TheMoon
Member
If that's what they meant, why isn't it what they said? Simple as that. Just pointing out the facts there. Nothing to argue about really. No need for a fuss.
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Iwata addresses region-locking at Nintendo investor Q&A
- Thread starter Cheesemeister
- Start date
If that's what they meant, why isn't it what they said? Simple as that. Just pointing out the facts there. Nothing to argue about really. No need for a fuss.
SoldnerKei
Member
well, it's something... hopefully their next console is region free and has backward compatibility, that would be the only way to play Fatal Frame V as of now :c
Valve recently region locked almost everything because people in Western countries were buying newly released $60 games for $10 from Russian traders.
Until all regions of the world are equally prosperous, there will be disparities in prices which complicate business concerns.
BeatResetsTheWorld
Banned
If they know what they mean then they should just say it. If not, then they're going to keep getting called out on being wrong
alice_kiss_lara
Banned
get rid of the region lock then i can import the new project zero
the wait for localisation is hopeless
the wait for localisation is hopeless
GloriousBagel
Banned
Chances are up .1%
After reading it, it's a very well thought out way of saying nope.
Hue
Well they are and are not really.
Let's take Amazon.
Their US site will cover the us and their fr cover France/Europe (as far as shipping goes).
Some items can be shipped indiscriminately while other simply don't.
I still had to enter my payment info twice while the shipping info was still unique....and the handle/user login is also unique.
It's better to make what makes sense.
Digital content being locked to a region sort of make sense, since even if you're traveling you system can still connect to the region server.
For physical good? no reason at all.
Like at all, what will your customer do if he find himself on the other side of the Earth for an extended period?
You lose their money while they spend elsewhere because they can't use their stuffs anymore?
Nintendo is global and worked globally before.
There was a point in making console region locked since there was also the problem with tvs being different size and everything(NTSC/PAL/SECAM/50hz/60hz), as far as customers were concerned there might have been a safety issue or something to prevent it from being possible (not saying it was but that's explanation that doesn't look total BS at 1rst glance).
On handheld, the screen is always the same and there's no issue of power being any different, it just works.
The only reason it's not working is because they're being massive dicks.
ThoughtsOfSpeaking
Banned
In the days of game patching, I no longer consider this an excuse.
Sell the base game in english and japanese. Patch in other languages later.
Sell the base game in english and japanese. Patch in other languages later.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
We can always ask Lik Sang how they feel about Good Guy Sonys import policies
Isn't it illegal to sell games in Quebec if it doesn't have a French language option?
SerTapTap
Member
The 360 is NINE years old. region locking is effectively dead in the modern home console market, the only remnants being Nintendo and ancient hardware. VIta isn't region locked either, and hilariously the DS wasn't. All that remains is Nintendo dragging their feet
Jimmyfenix
Member
Chet Rippo
Member
I always assumed it was because it was portable and could be taken on trips so when in another country you could buy game boy games there and still play them. Though I probably just pulled that out of my ass there.
Ah, I looked back at the old articles (this law was made in 2007) and it specified to games that have a French-language version available somewhere (for example, a EU release in France).
Stone Ocean
Member
The entire competition does it, stop dwelling on imaginary problems and just do it
It is funny though, Microsoft introduced region-locking to 1.3 billion consumers with the Xbox One:
China
Not exactly. The game's cover and manual needs to have a French version, at the very least.
EDIT: Shit, double post.
Mauricio_Magus
Banned
There's probably legal crap they gotta change with their current consoles if they wanna go region free, hopefully next gen will be region free since day 1.
InsaneZero
Member
The problems that Iwata refers to are most likely business-related, like contracts with third-party publishers, retailers, and whatnot. It's rather easy to remove the lock if you didn't have those to worry about.
The Dutch Slayer
Member
Wow congrats Cheesemeister because I really believe that you partly made this happen, that is fantastic news and I really hope that Nintendo is seriously considering this for their future hardware.
J
Jotamide
Unconfirmed Member
If they n3DS successor were region-free, I would get these 2 games in a heartbeat:
If they n3DS successor were region-free, I would get these 2 games in a heartbeat:
Oh god E.X. Troopers. ;__; I waited so long for that game only to hear from Capcom that it aint gonna leave Japan. It looked really fun and co-op- would be great. I miss the days of the DS where there was no region-lock. Some games like Tales of Innocence and Soma Bringer were really awesome.
Don't have no PS3. Minor problem. :d
Oh well, I hope they're gonna get rid of their region-lock on their next handheld.
This is such a non answer and Nintendo showing they are still stuck in the past.
So by saying Nintendo has an account system you are actually spreading more misinformation and potentially screwing over uninformed buyers.
When people hear account system on a video game console they think of something along the lines of Sony's and MS''s implementation and not the horribly implemented NNID/eShop accounts.
So by saying Nintendo has an account system you are actually spreading more misinformation and potentially screwing over uninformed buyers.
What? Quite obviously less money. Can't blame Nintendo for thaz. Go into the CoD thread and people will discuss buying it from a hong kong store.
test_account
XP-39C²
Did Sony ever say officially that the PS3 is region free? PS3 was never region free indeed. It was effectively 99% region free, but on a technical scale, it never was.
They did release multilanguage games as well by the way. I remember getting another language in Resistance 2 when i changed my OS language.
UncleSporky
Member
Iwata said:
Oh, that actually makes some sense, I never thought of that before.
Not that it makes sense for licensed content NOT to apply globally, it's stupid to have like...7-Up items in Japanese Animal Crossing that HEAVEN FORBID would be available elsewhere. Or Pizza Hut items in Phantasy Star. Or even Mega Man licensed for Smash (thankfully not region limited).
But that, as a legal issue, makes sense as to why specific games might have to be region locked.
The solution is the console manufacturer saying, too bad, if you want to release a game on our system then you have to realize that everyone around the world can import it, so if you don't want Americans seeing Japanese 7-Up stuff then feel free to forget about the promo.
It's not misinformation. Nintendo has an account system, it's just heavily tied to the hardware. You can transfer your content from 1 Wii U or 1 3DS to another without any contact with customer support.
http://en-americas-support.nintendo...o-transfer-content-between-two-wii-u-consoles
http://en-americas-support.nintendo...ntent-between-two-nintendo-3ds-family-systems
TheMoon
Member
Yes they most definitely did: http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/03/22/gdc-06-region-free-ps3
It was a key selling point of the thing.
Canis lupus
Member
And I'll tell you again that in 2014 an account system on a video game console means something way different than NNIDs/eShop accounts so it is misinformation.
AuthenticM
Member
So many words for a non-answer.
ArcaneFreeze
Member
In 2014 your arbitrary definition of an account system does not make the technical definition obsolete. It is not misinformation.
thiscoldblack
Unconfirmed Member
Please Iwata, I need my Taiko no Tatsujin fix.
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
I always wish investor questions were a little more pointed in this sort of area so theres no wiggle room for Iwata.
Not just "you region lock" but "You region lock and none of your competitors region lock or have done so for almost a decade. Whats up with that?"
Not just "you region lock" but "You region lock and none of your competitors region lock or have done so for almost a decade. Whats up with that?"
LegendofLex
Member
"Account system" just means "a system that manages individual user accounts."
Nintendo does currently have this in the form of NNIDs; their current system does not leave your hardware to keep track of all your purchases and account details entirely on-device. Your account information lives on Nintendo's servers. You can even make purchases with your account information without going through the hardware. So that Nintendo "has an account system" is not misinformation; none of this could be true without an account system.
What's missing, of course, is a way for users to have self-service access to common account management tasks like registering an account with a different device (a second device or a replacement device). It's also currently impossible to log in (even temporarily) on a friend's machine.