Regional Lockout

[Superbird]

I don't get it. I don't get why. I mean, isn't Nintendo making money anyway?

Also does this, like, apply to all 3DS cartridges or are they region-free like regular DS cartridges?

 

[Zero Moment]

Dunno

Nintendo is just stupid sometimes, like any other video game manufacturer.

 

[fresh fruit for Adol]

It's like the Xbox 360; the developers decide whether or not they want their games to be played on foreign systems or not, so it's the games, not the systems.

 

[Phantom]

It's like the Xbox 360; the developers decide whether or not they want their games to be played on foreign systems or not, so it's the games, not the systems.

Exactly, Microsoft does lockout, but it's the games that do the actual locking out.

It's just them covering their own asses. Nothing personal.

 

[fresh fruit for Adol]

Even though there's really nothing to be covered in the first place lol; the PS3's region free and does well enough. Even the Vita's region free, but there's only one game I'd want on that anyway lol, which does happen to be an import haha

but really there's nothing to be lost from people that import :V

 

[norblarchoop]

Have patience. Time will change the world for the better, just as always.

 

[MentheLapin]

I think I heard that they do this because specific sections of Nintendo (i.e. Nintendo of America, Nintendo of Europe) lose out on sales if imports become too common.

It makes sense when you think about it: after all, Europe missed out on a lot of great DS games that we had to import; at least Nintendo has really bucked its ideas up with the 3DS in terms of release dates.

 

[fresh fruit for Adol]

it doesn't make a bit of difference if they have no plans to release them outside of Japan though; as it stands, I'm going to have to import a japanese 3DS just so I can play Wright x Layton and Project X Zone :V

 

[Spoon]

Well, I'm curious as to how many import gamers buy the game later if it gets translated, similar to some who use ROMs or read scanlations. I mean I'm only familiar with the Pokémon fans who import so that they can play six or so months earlier than those who wait. Beyond being able to play a game earlier than most people (or play it at all for the un-translated games) are there other reasons people import?

Region-locking doesn't make sense to me; I mean the only thing preventing people from importing region-locked stuff is more money to buy a foreign region-locked system that plays the locked games. Or they'll use to ROMs instead. I mean, how does that benefit a company or be worth the effort?

 

[Dannichu]

Beyond being able to play a game earlier than most people (or play it at all for the un-translated games) are there other reasons people import?

Not nessesarily even untranslated - there are some games that are freely available in the US but never made it to Europe so UK gamers can't play it even though it's already in their language. This was most frustratingly done with Tales of the Abyss for the PS2, but happily it's been rereleased on the 3DS everywhere including Europe. It's not too big a deal since the DS isn't region-locked, but there are a bunch of DS games that you can't get in the UK without importing; I don't think any of the Shin Megami Tensei games on the DS have seen release in Europe (I got my copy of Strange Journey there last summer and haven't seen it or any others in any UK game shop), and we never got 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors or Radiant Historia.

Some games are also either cheaper or much easier to find in some places than others - you can get the Ace Attorney games cheaply in pretty much any UK game store, but I hear they're much harder to find in the US, whereas the Tales of games are slightly rare/$20-30 in the US, but in the UK Vesperia and Symphonia go for over £50/$80 each.

That said, the region lockout, while annoying, is less so now, where game companies seem to try to bring out most games everywhere at the same time (certianly in the US and Europe). We had to wait months for Ruby and Sapphire a few years ago (although the GBA was region-free), but we recently got Black and White a couple of days before America did.

 

[Spoon]

Not nessesarily even untranslated - there are some games that are freely available in the US but never made it to Europe so UK gamers can't play it even though it's already in their language. This was most frustratingly done with Tales of the Abyss for the PS2, but happily it's been rereleased on the 3DS everywhere including Europe.

Some games are also either cheaper or much easier to find in some places than others - you can get the Ace Attorney games cheaply in pretty much any UK game store, but I hear they're much harder to find in the US, whereas the Tales of games are slightly rare/$20-30 in the US, but in the UK Vesperia and Symphonia go for over £50/$80 each.

Huh, I was able to find the first three Ace Attorney games fairly easily in my area, albeit used, and rest were well stocked when they came out. I wasn't aware they were somewhat hard to come by.

But! I've noticed Europe, at least Nintendo-wise, has really improved in the past few years about releasing games in correlation with American releases. Heck, Xenoblade was released exclusively to Europe and then later released to the US due to demand. And like you mentioned with BW (and I think it was also the case with Skyward Sword), the UK has released major games a few days before the US.

Point taken, though. If memory serves, Australia still has release date issues. While Europe has missed out on some fantastic and already translated games. And availability is, unfortunately, still a problem.

 

[fresh fruit for Adol]

Heck, Xenoblade was released exclusively to Europe and then later released to the US due to demand. And like you mentioned with BW (and I think it was also the case with Skyward Sword), the UK has released major games a few days before the US.

And Xenoblade is still going to be fairly hard to find here because Gamestop didn't do anything to advertise for the game at all. Outside of the fans, there's practically no way to know about the game here.

The Last Story went through the same thing, it's only getting a US release because people wanted it and XSEED happened to be around and had interest in it as well. Unfortunately they're only planning a limited print run. As of now I think Pandora's Tower is the only one of the Wii RPGs that still doesn't have any word on a US release.

 

[Minish]

Unfortunately it ends to situations like mine, where my Lite breaks and I can no longer play my inexplicably-NTSC TWEWY or my Japanese Edgeworth 2, even though I really really want to and I have the games. :C

Buying a new TWEWY would be getting on for the price of a new second-hand DS, and pretty sure Gyakuten Kenji isn't ever being translated? Between this and no GBA slot the 3DS feels a lot less useful than its predecessors, but I'm pretty sure it's all the internet content that requires it to be locked, right?

 

[Superbird]

But...if I'm not mistaken, can't you play DS games from any country on the 3DS? The games themselves aren't supposed to be region-locked, after all...

 

[Dannichu]

Unfortunately it ends to situations like mine, where my Lite breaks and I can no longer play my inexplicably-NTSC TWEWY or my Japanese Edgeworth 2, even though I really really want to and I have the games. :C

Buying a new TWEWY would be getting on for the price of a new second-hand DS, and pretty sure Gyakuten Kenji isn't ever being translated? Between this and no GBA slot the 3DS feels a lot less useful than its predecessors, but I'm pretty sure it's all the internet content that requires it to be locked, right?

Get three to a GAME shop! I don't know how much they'd be selling Lites/base DS consoles for, but I got my PSP there for £30 and I think the 'aaaaaah we're probably being shut down!' sale is still sort of on, so I doubt it'd be too much. If nothing else, having a GBA slot for uploading Pokemon from earlier games is useful, and you'll be able to trade with yourself.

 

[Minish]

But...if I'm not mistaken, can't you play DS games from any country on the 3DS? The games themselves aren't supposed to be region-locked, after all...

Nope! :c

Get three to a GAME shop! I don't know how much they'd be selling Lites/base DS consoles for, but I got my PSP there for £30 and I think the 'aaaaaah we're probably being shut down!' sale is still sort of on, so I doubt it'd be too much. If nothing else, having a GBA slot for uploading Pokemon from earlier games is useful, and you'll be able to trade with yourself.

Yeah, used DSes (and Lites) are £50 or something :c I don't get it at all, they are legitimately so old now.