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Famitsu: Wii U region-lock confirmed
- Thread starter Cheesemeister
- Start date
H_Prestige
Banned
God I love defensive Nintendo peeps.
I wish it wasn't such a hassle/expensive to get a JP system in North America.
The next step is to imagine that you did care about that, and then you would get it!
The next step is to imagine that you did care about that, and then you would get it!
I despise region-locking in any form whatsoever. Especially since there has always been a massive disparity with localised games on Nintendo consoles between regions. As long as Nintendo get their precious domestic money in, they probably couldn't care less about other markets. The sooner it gets circumvented the better.
Would be nice if someone (like I dunno, a games journalist) could actually question a NCL executive about this, since they're the only ones who actually seem to have any decision-making powers in Nintendo. But that's never going to happen.
Ugh, I'm not normally this bitter, but anything regarding region-locking does that to me.
Would be nice if someone (like I dunno, a games journalist) could actually question a NCL executive about this, since they're the only ones who actually seem to have any decision-making powers in Nintendo. But that's never going to happen.
Ugh, I'm not normally this bitter, but anything regarding region-locking does that to me.
H_Prestige
Banned
It's not uncommon for japanese games to never get localized. Europe gets even more screwed. If the console isn't region locked, you can at least import those games. If not, better hope there is a way to mod the system (good luck doing that with modern systems), otherwise the only option is to spend several hundreds importing the JP version of the console.
Viola of the Abyss
Member
Disappointed but it was to be expected really...
I hope homebrew comes to the rescue at least at the end of its life-cycle, constant FW updates will make it unfeasable until then, like with the 3DS.
I'll go with PAL, NoE has been awesome this generation at least, let's hope they keep it up!
I hope homebrew comes to the rescue at least at the end of its life-cycle, constant FW updates will make it unfeasable until then, like with the 3DS.
I'll go with PAL, NoE has been awesome this generation at least, let's hope they keep it up!
Wyndstryker
Member
Not surprised. I'd be surprised if they removed the region lock.
tkscz
Member
And that has to suck for those of you who care for this sort of thing, but I don't. Not to sound rude or anything, but again, no skin off my back.
I'm not sure why you're bothering to tell everybody that it doesn't matter to you. The default state for gamers in a region is not caring about region locking. This affects the people who do care. Pointing out that you don't just makes you seem incapable of empathy.
Charoncaori
Member
Well look, the people who come in here and say that are basically posting that "who gives a shit" gif and running. Not that you're doing that, but it's what it feels like.
I can read Japanese very slowly. That puts me in the minority. But I still want the ability to play games in Japanese, for practice, or because a few franchises I like, like SRW, and a number or other quirky games will probably never come out here. So I'll have to put down an initial investment of $500 to play Japanese games on a system I'll already have. It's ridiculous.
I bet you that PS4 will be region locked as well.
Fox Mulder
Member
people that buy niche games are the ultra core that follow everything about the industry and spend lots of money on games, even paying to import them. No one has to to localize and allocate shelf space to an obscure japanese RPG if it won't sell, just allow people that want to play it to do so. Seems pretty stupid to turn those people off.
Still waiting on the 3DS.
It sucks, but coming from the era of 50hz borders and no squaresoft stuff - It's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. NoE used to need help just putting socks on in the morning, now I hear all the Americans envying our demos etc which makes a pleasant change, and Monster Hunter and Bayonetta are both confirmed for Europe which is the main thing people would have been worried about.
Having said that, they have absolutely no excuse for region locking the handhelds, those be sacred lines they are crossing and I still secretly hope the 3DS crashes and burns because of it.
Having said that, they have absolutely no excuse for region locking the handhelds, those be sacred lines they are crossing and I still secretly hope the 3DS crashes and burns because of it.
jimmypython
Member
I really think SONY will region lock PS4 too.
TheLastCandle
Member
How anyone couldn't see this coming is beyond me.
Sucks, but was inevitable.
Sucks, but was inevitable.
Everyone saw it coming.
But it's like when you just know you got an F on an exam. You know you failed it, but getting it back and seeing it on the paper still makes you feel worse. Tiny glimmers of hope completely extinguished.
thehypocrite
Member
What does this has to do with the topic? So because you think (hope?) Sony will do it makes it OK?
The big change this time is the online marketplace. If this were a generation or two ago, I'd say "sucks, but I'm sure I'll be able to get around it eventually."
This isn't the case anymore. In 2012, it's more along the lines of "sucks, now I'll have to get two consoles."
This is on top of how utterly fucking ridiculous it is that I'm buying a console that won't play all games made for that console.
so you only care about things that directly affect you? that's nice to know.
Region locking is the one thing I can never forgive Nintendo for, to be honest. There's no reason for it to occur other than some really petty release schedule regulation bollocks, or to prevent piracy or whatever half-baked excuse. It boggles my mind that a company actually won't let me give them money for games they make and already released in other countries.
The Wii generation gives me even less confidence that this will turn out well, considering the number of highly sought-after games Nintendo have produced, published or funded and gone out of their way to not sell in other countries. It was bad enough that it caused a relatively small but hugely dedicated portion of the fanbase to literally beg and plead for Nintendo to release some of these games in their country. Such a small gap between customers waving money at the company, pointing out an already existing product they want to buy, being ignored! It's beyond reason!
The Wii generation gives me even less confidence that this will turn out well, considering the number of highly sought-after games Nintendo have produced, published or funded and gone out of their way to not sell in other countries. It was bad enough that it caused a relatively small but hugely dedicated portion of the fanbase to literally beg and plead for Nintendo to release some of these games in their country. Such a small gap between customers waving money at the company, pointing out an already existing product they want to buy, being ignored! It's beyond reason!
djplaeskool
Member
We're used to it, but with some newer hardware not having such restrictions automatically, those of us that have used the opportunity to import realize how much of a plus it is to have that option and play some great titles that don't get localized, and will ask the question of new hardware moving forward. Also, those of us who circumvented older systems to play these titles would like to be able to do so without added cost or risk of hardware warranty.
leatherhat
Member
Bullshit.
Steve Youngblood
Member
That was actually my first reaction until I started realizing that not region locking hardware/software is apparently not as unheard of as I previously thought. I'm not really into the scene, so I don't pay much attention to this feature, but apparently the PS3 is region-free? And some 360 software is? My apologies for probably offering redundant info/questions, I just bring this up because a quick and lazy Google search shed some light that a gut reaction "how is this news?" type of question wouldn't actually be as insightful as I had thought.
Cosmo Clock 21
Banned
All* PS3 and some 360 games are not region-locked. What
Yes, the PS3 is region-free and the 360 is mostly region-free. The DS was region free, as was the PSP, as is the Vita.
And in the past, you could mostly modify consoles to play imports without worrying about losing out on online play and the digital marketplace. That's no longer the case, making the desire to get rid of these nonsense restrictions even stronger.
Like the hat?
Banned
I want to say I don't care, but then I play tingles rosy rupee land euro version on my us dsixl
TheLastCandle
Member
Well, to me it was pretty obvious because it's Nintendo. It's been the norm for them for the most part, so I found it difficult to be optimistic from the start.
In this day and age, the region lock of physical media is so much less annoying to me than the region locking of digital storefronts. For me, importing was always prohibitively expensive, and the possibility of bypassing all those middle-men would have been awesome.
Steve Youngblood
Member
Yeah, you might have been looking at it from a different angle than me. My first reaction was mild confusion as to why this was a big deal. Not that I enjoy anti-consumer activities or can't empathize with people who care about importing software, but I was mainly thinking that this was pretty standard across the board. I remember that being the case during the PS2 and PSX days without modding the hardware, and hadn't even realized that the tide was turning on this front.
OldJadedGamer
Banned
The PS3 is not region free. It is mostly region free. The Vita is region free but the region settings are tied to the memory card, not the system.
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.
Its worth mentioning that Freeloader and other region loading and trick Action Replay-esque discs made region locked consoles such as the Gamecube and I believe the Wii play nice in the past. With new age security in place however, such easy hops and skips over the region barrier code line are no longer possible, and it becomes a full on issue as with the 3DS.
Since this is the console where Nintendo is finally wading in waist deep with online, theres a lot more functionality to lose with hacking as well. Wanting this to be region free more than any time before is of no surprise, so the "HUH, WHO CARES" crowd can stop trying to cushion this shit with eye rolling "but what does it really matter" sentiment.
If Nintendo wanted to have their cake and eat it too, they could have gone the Vita-esque route and have the console only ever be set to one region which you choose at start-up, but can obviously have multiple family accounts on there. That then gives consumers the actual choice of jumping through hoops with factory resets and the like to access international content without locking it out forever. But since their fanbase at large gives them a free pass on this issue, they'll never feel forced enough into caring to provide such solutions.
Since this is the console where Nintendo is finally wading in waist deep with online, theres a lot more functionality to lose with hacking as well. Wanting this to be region free more than any time before is of no surprise, so the "HUH, WHO CARES" crowd can stop trying to cushion this shit with eye rolling "but what does it really matter" sentiment.
If Nintendo wanted to have their cake and eat it too, they could have gone the Vita-esque route and have the console only ever be set to one region which you choose at start-up, but can obviously have multiple family accounts on there. That then gives consumers the actual choice of jumping through hoops with factory resets and the like to access international content without locking it out forever. But since their fanbase at large gives them a free pass on this issue, they'll never feel forced enough into caring to provide such solutions.
TheNatural
My Member!
I'm guessing WiiU will be as easy to hack as Wii was, but then again no one has really hacked 3DS yet.
Blu Rays are not often region locked, DVD players are region free in Australia, and the last home console released is almost entirely region free for disc based games. Yeah, why would people not be used to this yet?
It is obvious there was a short lived but popular trend against region locking by manufacturers, that seems to be reversing, not just with this announcment, and that is disappointing. It shouldn't be hard to understand.
OldJadedGamer
Banned
Keyword "was" as in past tense. If it was designed to be region free then every single game released for the system would have no region lock. Also, Blu-ray movies are region locked on the PS3 as well. I'm pointing out that you can't talk in absolutes and allow for exceptions.
H_Prestige
Banned
I'm not used to it. Sony is passed it for their last three consoles, and MS doesn't mandate. It's only nintendo that's stuck in the old ways.
test_account
XP-39C²
Pity for the consumers who cares about this for sure. I dont import many games myself, but i dont mind to have region free of course. I recently imported Dokuro for Vita, and it is good that i could play that without any problems. But i also understand the business decition behind region locking, even if it can suck for the consumer.
Would you be sad if Nintendo left gaming only leaving MS and Sony in the SWHW market?
Oh yea, I bet the Region Lock is what killed it for you. You were so enthusiastic before.
.
Or, should I say, in Japanese: 。
There is no excuse for publishers to deny potential customers access to games in languages that they can read just because the customers don't reside in territories where those languages are primary.
The "sales rights in differing territories" arguments doesn't work. You can still buy books from any region in the world, in any language in the world, and have them on your shelf, can't you?
I have books published in North Korea on my desk. But according to Nintendo, I can't ever have a game from South Korea on my desk, because I should only be buying a Wii for Japan, the country where I live, and games that Nintendo allows to run on that Wii.
I suppose the next move is for internet providers to only allow people to read and post in the primary language of their territory. We could use IP adresses to check! Would that be something you pro-region-lock people wouldn't care about?
DragonSworne
Banned
Or maybe buy a Japanese WiiU....
H_Prestige
Banned
Yeah, I hear they're real cheap...