Nintendo Takes Huge Step Backward, DSi Is Region-Locked
It only took five days after the DSi was revealed for Nintendo to make an announcement that negates any excitement I once had for it. In an interview with Eurogamer yesterday Nintendo let it slip out that the shiny new Nintendo DSi would be region-locked.
Because DSi embeds net communication functionality within itself and we are intending to provide net services specifically tailored for each region... Also because we are including parental control functionality for Nintendo DSi and each region has its unique age limit made by different independent bodies.
Oddly, this directly contradicts what Nintendo of America's Cammie Dunaway told Wired Magazine four days ago.
Wired.com: Will [Japanese DSi games and downloadable DSi games] be region-locked? Can I buy a U.S. DSi and access the software that Japanese consumers can download?Dunaway: I believe that just as you can currently buy a DS in Japan and use it here in the U.S., that you should be able to do that with DSi.
Finally, this morning Nintendo gave an official response to CVG regarding the region-lock on DSi games.
DSi software (software that is only compatible with DSi) is region locked, eg: European DSi software can only be played on European DSi consoles... Nintendo DS software however is region free so you can play any DS software on DSi from any region. You can also browse the Internet on your DSi wherever you are in the world and exchange your photos with friends from around the world.
Now, gamers have become begrudgingly accustomed to region-locking in console games, but region-locking is an absolute no-no in the handheld market. A handheld system is meant for travel, and travel often means going to other countries, where it's possible you might buy a game or two for the trip back home. That's just the conventional wisdom of the handheld market, but let us also not forget that some of the best games for the DS have never made it stateside. If the DS and DS Lite were region-locked I never would have been able to play Band Brothers, Ouendan! and it's sequel, ASH, or Tingle's Freshly Picked Rosy Rupeeland. All of these great games never came out in the US, but because the DS is region-free I've still been able to enjoy them.
To be fair, all regular DS games will still be region-free. So you'll still be able to play all of your import DS games on the new DSi system. The DSi is only region-locked with regard to new games that will be specific to the DSi. So there's also that little hidden announcement that Nintendo will be making games that will only play on the DSi, but that was expected eventually.
So let's say hypothetically something like Oendan 3 comes out for the DSi allowing for custom songs through the SD card. Sounds amazing, right? Well, with region-locking for the DSi we'd never get to find out how amazing it is.
I can understand different regions getting different Wi-Fi functionality, and I can understand different regions having different parental controls. What I don't understand is why the DSi can't have all regions programmed into it, with the system activating a region's settings based on which game is put into the system. As a long-time Nintendo fan, I'm getting tired of it always being two steps forward and one step back.
NaviFairy
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 7 October 2008
· Comments (5)
Other stuff like this: DSi, Nintendo, region lock
Fortunately, if something like Ouendan 3 were to come out with an awesome feature like you described, hackers would likely be able to beat the region locking. Ouendan for all!
That little SD slot is just SCREAMING "HACK ME"
I'm just wondering, since I already have a DS Lite and a digital camera, why the heck would I want this DSi anyway? :/
Will it have it's own unique games that cannot be played on a regular DS?
This is just utter fail on Nintendo's part.
Hmm, from what I've heard they meant that DSi ware will be region locked, like Wiiware, but cartridge games, even DSi exclusive ones won't. Maybe I'm wrong.
I can say it only over and over again: It does make sense and it`s not that bad (c`mon, we got the whole code-stuff over at consoles for years!), however I think it would be some real "fail" if I could not play DS games due to camera support which is only limited to silly stuff like adding your face into the game on some character.