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October 6th, 2008 @ 15:58
CVG’s just published a Nintendo statement apparently confirming that DSi software will be region-locked.
“DSi software (software that is only compatible with DSi) is region-locked, eg: European DSi software can only be played on European DSi consoles,” said a rep.
“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.”
The company added by way of explanation: “DSi is 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.”
This clarifies a statement made by Cammie Dunaway to Wired after the DSi announcement last week that the console “should” be region-free.
“I believe that just as you can currently buy a DS in Japan and use it here in the US, that you should be able to do that with DSi,” said the exec.
More through the first link.
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October 6th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Arseholes.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Big story that.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
October 6th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
That’s not good. I used to like buying games when I was bored on holiday.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Am I right in thinking that’s the first time they’ve locked handheld games since the launch of GameBoy?
October 6th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I’m not surprised but I was hoping it wouldn’t be this way.
I hope that once all regions have the console, that titles will get worldwide releases.
I believe it is the first time they’ve done this for a handheld. No doubt to stem the grey exporting because of the huge gap between the Japanese and western release dates.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Considering the DSi shop, this isn’t overly surprising. At the moment DSi specific games seem to be downloadable and with a built in store, region-locking was going to happen.
But if physical DSi games start appearing in shops, then issues could arise without a very vaild reason to region lock games on a physical media.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Hmm, as long as it can still play any region DS titles, this may be okay for me.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Ah, so they’re only talking about downloadable stuff? That’s not so bad, then. I thought they were talking about physical media.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
They are, aren’t they? I assumed they meant all DSi software.
October 6th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
It’s all DSi software, but from what I’ve seen the DSi specific software is some downloadable Brain Training games.
If DSi software starts appearing in shops with the same packaging as DS and on the same cartridge, your going to get a lot of confused people picking up the wrong thing if they are not careful.
October 6th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
i can browse the internet wherever i am in the world?
i hate when they say that.
no i can’t i’m in a desert in australia and i have no internet.
tools
October 7th, 2008 at 7:24 am
@trav
I actually said the same thing elsewhere, about people ending up very confused about the difference between DS Lite and DSi software. It’s a bit of a fool’s game to name two pieces of hardware with different capabilities similarly.
As for the region-locking… I can see why they did that, considering that I import from Play Asia all the time. Play Asia is often almost as cheap as Play (UK), and I can get stuff that won’t be out in Europe for yonks there. Ex: Time Hollow.
I don’t buy much from the same region as my DS, and Ninty UK probably suffers because of people like me. Oh well.
Still, at least the region-lock will probably only go so far as the downloadable software.
And if not… well, some clever bugger will fiddle with the firmware and make everything better again.
That’s assuming I even ever buy one of those DSi things, which I probably won’t.