toddhunter
Member
I agree, I'm pretty mad about region locking
But seriously, until the Wii U sales suddenly pick up they'll still be looking for an answer such as this.
-
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Let's convince Nintendo to go region-free!
- Thread starter Cheesemeister
- Start date
I agree, I'm pretty mad about region locking
But seriously, until the Wii U sales suddenly pick up they'll still be looking for an answer such as this.
Full disclosure, this is my site I'm linking to. Full(er) disclosure, we don't have ads so I don't get any money from clicks
Emily did a pretty interesting piece where she interviewed 13 developers on nintendo platforms and asked them what they thought about region locking. You can read it here.
Great article!
Re-tweeted and liked. Don't let this movement die so soon, people.
I always see people trying to defend it that way. MS and Sony made a region-free console by default. Whether or not developpers go against this by actively putting region lock in is irrelevant. I mean it's like trying to argue that these consoles have an always-online requirement because they have a bunch of online-only games.
People consider it a standard because they have been used to most consoles being essentially region-free for nearly a decade now. Apart from Nintendo's. Hence the sentiment that it's fucked up, and why this thread exists.
Sony I will give you, but not MS.
PS3 games didn't have set "regions" exactly, but different regions had slightly different PS3 models and you could in theory region lock your game by querying what model the game was being played on, IIRC.
To my knowledge, the 360 on the other hand does have set regions. It is region locked. It has an upper hand on the WiiU because it was possible for developers to get their games working in more than one region. It isn't "region free by default".
Also, there are a lot of 360 games that are region locked, there is only 1 retail region locked PS3 game.
Brawly Likes to Brawl
Member
You won't be completely up a creek if a game your interested in is localized in your language, but not released in your country. US gamers who wanted to play Last Window had the option of importing the European release. I imported NoE's localizations of Inazuma Eleven 1 & 2.
Depends where you live a bit. There are a lot of games that get released in the US, but are not available in other English speaking countries.
I think there are some examples of the reverse, but not many. There are some cases like Xenoblade where that almost happened, though.
EDIT: Oh yeah, Inazuma Eleven.
Brawly Likes to Brawl
Member
There was also Disaster: Day of Crisis and the Wii sequel to Trace Memory.
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
Over double the signatures than systems shipped in Europe and Australia between April and June.
J
Jotamide
Unconfirmed Member
Ouch.
efyu_lemonardo
May I have a cookie?
Actually that's a fair point. the fact Wii U is selling so poorly could be very helpful to this cause. If 24,000 people actually bought a Wii U as a result of Nintendo implementing a region unlock, that would be a pretty substantial increase, in its current state.
If things keep going this poorly for the console, by this time next year I wouldn't be surprised to see Nintendo actively looking to the community for suggestions on increasing the appeal of the product..
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
Yup. At that point Nintendo has to appeal to anyone who will listen.
Nintendo needs to get some positive press, and get some people on board with their systems; sales need to increase, and removing the region lock would do a lot of good.
Why give people reasons not to purchase your console?
D
Deleted member 13876
Unconfirmed Member
This should have been a Miiverse post.
Just_myles
Member
I imported mine for my wife(karaoke) but, I also wanted to play US titles. So i'm kind of screwed in that I have to import everything when I just want to play a US game and pay the same prices.
I guess at the end of the day it is my fault for assuming this wouldn't be an issue when it was, what made me think that nintendo would get rid of region locking? Also their services and payment structure get on my nerves. There has to be a better way to buy those nintendo cards if you are in another country. I think this still persist for all consoles though so I won't fault them on that.
I just find it weird that I went above and beyond the call of duty for Nintendo and they won't do it for me.
I guess at the end of the day it is my fault for assuming this wouldn't be an issue when it was, what made me think that nintendo would get rid of region locking? Also their services and payment structure get on my nerves. There has to be a better way to buy those nintendo cards if you are in another country. I think this still persist for all consoles though so I won't fault them on that.
I just find it weird that I went above and beyond the call of duty for Nintendo and they won't do it for me.
LiquidSolid
Member
Just to clarify, the way the 360's region locking works is that games can only work in regions they've been certified in before release. So if you put a game through cert in the US, Europe and Japan, you can make your game region free. But if you only put it through cert in Japan, it'll be region locked to Japan.
That's why so many Japanese games are region locked, because western releases usually either come late or don't happen at all.
So an easier way to sum this all up is:
PS3 is opt out. You have to go out of your way to region lock PS3 games.
360 is opt in. You have to put effort in to make 360 games region free.
gingerbeardman
Member
Still getting daily yeahs on my few Region Free Miiverse posts.
Well, that's something.
Good to know. Let's keep it up!
Ahahah nice, post of the week to me, at least
Need to twitt that right into Nintendo's face!
D
Deleted member 13876
Unconfirmed Member
Finally an official acknowledgment. Timely global releases by Nintendo is one thing, but companies like Atlus will still have slow releases, unless someone with sense buys them.
Andrefpvs
Member
The survey is still open, just putting this here for anyone who might have missed it.
One big step closer to the goal. Congratulations everyone!
...I should gather more Miiverse comments after the long weekend. But for now, reposting this:
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAADOUV52d0WfCg
...I should gather more Miiverse comments after the long weekend. But for now, reposting this:
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAADOUV52d0WfCg
Bulbagarden
Member
Timely global releases are important, but region free isn't just about "getting stuff early because the local market is slow", it's also about "getting stuff that interests you but which probably wouldn't be profitable for a formal release in the local market".
Cheesemeister
Member
Here's an interesting article: Fed-up consumers 'email bomb' execs, get results.
I signed your petition
Nintendo don't be that guy be region free
I got on holidays to a lot of different places would like to buy games without fear of them being locked
I had to import adventure for the ds because of region locking id rather have the 3ds version
because , because that's why
Nintendo don't be that guy be region free
I got on holidays to a lot of different places would like to buy games without fear of them being locked
I had to import adventure for the ds because of region locking id rather have the 3ds version
because , because that's why
A new thread about region locking: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=648831
This movement has slowed down a lot, it could really do with another push. The petition is almost at 25k signatures!
This movement has slowed down a lot, it could really do with another push. The petition is almost at 25k signatures!
bigmit3737
Member
Just want to support this thread. I hope we win!
Bulbagarden
Member
Having region locks for portable consoles in particular really makes no sense whatsoever. Being out of my country (and game region) for as many as 3 months a year, it's really frustrating that I basically have to resign myself to buying no games except digitally while I'm traveling. Can't take advantage of the local prices for retail copies (which is frustrating as hell when they're running sales on older titles I want). Pain in the arse.
Zevenberge
Member
It's really annoying indeed. A few weeks ago I was in Japan and I was holding Rune Factory 4 (my most anticipated 3DS title) in my hands, but I couldn't buy it because of the region lock. I was quite sad at the time, and I still am.
stargateheaven
Member
Sorry for the bump, but is this over? It can't just trail off like this..
let's finish the job!!!!
(seriously, i hope we dont just forget about this.. we're almost at 25k signitures)
let's finish the job!!!!
(seriously, i hope we dont just forget about this.. we're almost at 25k signitures)
Sapphire Dreams
Member
I hope so too, but so far it seems like Nintendo keeps ignoring all of us unfortunately.
I can't understand why does Nintendo even bother to set region lock to its systems. I mean, they already explained why they do it, but it is really a problem? How many people import games from other regions to begin with?
Hopefully they will listen. I would have bought a copy of SMT4 already.
Hopefully they will listen. I would have bought a copy of SMT4 already.
Cheesemeister
Member
Less than 200 signatures to 25,000!
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitio...n-blocking-make-the-3ds-and-wii-u-region-free
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitio...n-blocking-make-the-3ds-and-wii-u-region-free
Sapphire Dreams
Member
Almost there !
Cheesemeister
Member
Zombie James
Banned
Signed.
sixteen-bit
Member
So what are the odds the 2DS is region-locked? lol
sakipon
Member
It's aimed at kids who aren't old enough for 3D. They do not want it to play games with anime boobs.
Though it would be amusing if such a kiddy version was region-free and would become a cult hit within importers.
Almost 100%
Picked up a Wii U in the US while I was there on Vacation (mostly for future text-heavy games that I want to play in English).
I'm back in Japan now. Yesterday I saw W101 at a gameshop. Would have been an insta-buy if I could play it.
Nintendo's loss: 6,900yen
Also while in the states I brought my 3DS (Japanese). Here are the games I would have bought if I could:
Fire Emblem
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Soul Hackers
Mario RPG 4
Around $140
But I'm not buying another 3DS on top of that. I'll get all of those games eventually. Probably used next time I'm in the states. But I would have bought them brand new that day if I could have.
I DID buy a bunch of PS3 games and some PSP titles that I missed out on.
But yeah, I'm such a minority as a customer that it doesn't really effect anything market wise, but I was thinking about this thread both times while shopping.
I'm back in Japan now. Yesterday I saw W101 at a gameshop. Would have been an insta-buy if I could play it.
Nintendo's loss: 6,900yen
Also while in the states I brought my 3DS (Japanese). Here are the games I would have bought if I could:
Fire Emblem
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Soul Hackers
Mario RPG 4
Around $140
But I'm not buying another 3DS on top of that. I'll get all of those games eventually. Probably used next time I'm in the states. But I would have bought them brand new that day if I could have.
I DID buy a bunch of PS3 games and some PSP titles that I missed out on.
But yeah, I'm such a minority as a customer that it doesn't really effect anything market wise, but I was thinking about this thread both times while shopping.
I was talking with a Japanese guy about Shin Megami Tensei 4 and he ended up wanting to play the English version.
The thing is, he wasn't aware that it wouldn't work on his Japanese 3DS.
I'm sure he isn't the only one in this case, even if people like him are very rare.
Nintendo, you need to stop region locking your systems. I really can't see any valid argument to taht...
The thing is, he wasn't aware that it wouldn't work on his Japanese 3DS.
I'm sure he isn't the only one in this case, even if people like him are very rare.
Nintendo, you need to stop region locking your systems. I really can't see any valid argument to taht...
sixteen-bit
Member
In Nintendo's latest anti-consumer move...
3ds update is going to block switching between country and delete currency
3ds update is going to block switching between country and delete currency
