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DSi games to be region locked
Author: Joe MartinPublished: 7th October 2008
The new DSi platform will have two cameras, an SD card slot and a region locked firmware.
Nintendo announced the new DS a short while ago, revealing that the new model will have two cameras built into it, improved WiFi and online downloads and a new SD card slot. The GameBoy Advance cartridge slot however will be absent.
Nintendo has already disappointed a large portion of the market with the announcement that non-Japanese markets will not be getting the DSi for a while, so the announcement that the platform will be region locked too may be a major blow for importers. While the handheld goes on sale in Japan this November, it won't be coming to Europe until Spring 2009. The US won't get the DS until later in 2009 either.
According to the companies official announcement the DSi platform will be completely region locked in regard to the software made especially for the DSi, though the actual DS firmware is region-free. In other words, regular DS games can be played regardless of region on either the DS or DSi, but the downloadable games and DSi SD card games will be only compatible with the DS. There'll be no option to transfer or port the software.
"The 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," said an official announcement.
"Also because we are including parental control functionality for Nintendo DSi and each region has its unique age limit made by different independent."
Gutted that you won't be getting the DSi for months, or could you care less? Let us know what you think in the forums.
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You can do that on a DSi?! ;)
For example, if Sony hadn't region locked the PS (or PS2 or PS3) for games, then I wouldn't've pirated the StreetFighter Zero series as I wanted a Japanese version, not the PAL/NTSC versions.
I would have paid the full price and import costs to purchase a fully legal, authorised Sony game, albeit from Japan. I don't see how Sony would have lost out in that respect. But then, I guess as a dumb consumer, what do I know?
You can, but not all games. Also N64. And Megadrive. Something you can't do on the DSi is play ePSXe and play some Gran Turismo 2 anywhere.
The PS3 isn't region locked.
Course they do, they make tonnes of it, much more profit than Microsoft or Sony (Games divisions only)
And the DSi will almost definately get them oodles and oodles more cash.
You should have said "maybe they just don't like their fans/consumers" :p
I think that was his point. By pissing off their fans/consumers they'll make LESS money than they could have. Of course it'll still turn a mega profit, but why settle for less than you could have?
"PLEASE PIRATE MORE!!!"
I stand corrected. Ta!