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Let's convince Nintendo to go region-free!

R

Raitaro

Member
KemoSabe said:
Oh man, region free 3ds, what a dream...
All those Japanese games...
Click to expand...

As a lifelong fan of Japanese game development I was bummed out the minute I heard that the 3DS would be region locked, not suprised mind you, just bummed out.

This way we have to we miss out on many Japanese games that are never brought over (even ones that would have done pretty well here, such as Capcom's Lost Planet spin-off EX Troopers), and are essentially fully at the mercy of Japanese publishers to grant us the chance to buy the games they themselves have more often than not tried to make us fans of in the first place. What makes this situation even worse is that the 3DS happens to be one of the platforms that these Japanese developers are most invested in!

In addition, I am also particularly sad that people can't simply walk into a game store while travelling to buy a new game for their machines that are designed for this very purpose. As a child and (young) adult I always looked forward to the possibility to search for new unknown games while on holiday and to be able to immediately play them on my gb(a) or DS. For the life of me, I can't understand why Nintendo would want to limit that type of treasure hunting for children that own a 3DS. Even though I can theoretically get behind their reasoning that region free games would disturb marketing and release schedules world wide when it comes to large scale importing etc., when it comes to small scale holiday game hunting from people who spent good money to be in those foreign countries, it just seems like bullying. Unfortunately the bigger risk seems to be determining their policies, not the enthusiasm of the individual gamer on the road.

(And please don't defend Nintendo by stating that every kid nowadays carries a smart phone or tablet anyway...even if this is true, Nintendo's reason to prevent the so-called scarce few 3DS owning kids from using import games while on holiday becomes even more like bullying.)
 
E

Epcott

Member
NOJ is stubborn. Best of luck guys. Region lock in physical or digital form has been a Nintendo staple since Famicom/NES.

Although, it would be awesome to see Iwata respond with laughter and a no directly to GAF.
 
Lord Ghirahim

Lord Ghirahim

Member
Raitaro said:
As a lifelong fan of Japanese game development I was bummed out the minute I heard that the 3DS would be region locked, not suprised mind you, just bummed out.
Click to expand...

I was surprised and very disappointed. After several generations of region-free Nintendo handheld systems, the DSi and 3DS betrayal felt incredibly regressive.
 
P

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.
As an avid importer, this is the glaring reason I dont own any current gen Nintendo hardware until it reaches total cheapy impulse price.

Just unacceptable really. We're already stacking up the numbers of 3DS games not coming over, and, well it remains to be seen if WiiU will get many exclusive games to ever have that problem but still!
 
K

KemoSabe

Member
Lord Ghirahim said:
I was surprised and very disappointed. After several generations of region-free Nintendo handheld systems, the DSi and 3DS betrayal felt incredibly regressive.
Click to expand...
You can't even connect to the free wifi in other regions.
Anyway, a handheld is made to be taken with you.
If you see a game you want on your vacation you're out of luck.
 
Z

Zevenberge

Member
KemoSabe said:
You can't even connect to the free wifi in other regions.
Anyway, a handheld is made to be taken with you.
If you see a game you want on your vacation you're out of luck.
Click to expand...

That didn't go as planned. I was hoping to use the 3DS as a connection to the outside world while in Japan. I guess that one is of the list. However, this is exactly why handhelds first and foremost should be region free. As you usually take it with you on vacation, you can buy a game and play it instantly... unless your handheld appears to be region-locked. I know a few people who bought a random game in the local language as a souvenir.
Of course, the souvenir argument also holds for a home console. Due to the lack of portability, it is much less of a strong case, however.
 
S

Sendou

Member
Zevenberge said:
That didn't go as planned. I was hoping to use the 3DS as a connection to the outside world while in Japan. I guess that one is of the list. However, this is exactly why handhelds first and foremost should be region free. As you usually take it with you on vacation, you can buy a game and play it instantly... unless your handheld appears to be region-locked. I know a few people who bought a random game in the local language as a souvenir.
Of course, the souvenir argument also holds for a home console. Due to the lack of portability, it is much less of a strong case, however.
Click to expand...

hHA2yIU.jpg


Wii U is the most portable home console to date.
 
M

Mdk7

Member
It would be a dream, really.
Could they fix remove the region lock through a firmware update? Is it even possible?
 
gingerbeardman

gingerbeardman

Member
Mdk7 said:
It would be a dream, really.
Could they fix remove the region lock through a firmware update? Is it even possible?
Click to expand...
Yes, it's possible through a firmware update.

For example, you can remove the region lock on an original Wii through a software patch (using a homebrew patcher).
 
Ban Puncher

Ban Puncher

Member
Gimmie region free, I've got the new Umihara 3DS game coming in the post tomorrow and being able to actually play it would be nice.
 
R

Raitaro

Member
KemoSabe said:
Anyway, a handheld is made to be taken with you.
If you see a game you want on your vacation you're out of luck.
Click to expand...

Which was one of main points as well: portable systems should offer flexibility when taking them on vacation or on the road in general. Physically (and mostly invisibly) limiting official games to be played on your official system is outright silly. After the openness of the Gameboy (advance) and DS days, Nintendo's decision to suddenly follow their own example with regards to their home consoles and region lock the 3DS has been quite hard to swallow to be honest.

Let's hope we do get their attention. And please Nintendo: if you do remove region locking, do it consistently for all games and across all regions. I'm still bitter over the whole 50hz situation for Wii and Wii U in pal territories where the solution of offering 60hz versions seems to be on a game to game basis).
 
Z

Zevenberge

Member
KemoSabe said:
A compromise would be a global eshop or the ability to download from other regions.
What do you think?
Click to expand...

If all games appear on eShop, that would also be great, as that would save anyone the trouble of physically importing their games. However, I fear the small titles people would usually import do not get an eShop release.
 
K

Keyouta

Junior Member
Have they done any studies on this?

Like,
Sales with regards to the people buying multiple of the same system vs the number of sales lost with region locking being a detriment to many.

II think they would make more money region free. Even if (very few) people end up buying one console instead of many, they'd get more sales from the people that care about region locking.
 
J

Javier

Member
Zevenberge said:
If all games appear on eShop, that would also be great, as that would save anyone the trouble of physically importing their games. However, I fear the small titles people would usually import do not get an eShop release.
Click to expand...
While I would obviously like the Wii U and 3DS to be unlocked in every way, I'll definitely take global eShop over region free discs and carts if given the choice. Most retail games are getting DD releases either way, and we would get some eShop exclusive titles and Virtual Console.
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
If all games appear on eShop, that would also be great, as that would save anyone the trouble of physically importing their games.
Click to expand...
That just doesn't cut it for me. I hate the idea of spending money on something like that in which there is a physical option available. It feels as if I'm getting short changed.
 
C

Cheesemeister

Member
It's Yeah time! New Miiverse posts for 6/24...

https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAABtUV58aBKnHw
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAABnUV511ftlHQ
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAAABUaWzSwDcLQ
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAAABUaWzSvHKOA
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zlCfzRBt2nQSM4JY0w


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zlCfzRBr-PML0u13Fn


https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAACNUKEXD6hv4A
zlCfzRBszJcHxxFd11
 
L

Li Kao

Member
So, yeah, it is difficult for me to say, I have sinned....... I never really used Twitter ^o^
Did I do it right ?

"@Nintendo @NintendoAmerica @NintendoEurope Region-lock is the primary reason I still have no 3DS/WiiU #EndRegionLocking #NintendoRegionFree"
 
C

Cheesemeister

Member
Li Kao said:
So, yeah, it is difficult for me to say, I have sinned....... I never really used Twitter ^o^
Did I do it right ?

"@Nintendo @NintendoAmerica @NintendoEurope Region-lock is the primary reason I still have no 3DS/WiiU #EndRegionLocking #NintendoRegionFree"
Click to expand...

Yes, perfect.
 
D

Deleted member 13876

Unconfirmed Member
Cool that this is gaining momentum. Would have bought a 3DS already if it wasn't for region locking.
 
T

The Boat

Member
KemoSabe said:
A compromise would be a global eshop or the ability to download from other regions.
What do you think?
Click to expand...

I don't see it happening, because this can be much more damaging to publishers and the money spent on localizing. It's one thing to be region free, there aren't enough importers to ruin the "balance" between regions, so it's still safe to localize games, but from the moment import games become that readily available, things get murky. An option to create a foreign account might work maybe.
 
M

Meelow

Banned
This might not be news for this thread, but it seems Nintendo is backing away from the Let's play policy that happened a month ago.

http://kotaku.com/nintendos-lets-play-drama-might-have-a-happy-ending-513818999

It's not like Nintendo reached out to Scott nor made any formal policy change. In Scott's experience, his Nintendo videos got hit with Nintendo copyright claims and lost their ads and then that just... reversed itself. "At some point during the claim, my revenue for specific Nintendo-claimed videos disappeared," he said. "The revenue then recently reappeared."
Click to expand...

This can be very good news for the region freeing.

I also think someone should make a thread.
 
K

Karsticles

Member
I wrote this draft of a letter to Iwata just now. I'd love some feedback before I send it off:
Dear Mr. Iwata,

It is fair to say that I am a Nintendo fan. I own two Nintendo DS systems, two Nintendo 3DS systems, and a Wii U. I was a Wii, Gamecube, and N64 owner as well. The majority of my game collection is made up of Nintendo titles. I love video games.

In a recent interview, you said the following:
We’re competing with each other in terms of who’s creating the most fun games. Unfortunately, however, as I saw the reports dispatched from E3 this year, they’re pretty much occupied by talk about which machine is more friendly to used games, or which machine is $100 cheaper than the other. I’m sorry that we’re missing the most important discussion – about video games.

As a long-time game fan (28 years old now), I respectfully disagree with your take on the matter. There are two aspects to gaming for me: game creation, and game availability. The first relates to whether good games are being created. The second relates to whether those games are available for play. For the practical gamer, with only small amounts of money to spend on this hobby annually, the second point is just as important as the first. I cannot play games I cannot afford. As a result, the availability of used games is very important to me, as many of the games in my collection were only possible on my budget through the existence of the used game market.

However, cost is not the only barrier to game availability. In the modern game market, there is a sharp divide in the typical development principles of Japanese and American developers. To keep things short, I will just say that I generally prefer the Japanese perspective on video game creation, as it tends to focus on fun gameplay. Unfortunately, living in the United States means that I do not receive a good number of Japanese titles. While the Playstation 4 and Xbox One have both been declared as region-free machines, Nintendo has kept the 3DS and Wii U region-locked. As a result, I am unable to play some great Japanese games that are not financially viable for localization. Here are a few games I would love to play on my Nintendo systems, but am prevented from enjoying due to region locking:

Soma Bringer
Dragon Quest VII
Zangeki no Reginleiv
Takt of Magic

Another title, Xenoblade, almost did not come to the west; yet it was the best RPG experience I had last generation. So, Mr. Iwata, if you are really all about the games, make the Wii U and 3DS region-free machines. Let me play the games that get made for the systems I buy, not just admire them from afar.

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely,
[NAME]
Click to expand...
 
E

eighty(one)

Member
My contribution to MiiVerse From my WiiU:

null_zps8bc44a4e.jpg


null_zps83bc20d4.jpg


I want ExTroopers, Beyond the Labyrinth and MH4 for 3DS lol - I'd also like whatever gets cooked up for WiiU over here, too!

^_^
 
L

L Thammy

Member
I'm pretty sure you can play Soma Bringer on a US 3DS. The DS is region free. Zangeki no Reginleiv, though. Sigh.

With retail games being released on the eShop, I feel like there's a new opportunity. If we could by the Japanese version of E.X. Troopers, for example, Nintendo could observe the number of importers. If a game has an unusual number of importers, Nintendo could pass the information on to Capcom, who could in turn use it to consider localization.


Anyhow, new batch from new friends.
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAADMUKlX26fK4w
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAABnUV51u6ickw
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAADzUV58ZVqZvA
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAADMUKlX44K0Gg
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https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAACNUKEW-PW-5Q
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAADYUV6mki6AHg
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https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAAABUaWzP0IMog
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAAABUaWzPvcNLw
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAACNUKEXB1_tbQ
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAAABUaWzPvbuLg
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAACNUKEXC0b-lw
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYQHAAABAACNUKEW1loEmQ
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAABtUV58TaGBhQ
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAADbUV58TLpEkA
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAABnUV51uw3fLQ
 
M

MLH

Member
I've always figured Region locking is both a blessing and a curse for businesses like Nintendo.
On the one hand region locking allows companies to take advantage of price differences in different regions, allowing companies to gain greater profits whereas the consumer would be able to bypass this if there was no region lock.
On the other hand, companies risk losses when publishing risky titles in certain regions, take for instance Xenoblade, NOE chose to publish which was somewhat successful despite being a risky move, if the Wii was region free North American consumers could have bought Xenoblade making the localisation less risky.

For consumers region locking just seems outright wrong and anti-consumer, but for a business it has it's advantages and, I suppose, disadvantages.
 
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