I'm always seeing questions about this, so I figured I'd make a thread about it. Please refer to the following lists:

 

Region Locked

Playstation 2

Wii

Wii-U

Nintendo 3DS

Gamecube

 

Region-Free

Playstation Portable

XBOX 360

Playstation 3

Nintendo DS

Playstation Vita

 

Hope that clears some things up.

 

I included Gamecube because you can play the games on the Wii.

_{Oh yeah, some people normally aren't sure if some consoles are or not region locked.}

_{Nice thread. Will surely clean up any confusion}

I hate Nintendo for making the 3DS region locked....how will I ever play KH3DFM? And the name doesn't even have a good ring to it. x''D

*shakes fist at Nintendo* Damn you, Nintendo!

*shakes fist at Nintendo* Damn you, Nintendo!

 

Yeah, that's definitely a letdown. I figured the 3DS would be region free like the old DS, but now i can't import DDD like I was going to.

 

We don't have an emoticon to express my level of rage over this.

I have a doubt. Could the region locking be desactivated trough a systme update or is it part of the hardware itself?

I hope that the 3DS revision, which I expect for early 2013, comes without region locking. Not that I import continuosly, but it will make the 3DS more appealing.

Thanks for the info! I'm so disappointed that the 3DS is region locked. What's your problem, Nintendo?? At least Xbox and Playstation are going in the right direction...

Region locking is what happens when assholes pirate games. This is why game prices keep going and why consoles are becoming region locked.

Are you sure the Wii U is region locked? I don't think it's been announced yet.

 

I don't care about region locking though, because I don't know Japanese and also my parents would never let me import anyway. I'll probably care about it in a few years though, when I move out and try to import all the KH FMs

Region locking is what happens when assholes pirate games. This is why game prices keep going and why consoles are becoming region locked.

 

Game prices have been plummeting due to the digital market. Haven't you heard that the average Vita game will be 24 dollars?

And I've actually been wondering how region locking is supposed to stop piracy. All I've ever seen it do is stop people from paying high prices to import games.

In fact, because of region locking, I've heard of LOT'S of people resorting to piracy.

That and Pandora Batteries.

 

Also, isn't the Vita region locked by the fact that you can only access one PSN account?

Game prices have been plummeting due to the digital market.

 

No they haven't. Explain why the average playstation 2 game was 50 dollars and the average playstation 3 game is 60 dollars. The cost of producing the games and manufacturing the disk and cases are still roughly the same. If piracy wasn't such an issue than why did Nintendo make the most awesome disk in the world for the gamecube? Almost entirely to limit piracy.

 

And I've actually been wondering how region locking is supposed to stop piracy. All I've ever seen it do is stop people from paying high prices to import games.

Many, if not more at least half of pirated materials, whatever it is, come from outside the country. And often times pirated copies are made with foreign versions of a game.

 

In fact, because of region locking, I've heard of LOT'S of people resorting to piracy.

They can resort to it if they want, but they should know that it will be a huge pain in the ass when they are looking to download a European release but can only find American copies online.

agreed

No they haven't. Explain why the average playstation 2 game was 50 dollars and the average playstation 3 game is 60 dollars. The cost of producing the games and manufacturing the disk and cases are still roughly the same. If piracy wasn't such an issue than why did Nintendo make the most awesome disk in the world for the gamecube? Almost entirely to limit piracy.

 

 

 

Many, if not more at least half of pirated materials, whatever it is, come from outside the country. And often times pirated copies are made with foreign versions of a game.

 

 

 

They can resort to it if they want, but they should know that it will be a huge pain in the ass when they are looking to download a European release but can only find American copies online.

 

Oh, PHYSICAL copies are rising, but game prices aren't. Physical games have a more or less static price, but digital distribution is making people question that price.

 

As for the rest of your post, I guess that makes sense...

I dunno, it's certainly not the first thing I thought of...

Meh, I don't really care about region locking. I don't import games, and even if I game I wanted didn't come out in my country I would just say "That sucks" and move on.