Hey, all you fans of Japanese imports. Yeah, you -- the guy (or girl!) who jams out to Taiko No Tatsujin on a regular basis and forked over a bundle to pre-order a copy of Rhythm Tengoku Gold. Guess what you won't be able to do in future if you buy the soon-to-be-released Nintendo DSi software?
According to an announcement from Nintendo today, the DSi's software will be region-locked for major territories, including North America, Japan and Europe. Nintendo's reasoning, according to Eurogamer, was that "(the) DSi embeds net communication functionality within itself and we are intending to provide net services specifically tailored for each region."
New parental controls are also in the works for each region, which would certainly mean the friend code system could be changing as well. It was never specifically mentioned, but we'll have to see what happens.
Of course, if you have the current DS Lite, you can still go on enjoying your imports, but I can't see a worse way to turn niche gamers off to Nintendo's new version of the popular handheld. People that are uninterested in import games won't care, but there are a lot of us who do care and would prefer to keep our good old DS Lite, thank you very much.
[Via GamePro -- Thanks, Joe]
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21 comments + 95764 views
BISOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!
Death to the DSi!
Crappy craptastic crap!
that is so low.
I am so uninterested in the DSi that it boggles my mind that anyone is giving it serious attention.
Loss of GBA? Loss of imports? Lower battery life? For what? A damn camera and an mp3 player? Can't the current DS, with some stuff, play mp3's anyway?
Ouendaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
Nintendo knows the people who will know the difference between the DS and the DSi are not the majority and so they will still make oodles of money.
Technically, the DS carts are region-free. The region locking part would be the DS-i store and Wi-Fi browsers.
This is why NOA keeps knocking around that the DS-i might be a simultaneous sku rather than the permanent upgrade.
ZIEG DS! ZIEG DS! ZIEG DS!
doesn't bother me. I was planning on Importing the DSi out of sheer "HEY GAYZ LooK aT DIS!?!?!"
still...if the interwebz is just region locked and not the "Games" then it's different. but otherwise....ZIEG DS!
Well that disappointing. I don't import so it won't affect me, but it sucks for all that do.
dsiware better have some of the greatest handheld games ever or I can't see myself buying this.
This almost certainly has to do with the DSiWare stuff. The talk about region-specific content makes me believe that.
@killias2
totally agree with you, This thing really doesn't appeal to me, a crappy camera that ill never use and an SD slot for music and movies that my ipod touch can handle better in exchange for imports, GBA games and battery life...FACK OFF NINTY!
They aren't stopping production of regular DS games so you can still import. Anyone bitching about how they're not getting a DSi because of this specifically are just forgoing their region as well in a pointless statement.
Aaaaand that's it. I've been weighing up the pros and cons of the DSi all week, teetering on whether to shell out for one when it arrives or not. I was drifting towards the 'Buy' side but now, well I'm afraid I have officially decided not to get one.
Unless however, the region lock is only for the DS Shop games and cartridge based games are still region free. Then I may have to undecide.
Balls. That's just stupid as hell >.<
It's just the new stuff - I doubt there is any identification system in place to tell where DS cards are released, so this would only be the DSi-specific digitally-released stuff.
Getting rid of my DS Lite was never an option. Buying a DSi in addition is the question at hand. This news doesn't affect it.
You guys made it seem like all imported software will be incompatible with the DSi. However, I believe that original DS Lite software will still be compatible. Besides, How can anybody complain about software we won't get when not a single DSi exclusive game has been shown. I will probably still get one. Also, it would be really great if they got rid of friend codes for good.
fuck that shit
I can't wait for the death of:
Region Encoding
DRM
Trips to retail stores
Serial numbers
Friend codes
The DSi sucks more and more every day.
There's going to have to be a fucking awesome game to make this work otherwise we've got a Viruta Boy 2 on our hands.
Are people missing the comments above that it's the online capabilities that are region locked and not the physical DS carts? This will play your import Ouendan and american EBA games no problem. But it's the online aspects (DS store and browser) that are locked to regions.
WWHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT!!!!!
I don't care about the DSi, hence I don't care about this.
Problem solved =P
@Conan-San
Dragon Quest 9 sounds pretty meteoric. This explains why the game looks and runs so much better than other DS games too.
At least I won't get raped by those freaking Japanese Mario Kart players...
You know what... at first I wanted to just RANT about how stupid Ninty is... I live in Europe and I hate nothing more than not being able to play cool games from other regions (also being ripped off).
Ninty only gives pirates and crackers a new reason to crack their software, distribute it illegaly and so on...
...and you know what I really don't care - if they don't want my money - I'm going to try to circument their region codes, because I think region locking is just not only bad karma, but it's also criminal to withhold cool games from me.
So I'm really not that excited, just count me over the "won't pay anymore for import games because I have other sources" guys.
FUCK YOU NINTY FUCK YOU!!!!! (pardon my french)
jackal27: nah, you'll just get raped by the hackers of your specific region
Well, I hate this kind of typical Nintendo BS (see the pun there?), so I'll abstain from buying one until I see a more positive news on it.
I'm gonna be keeping my DS Lite anyway, and may possibly buy a second one.
Wow, and I knew I wasn't going to get a DSi, my reasons still stand. I was expecting this actually.
Someone needs to confirm if its the games as well as the DS shop... *ahem* Colette *ahem*
* Well, Wii is too region locked, but...huhuhu.
to specify, this is only on downloadable software, all DS cartridges are still importable. Sorry, with Nintendo crapping on me ever since the Wii came out i'm trying to look at the DSi as the glass half full.
From Eurogamer:
"Update: Nintendo has told us that software is their term for everything these days, including games products, so it sounds like the DSi's region-locking will be broad-based on all releases that require the new hardware."
Personally, I never import games. However, if not for the import success of 'Ouendan' then 'Elite Beat Agents' would likely have not seen a US release. Therefore, I am still affected even though I never order anything from the East.
Boooourns.
That's not change it's more of the same!
It would be nice if even just once nintendo would choke to death on a dick. If only we fanboys didn't support them through the hard times they wouldn't be insulting us at every turn like this.
As talented as they are, Nintendo are arseholes.
True, without the import success of Ouendan, there'd be no EBA. What annoys is there being not enough acknowledgement of import gamers over pirates. Nintendo like to mix us all in the same bag.
ANUS and i was thinking of picking up a DSi while i was in japan in december.
Screw this. I want region free store too. They have a lot of awesome software out there in all regions, and limiting it for whatever purpose they thought was being served here by limiting online access just does nothing but make me more assured than ever that I'm not bothering with the DSi.
This will be the most useless and half-baked Nintendo upgrade since the Game Boy Pocket.
Well, I'll just stock up on DS Lites and I'll be just fine.
And NOT other stuffs too.
Fuck Nintendo. I hope this shit doesn't sell so maybe they can learn a lesson for once. Knowing how those Japanese are though, it well sell like fucking hotcakes there because its slimmer and shinier and new.
Awesome! I get to save my money!
Weak, but I can't say I didn't expect it. They've been pretty strict about regions when it comes to downloadable content so far.
This does not affect me at all, nor will it the thousands of consumers who could give a shit but don't. Seriously, if people think that this will significantly hurt it sales, you're going to be disappointed. Much ado about nothing, really.
Well, that sucks. I know here they were selling copies of Jump Super/Ultimate stars at Best Buy up here in MI when it got popular with importers, so just when the big chains start to put their toe into the import tank the Nintendo shark comes over and bites it off.
"Ninty only gives pirates and crackers a new reason to crack their software, distribute it illegaly and so on...
...and you know what I really don't care - if they don't want my money - I'm going to try to circument their region codes, because I think region locking is just not only bad karma, but it's also criminal to withhold cool games from me."
Things always go terribly for me when I discuss piracy in the comments section and I thought it was my fault but when people say shit that is this fucking retarded it makes my blood boil no many how many times I get shouted down. Even if you're joking about the criminal part you clearly think piracy is more than justifiable which is completely insane.
To address the complaints once again (not including the dozen other people that have done so):
GAME CARTS ARE STILL REGION FREE AND ONLY THE DOWNLOADABLE SOFTWARE AND DSi SPECIFIC GAMES (OF WHICH NOT A SINGLE ONE HAS BEEN SEEN SO FAR) ARE REGION ENCODED. YOU CAN STILL IMPORT DS GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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