[test_account]

Because you cannot transmit on the same frequency all around the world, because some frequencies are reserved to other stuff on other countries. And you actually need a certificate (At least in Germany, iirc) for stuff thats transmitting... Don´t know alot about that stuff. But that could be a reason.

What are those frequencies reserved for? For radio i can see it, but the WiiU doesnt use the radio band wave (AM and FM that is). The WiiU transmitting is happening in a very local area, i cant really see that there would be any rules to prevent stuff like this, but i cant say 100% for sure, but it would surprise me.

[cosmicblizzard]

Isn't the gamepad locked to a single console anyway? Why would this be an issue?

[Teknoman]

Actually the only people I can think this would affect would be people who move back and forth between regions and when 2 player support comes in on the few games that will support it, someone brings their American gamepad over to try and play. So it actually works.

I guess if they come out with some different color pads in Japan only...but I really dont see this being that big of an issue either way. Strange yes, but an actual issue? Not really.

[Aeana]

This is a much better purpose for this GIF than the other one!

[Ragus]

But why? Fucking why?

[ColdBlooder]

Not even seeing a reason why this is a problem IMO.

Oh wait i just remembered where im at...

[vireland]

Obviously now, this is the death of the Wii U as we know it. Overreactions in this thread hurt to read.

Well, at least Nintendo has been pretty level-headed about not going overboard trying to counterbalance the bomba perception of the Wii U. Reggie isn't out there offering money to anyone that can find one in-store, which is great because our Best Buy had a stack 4 feet high, two wide, and two deep of both models two days before Christmas.

I also think it's hilarious that Nintendo is using that song from The Wanted "Glad you Came" in their commercial to push their "family" system when one of the group members admitted it's about giving a chick an orgasm. Cracks me up every time I see grandma playing Wii-U in the commercial with that blaring. What are they trying to say about the Wii-U's powers?! :)

[Celine]

I can't see how anyone would defend this.

I can't see how anyone would be bother by this.

Although I'm more baffled by those that really think Nintendo did it "just because".

[73V3N]

LOL. I was thinking about buying a Wii U tomorrow, but I think I'm gonna save my money. What a messed up launch its been.

This post makes no sense

[jedivulcan]

That's a pretty big deal.

The only tangible crackpot theory is it has something to do with NFC for whatever tangible $$$ grab Nintendo is planning with payment systems and smartphones. Maybe they're posturing themselves that way to avoid potential loopholes like using a US controller on a Japanese system to make NFC credit card payments with a US credit card for Japanese digital goods and vise versa.

Sorta doesn't make sense since the system itself is region locked. Just might come down to being a dick move on Nintendo's part.

Totally pulling that theory out of my ass though.

It's definitely deliberate. Nintendo of America will likely come up with an excuse for us English speaking folk. Probably something along the lines as "bug" because they aren't selling them separately from the console.

[axisofweevils]

Strange decision, but even when the GamePads are available individually, I can't see why anyone would go to the trouble and expense of buying a controller from a completely different region..

[Kokonoe]

That is ridiculous.

[Aeana]

Because you cannot transmit on the same frequency all around the world, because some frequencies are reserved to other stuff on other countries. And you actually need a certificate (At least in Germany, iirc) for stuff thats transmitting... Don´t know alot about that stuff. But that could be a reason.

Doesn't the Wii U use wifi (sans TCP/IP) for the gamepad? Miracast, IIRC.

[IceDoesntHelp]

Who cares?

[Zefah]

If you buy a japanese Wii U it will come with the only controller from that region that you need.

And what it if breaks? What if games come out that use multiple gamepads? What if Nintendo starts releasing new colors or something and the guy just wants to buy a new gamepad? Now he needs to import it from wherever he imported the system instead of just heading down to the local game shop.

Overall, this type of situation will very rarely occur. Tiny percentage of users, sure. But why in the world would you do this? There's no argument for it.

Not even seeing a reason why this is a problem IMO. Oh wait i just remembered where im at...

It's a problem because it's anti-consumer and absolutely ridiculous. Remember that your situation doesn't apply to everyone.

[kobashi100]

To be fair: Why not Zoidburg controllers? They already region lock their games and the online services (well, DS anyway) had region-specific matchmaking in some games, might as well go whole hog and region lock the controllers. To prevent us dirty importers from getting a cheaper gamepad. Wait, what?

gotta protect them profit margins.. :)

Nintendo have raised the bar no doubt.

Anyway this will generate more bad press over the web for a few days. Ninty love making it easy for the Web to jump on crazy nintendo news!

And what it if breaks? What if games come out that use multiple gamepads? What if Nintendo starts releasing new colors or something and the guy just wants to buy a new gamepad? Now he needs to import it from wherever he imported the system instead of just heading down to the local game shop. Overall, this type of situation will very rarely occur. Tiny percentage of users, sure. But why in the world would you do this? There's no argument for it. It's a problem because it's anti-consumer and absolutely ridiculous. Remember that your situation doesn't apply to everyone.

good point about the colours.. guess we can forget about importing exclusive japanese gamepads.. :(

[Jeremy092387]

I don't see it as something that would hinder me personally.Not that I plan on getting
a Wii U anytime soon anyway. Too much of a mess for me personally.

Still strange as fuck though.

[saunderez]

If you buy a japanese Wii U it will come with the only controller from that region that you need.

Unacceptable, maybe I want to charge gamepad A and play on gamepad B at the same time. Some people will defend any unnecessary nonsense.

[metalslimer]

That's a pretty big deal. The only tangible crackpot theory is it has something to do with NFC for whatever tangible $$$ grab Nintendo is planning with payment systems and smartphones. Maybe they're posturing themselves that way to avoid potential loopholes like using a US controller on a Japanese system to make NFC credit card payments with a US credit card for Japanese digital goods and vise versa. Sorta doesn't make sense since the system itself is region locked. Just might come down to being a dick move on Nintendo's part. Totally pulling that theory out of my ass though. It's definitely deliberate. Nintendo of America will likely come up with an excuse for us English speaking folk. Probably something along the lines as "bug" because they aren't selling them separately from the console.

Really?

Unacceptable, maybe I want to charge gamepad A and play on gamepad B at the same time. Some people will defend any unnecessary nonsense.

So you're going to spend the 100 bucks for a new controller for one to play while another is charging?

[Zeer0id]

But why? Fucking why?

I would like to know this :\

[Zombie James]

Well I I have no use for a Jpn or EU controller anyways

Hope I am not too late to remind everyone... this is no big deal.

It is retarded but who cares? Are you really gonna buy a controller from a different region? Why?

Were you planning to buy a controller that you cant even buy yet, from a different region? How does this even affect your decision?

As stupid as this is, I can't find a single reason to give a fuck

Who gives a dong?

Who cares?

People should care when anti-consumer practices like this come up. Same with license agreements that try to strip you of your rights and DRM that locks you out of content you've bought. Anyone can brush off these things if they try hard enough ("I'm connected online all the time so it doesn't matter if I can't play this single-player game with an internet connection!"), but these are issues everyone who puts down cash for games and systems should know about.

[Coxy]

I can't see how anyone would defend this.

"I dont care, why should anyone care, stop caring, why do you care, no-one cares" seems to be the defence

[thetrin]

I see no reason why this would effect anyone.

Yes, because no one ever moves countries or anything.

[Skyzard]

How many gamepads can you have with the system at once?

-was thinking it might be for pricing since I bet they make quite a lot on them but at the moment I remember hearing it was only one active at a time and you can't even buy them separately iirc...just seems odd.

[Eric C]

Which rules would this be? Honest question, i've never heard of different rules for transfering an image wireless.

Because you cannot transmit on the same frequency all around the world, because some frequencies are reserved to other stuff on other countries. And you actually need a certificate (At least in Germany, iirc) for stuff thats transmitting... Don´t know alot about that stuff. But that could be a reason.

yeah, I know the DECT cordless phones have different standards in each country

Frequency: 1880 – 1900 MHz in Europe, 1900 – 1920 MHz in China, 1893 – 1906 MHz in Japan, 1910 – 1930 MHz in Latin America and 1920 – 1930 MHz in the US and Canada, US DECT and DECT 6.0 products may NOT be used in the UK or Ireland as they cause and suffer from interference with the UK and Ireland cellular networks with illegal use of such products being prohibited by UK agencies, and UK and Ireland DECT and DECT 6.0 products may NOT be used in the US and Canada as they cause and suffer from interference with US and Canada cellular networks and aircraft and for that reason is deemed illegal to use by US and Canadian agencies such as the Federal Communication Commission and Industry Canada.

I'm pretty sure, WiFi is slightly different in each country too.

[GJS]

What's the big deal, I don't see why it's stupid either, the wiiU controller isn't just a controller anymore.

[Ryoku]

LOL. I was thinking about buying a Wii U tomorrow, but I think I'm gonna save my money. What a messed up launch its been.

Lol, no the fuck you weren't.

[crinale]

I read the article. It really says that you can actually connect US controller to Japanese Wii U, or vice versa. However, the online update (didn't know it actually updates controller's firmware) recognizes the region of the controller and prevents you to progress.

I'll repost for a new page...

[bobbychalkers]

Considering that Nintendo doesn't even sell gamepads by themselves, this isn't a big deal at the moment. I still don't see the point in region locking them though.

[SailorDaravon]

The only scenario where I can see this actually being a realistic issue for anyone is if something happens where a game comes out that uses a second pad and there's a run on them in one or more regions and importing them becomes a semi-viable way to get one. I can't recall that really happening outside of controllers that didn't exist in a certain region though (like the japanese GC keyboard controller for PSO), but that's all I can think of.

[Zefah]

What's the big deal, I don't see why it's stupid either, the wiiU controller isn't just a controller anymore.

Read the thread?

And how is it not just a controller anymore?

The only scenario where I can see this actually being a realistic issue for anyone is if something happens where a game comes out that uses a second pad and there's a run on them in one or more regions and importing them becomes a semi-viable way to get one. I can't recall that really happening outside of controllers that didn't exist in a certain region though (like the japanese GC keyboard controller for PSO), but that's all I can think of.

Or there are special edition controllers from specific regions that people want to import. Happens all the time.

Or the person imported their Wii U (or god forbid they moved to another region) and want to pick up another controller from a local shop instead of importing another controller from wherever their Wii U originates.

[outunderthestars]

I'm not a big fan of Nintendo's decision making, but i fail to see how this is a big deal of any kind.

[farnham]

Who gives a dong?

Well if you want two gamepads for future games that might support this, this is a hassle.. There mght be people that want to buy 2 console fro different regions

[jedivulcan]

Doesn't the Wii U use wifi (sans TCP/IP) for the gamepad? Miracast, IIRC.

Yeah. The Wii U uses 5Ghz WiFi and Miracast, supposedly, from what I read too. I don't think 5Ghz is the issue though. I think using the full 40mhz wideband was an issue in parts of Europe. Different parts of the world utilize different parts of the 5Ghz spectrum.

[metalslimer]

Yes, because no one ever moves countries or anything.

Even if they do move countries, they still will have their gamepad from the other region. It's a weird and crazy move, (that will probably easily be fixed by custom firmware) but I don't get the outrage.

I'll repost for a new page...

People are going to ignore it.

[Jackano]

Actually Super Famicom controllers were region locked.

[KillerTravis]

I hope I'm not risking being banned for this, but I have to say a lot of reactions in this thread are cringeworhty. Like seriously this will be an issue to like 0.00000001% of Wii U buyers.

[Somnid]

It's probably not a wireless standards issue. It's probably more the fact the the Gamepad has it's own firmware which would change by region for language and maybe TV options (I'm not entirely sure about this part). But it's not completely dumb and it's not exactly an accessory like controllers have been.

Also, you can't even purchase them right now so one step at a time.

[saunderez]

yeah, I know the DECT cordless phones have different standards in each country I'm pretty sure, WiFi is slightly different in each country too.

This can all be handled in software by selecting a region like practically all wireless networking gear allows you to do. Channel 13 is off limits in my country, no problem coz when I select Australia it limits me to 1-12. Problem solved no region locking necessary.

[dyergram]

Why do people care?

[entrement]

I'm not a big fan of Nintendo's decision making, but i fail to see how this is a big deal of any kind.

.

If you move, wouldn't you take your Gamepad with you? An can you even buy a Gamepad?

[Zeroth]

But there is another reason for complain of people who doesn't even have the system and has 0 plans to get one. But, hey It's cool to hate.

Or maybe, just maybe, there are people who are concerned over this policy being extremely anti-consumer and are expressing as such in this thread? There is no need to throw accusations at people who are baffled at this, specially when it's perfectly reasonable to be.

[Banjo]

Can anyone translate the on-screen message ? (I don´t know japanese :( )

[metalslimer]

It's probably not a wireless standards issue. It's probably more the fact the the Gamepad has it's own firmware which would change by region for language and maybe TV options (I'm not entirely sure about this part). But it's not completely dumb and it's not exactly an accessory like controllers have been. Also, you can't even purchase them right now so one step at a time.

As someone posted above it is a firmware issue. THe controllers were not hard region locked like many people seem to think.

[Projectjustice]

Unacceptable, maybe I want to charge gamepad A and play on gamepad B at the same time. Some people will defend any unnecessary nonsense.

Then you buy another controller from your local store? i dont get what you are trying to get here. Lol

[liger05]

I can see how this could effect some people. I mean someone may want to get a Japanese Wii U on import and down the line when pads can be bought you wont be able to just buy one at the local gamestore. That does sux!!!

There has to be a reason for it though. The console is region locked and I fail to see why nintendo would of really felt the need to do this unless it was a necessity.

[Jarsonot]

Pfft. I heard you can't even PLUG IN a Japanese console in another region without spending more money on adaptors!

[miksar]

I don't even know what is more idiotic, attempting to defend it or not buying the console because of it.

[Projectjustice]

Yes, because no one ever moves countries or anything.

If you move, you are only taking the controller with you or the entire console? I dont get it.

[Zefah]

I hope I'm not risking being banned for this, but I have to say a lot of reactions in this thread are cringeworhty. Like seriously this will be an issue to like 0.00000001% of Wii U buyers.

What if you are that person? The likelihood of such people is much higher on a gaming forum like this. If you happened to fall into that group, would you just shrug and say, "oh well, I'm in the 0.00000001% so I don't matter!"

Region locking hardware is just so ridiculous, I think posts that are all but defending the decision are the truly cringe-worthy ones.

If you move, you are only taking the controller with you or the entire console? I dont get it.

The controller might break. Games supporting two controllers will come out. New edition controllers may be released. etc. etc.

People who "don't get it." try reading the damn thread.