Join the movement to make Nintendo consoles region-free!

[Violent By Design]

What's the financial reason for games being region locked anyway? So foreign consumers won't starve the stock of other markets?

[wip3outguy7]

What's the financial reason for games being region locked anyway? So foreign consumers won't starve the stock of other markets?

The biggest reason is price control. It prevents people in one region from importing less expensive software from another region. This is precisely why Persona 4 Arena was region locked on the Playstation 3. The US and Japanese release dates were close enough together that Atlus feared Japanese buyers may import from the US, effectively flattening sales in Japan.

In Japan 3DS games are typically around 6000 yen new (I think). Compare that to the usual $39 for a new game in the US. That price, combined with the strength of the yen against the US dollar is a very good reason to region lock a system.

Now that the yen is weakening, it isn't much of an issue. By the time someone in a region with higher priced software imports a game from a region with lower prices, shipping will make up the difference.

[CD AGES]

In a somewhat related note. There seems to be a petition floating around to have Arc Sys Upcoming GGXrd ported on the WiiU. It's nearing 5000 signatures already.

[MrPopo]

What's the financial reason for games being region locked anyway? So foreign consumers won't starve the stock of other markets?

The biggest reason is price control. It prevents people in one region from importing less expensive software from another region. This is precisely why Persona 4 Arena was region locked on the Playstation 3. The US and Japanese release dates were close enough together that Atlus feared Japanese buyers may import from the US, effectively flattening sales in Japan.

In Japan 3DS games are typically around 6000 yen new (I think). Compare that to the usual $39 for a new game in the US. That price, combined with the strength of the yen against the US dollar is a very good reason to region lock a system.

Now that the yen is weakening, it isn't much of an issue. By the time someone in a region with higher priced software imports a game from a region with lower prices, shipping will make up the difference.

It also lets you get involved in licensing your game for distribution in another country. The number of people who would import a game, even if it was already in their language, is going to be smaller than if it was picked up by a distributor in the destination country.

[casterofdreams]

I'd love to see a region-free future and signed the petition. But I'd be surprised if Nintendo suddenly released region-free versions of their existing consoles.

I always remembered that region locking is through software rather than hardware. It'll be a simple firmware update. That would suck if they didn't choose that route and went to release hardware that was region free and just forget everyone who bought them before.

[wip3outguy7]

It also lets you get involved in licensing your game for distribution in another country. The number of people who would import a game, even if it was already in their language, is going to be smaller than if it was picked up by a distributor in the destination country.

I still think that you would see those games licensed and distributed. This is happening today on systems like the PS3. People can import game x from Japan for $70, or they can buy the PSN digital download version that is available to them in their country for around $20.

Another use of region-locking is to enforce territorial rights. In the case of the Macross license, Harmony Gold owns all US territory rights. This is why we haven't seen any of the fantastic Macross games over here.

Anyway, here are some more Miiverse illustrations:







The Reggie one was my idea. Kudos to Arren on NeoGAF for making these.




...and fuck Harmony Gold.

[Ziggy]

Let's say we all fully understand and respect why they region lock the console. I think at the very least it would be nice for them to unlock the console, assuming it's an easy firmware update, right at the very end. Like, right before Nintendo discontinues Wii online services all together, have one final update that makes it region free.

[wip3outguy7]

[wip3outguy7]

Slowly but surely:

http://nintendoenthusiast.com/19456/fan ... um=twitter

[wip3outguy7]

Coverage on Kotaku!

http://kotaku.com/nintendo-fans-fight-t ... -562038692

...and now Destructoid!

http://www.destructoid.com/gamers-campa ... 6868.phtml