AM

Nintendo has offered vague confirmation to VG247 of last week's report that 3DS hardware and software would include regional lockout programming. "Nintendo 3DS hardware is available in three versions: Japanese, American and European/Australian," clarified a company statement, which added that "there is the possibility that Nintendo 3DS software sold in one region will not function properly when running on Nintendo 3DS hardware sold in another."

Nintendo cited obvious language differences, as well as regional age ratings, parental controls and "local laws" as factors in the manufacturing of (subtly) different hardware models. Additionally, the variations of the handheld are designed to provide "network services" that are compatible with regional technology. Like the DSi Shop before it, the 3DS's digital distribution channel is likely to be only stocked with region-locked content.

As for physical products, Nintendo assured that "guidance" would appear on all 3DS hardware and software packaging. (NTSC-coded Wii game boxes, for example, include the note: "For sale, rental and use only in the USA, Canada, Mexico and Latin America.") "If you are in doubt," the statement concluded, "Nintendo recommends that you only purchase Nintendo 3DS software in the region where [you] purchased your Nintendo 3DS system."

Tomorrow, you'll find out how to purchase that system in your region of choice -- and for how much.

Source: VG247

Tags: 3ds, drm, ds, hardware, nintendo, region-locked, region-locking, software

Reader Comments (34)

I read at NeoGAF that apparently the region blocking will be per publisher, just like with the 360.

@FernandoRocker
I hope so. Now we need a wiki article with a list of confirmed working imports. Number one...make it so!

wow. thanks Joystiq i actually wanted to find out in depth about this topic... i wanted to import a 3DS to show off to friends and co-workers but somone pointed out that the DS was region locked, so the 3DS might be too. I guess i'll wait patiently like everyone else

@PR0F3TA the DS wasn't region locked, dude. Just the DSi, and even then it was just the DSiWare store.

@Keiichi
DSi-enhanced games (such as Pokémon Black/White) are also region-locked when played in a DSi. So a Japanese copy won't work in a UK DSi but will work in a UK DS Lite.

@Keiichi Some (all?) DSi enhanced games are region locked when played on DSi / DSi XL. Among them, Pokemon Black & White. It isn't just DSiWare.

Curse you late-loading comments!

@PR0F3TA Gah - my bad. Never bothered with DSi-enhanced stuff, so I'd forgotten about it (=\)

If the DS was region locked to start with, I wouldn't have known about the Ouendan games, neither would anyone else in the West, and we might not have seen Elite Beat Agents. I wouldn't have known about the Jump Super/Ultimate Stars games. I would have missed out on a much richer gaming experience -- which, thank the stars, I didn't.

When a console is locked like this, the manufacturer is doing the consumer a great disservice, as if the restricted games are too good for them. However, ways and means will always be found - wild cards, boot disks, slide tools, supercards...

In locking out regions for the 3DS, Nintendo just perpetuated that fact. As long as they stop us (the consumers) from playing what we would gladly hand over coin of the realm for, we WILL find other means to do so. You put a wall in our way, we'll just go around you.

@Keiichi
3D is bad and nintendo said so

DSi has no Adv slot so i'm sticking with a DSlite till someone can have Adv games on a flash card

@deepspacebar

You are under 6 years old?

@Keiichi

The problem is that right now EVERYBODY is complaining, but when somebody comes with a solution everybody complains more because it allows "piracy", but that´s what is going to happen, it´s always the same. Guess you can´t make everybody happy.

Yep, and these local laws somehow didn't create problems for any of the other region free products on the market. Nope, this certainly isn't complete bull.

If different regional rating systems was the problem, then you could solve that very easily by adding them all and letting the user use the one in their region. It couldn't possibly take much time. But no, Nintendo prefers to screw their customers over. Can't wait to wait half a year for them to release SSB4 over here. Half a year after the US release date, of course.

Nintendo's release schedule + region locking = bad handheld system by default.

I never understood why companies felt the need to region lock their products.

@Ospov Mostly "Grey Market" Imports. Games are different costs in different countries, and often someone from a country that charges more will import a game from a country that charges less. This isn't about them trying to stifle people importing titles (I import pokemon games to keep up on my Japanese) it's just them trying to protect their bottom line. It's such a shame that region locking is the first reason people turn to hacking a console, but they rarely stop there...

@RyogaWanderer

I understand the need to protect their bottom line and everything, but it's just annoying for anybody that wants to import games (mainly from Japan). I'm not one of those people, but I know there are plenty out there and if they can't import them, then they'll probably pirate them instead of buying a Japanese 3DS and then importing the game. There are a lot of Japan-only games on Nintendo's systems and they're completely cutting off an entire fan-base by doing this.

Now which would be better for Nintendo: importing a game or pirating a game? That's where I'm coming from.

@RyogaWanderer That doesn't explain why the vast majority of 360 games by Japanese publishers are region locked. Japanese games cost more than games in most other regions of the world, so there's no reason to not allow people in other countries to buy them. Not to mention the language barrier should be enough to deter most people from importing/exporting from/to Japan in the first place.

@Ospov

Money.

Regional lockout promotes price discrimination between countries (like they can charge upwards of 70 or 120 for new releases in some countries for the exact same game you can get elsewhere for 20$). And funnier...its technically illegal.

Here's a line from a wiki-page talking about it: "Region-code enforcement has been discussed as a possible violation of World Trade Organization free trade agreements or competition law."

Also, I keep clicking your avatar because I have this unhealthy urge to SHOOT IT!....sorry :/

What about my Oundan 3!?

Thanks for inciting piracy nintendo. Good Luck!

@RodrigoCard Meh, piracy was going to happen regardless. Just like how it's silly that people are saying the PS3 was only hacked because the OtherOS option was removed - after all, they had been attempting to hack it for a long time before that and the OtherOS thing was just an excuse, just like GeoHot's excuses - it's silly to try to make it sound like Nintendo's actions are the cause of piracy...

People will hack regardless. They'll hack anything so long as it means they can circumvent security and get stuff for free. By region locking the 3DS, all Nintendo are really doing is upsetting the legitimate customer. Seems I'll have to buy a flashcard for the 3DS, though, otherwise I'll miss out on a lot of games.

@RodrigoCard
To be fair, the DS isn't region locked, and it's probably the most pirated system out there - if not EVER.

Getting these comments from the mouth of a company such a notoriously spotty record for localizing its products really feels like a slap in the face.

The lock in the picture made me lol. Thanks, Joystiq!

Both GBA and DS games say "For sale, rental and use only in the USA, Canada, Mexico and Latin America." but they still work in my UK GBA and DS.

This clarifies nothing.

@Mr Esc: I'd sell my soul, again, for a Mother 1+2+3 3DS remake collection with visuals stylized as sculpted clay models.

If it does turn out to be region locked, I'm not getting one. You pretty much have to import if you live in a country where the local distributors suck.

@thomeval

*Raises hand* I travel all over the world and where I'm currently situated...there is *no way* to get decent games from local places...yeah they sell em...but they have no concept of fair pricing at all over here :p.

So yeah, just because I hopped a big-ass puddle...they alienated me from playing the 3DS.

That's a bit better then. If I can't have fully region-free gaming then at least give me partial region-free gaming.
Just hope publishers realise that handheld games are portable and that region locking is moronic for such a device.

I would like to point out to Nintendo that Ouendan/EBA owes it's success to imports, and this could prevent a similar sort of breakout hit...

Also, I like to pick up DS games when on vacation in other countries, and this prevents me from doing that.

Lastly

1. Reduce the # of ways consumers can buy our product at a higher price. (I'm in the US)
2. ???
3. Profit (how?)

I guess that the fact that Nintendo knows what step 2 is makes them better bussiness men than me.

*Flameshield UP!*

Granted, the more info about the 3DS, the more I think that Nintendo is setting itself up to be defeated by Apple, in the same way that they defeated Sony.

And yes, there is very good possibility that iOS devices become the new dominant player in the Handheld market. There are a large number of good reasons, and I'll post them if anyone wants, but for now, this comment is already way to long

I sorta maybe kinda get region locks on home consoles, maybe, but on a portable system? They are going to kill airport trade. You go on holiday, beat the games you brought along, and want something else. Waiting till you get back home is dumb. That's a lost sale right there.

from battery life and now this... they was hyping so much the 3DS bubble that now it exploded and the expectation its back to the reality...

seriously what a disappointment imagine if i want an anime game like gundam and robot wars those kind of games dont see release on america, and obviously now that its region locked i cant play it too...

i mean if ps3 and previous nintendo portable did it right with the region free, i cant understand why nintendo cant do it now.

@eilegz

It gets worse.

I have pretty much the same 3D screen in my mobile phone (also made by Sharp) and it is a headache inducing gimmick that is only fun for a few mins at a time.

Its useful for showing off to friends but after 6-12 months when every kid and their dog has a 3DS the novelty would have worn off and we are still left with a device that has to shoulder the extra costs of a useless feature.

Developers will be expected to shoehorn in 3D content which will increase development time/expense and the price of the game and console will be higher than it should be.

I'll just save me some headaches and import the US one from the get go.

Nintendo comments on 3DS region locking

Reader Comments (34)

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 11:32AM FernandoRocker said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 3:15PM SuperWoody64 said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 11:35AM PR0F3TA said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 11:49AM Keiichi said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 11:57AM Cube said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:00PM Epoque said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:01PM Epoque said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:13PM Keiichi said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 11:47AM Keiichi said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:36PM deepspacebar said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:50PM commenter7 said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 2:49PM Hunter141072 said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 11:54AM Mehbah said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 11:57AM Ospov said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:06PM RyogaWanderer said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 1:56PM Ospov said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 2:07PM Reikon said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 2:08PM ShadowXIII said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:30PM Vaancor said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:32PM RodrigoCard said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:58PM Wintrale said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 4:11PM Pandaman said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:38PM gatotsu911 said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 12:46PM Xeno378 said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 1:00PM Richard Jae said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 1:04PM cuteSAVAGE said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 1:29PM thomeval said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 2:12PM ShadowXIII said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 2:21PM VeeDeeVee said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 2:46PM Johe4871 said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 3:16PM Dale P said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 5:11PM eilegz said

Posted: Jan 18th 2011 9:13PM Eliott said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 4:17AM Malmer said

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