Forget About Imports, Nintendo to Region-Lock the Wii U

[One Punch Doug Crashin]

By Matthew Bennett, Associate Editor
Posted on September 24, 2012 AT 04:34am

Nintendo has revealed that the Wii U will be region-locked once it releases this November, so those of you who had plans to import certain games are fresh out of luck.
This means that games bought in the U.S., Europe, or Japan can only be played on a machine from the same region. The majority of Nintendo’s past hardware has been region-locked so it’s no surprise that the Wii U is also, however with both Sony and Microsoft allowing developers to choose it’s odd that Nintendo would decide to force the option.
Of course this is only an issue if you enjoy playing games that don’t always get a release in your territory or come out earlier in another.

Personally that's another turn off. Why region-lock a console?

 

[Alex]

I watched a video on the Jimquisition mentioning how Nintendo won't release certain games in other regions. Seems like a strange idea, making them lose money in a way.

 

[Remix]

Personally that's another turn off. Why region-lock a console?

Because it means that people have no choice but to pay the price set by Nintendo in that region. Parallel importing is a thing.

I watched a video on the Jimquisition mentioning how Nintendo won't release certain games in other regions. Seems like a strange idea, making them lose money in a way.

Not really. If Nintendo don't think they're going to make money on a game in a particular region then it makes sense not to release it there.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

This isn't uncommon and has been done many, many times before.

Besides 99% of people who buy a Wii-U in lets say North America isn't gonna care if they can't play a bunch of Japanese games that they have no interest in playing anyways. As a kid I knew someone who had a Famicom and had SMB for it in Japanese. Most of the neighborhood kids wouldn't play it because it was Japanese. Does it make sense? Not really. Is it a common thing to happen? You bet it is.

 

[One Punch Doug Crashin]

It makes sense yes but I'm thinking in terms of Xenoblade Chronicles when it's in everywhere else BUT North American region.

 

[Lee]

It makes sense yes but I'm thinking in terms of Xenoblade Chronicles when it's in everywhere else BUT North American region.

Xenoblade has been out since April.

 

[One Punch Doug Crashin]

Xenoblade has been out since April.

I'm aware. But it's a gamestop exclusive. I was talking about when it was Europe only. There are games like that and last story that were europe only at one time.

 

[a0161613]

Nintendo ALWAYS region lock their home consoles. There is no shock to this.

 

[Lee]

I'm aware. But it's a gamestop exclusive. I was talking about when it was Europe only. There are games like that and last story that were europe only at one time.

Have you played either game?

8 months for Xenoblade and 6 months for the last story, big fricking deal.

The USA had Super Mario World BEFORE the UK had Super Mario Bros 3.

 

[Moon Knight]

Personally that's another turn off. Why region-lock a console?

Why care? Nintendo isn't the only one. Importing can be expensive anyway.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Have you played either game?

8 months for Xenoblade and 6 months for the last story, big fricking deal.


The USA had Super Mario World BEFORE the UK had Super Mario Bros 3.

Now that's just depressing. No one should have to wait that long for a masterpiece like SMB3 not to mention the wait for Super Mario World. That's a kick in the nuts right there.

 

[Moon Knight]

Now that's just depressing. No one should have to wait that long for a masterpiece like SMB3 not to mention the wait for Super Mario World. That's a kick in the nuts right there.

That's just the way it was then, different than USA having to wait for the others. Europe wasn't a big console market then, more PC which was why the video game crash didn't affect them. The USA is a big console market now, and if it wasn't for the fit people threw Nintendo would have never released those games here.

BTW, The EU got Super Mario World 9 months after the USA did. It took 9 months for them to release it here after the Japanese release. BTW, to add more to this, for Super Mario Bros 3 it took about 16 months for the USA to get after Japan which was about 2 months less than from USA to Europe. Compared to Japan, we all get screwed back then.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

That's just the way it was then, different than USA having to wait for the others. Europe wasn't a big console market then, more PC which was why the video game crash didn't affect them. The USA is a big console market now, and if it wasn't for the fit people threw Nintendo would have never released those games here.

BTW, The EU got Super Mario World 9 months after the USA did. It took 9 months for them to release it here after the Japanese release. BTW, to add more to this, for Super Mario Bros 3 it took about 16 months for the USA to get after Japan which was about 2 months less than from USA to Europe. Compared to Japan, we all get screwed back then.

I stand by my initial statement. I understand it was like that back then but damn that's a LONG time to wait for SMB3.