Topic: Iwata: Nintendo 'Must Consider' No Longer Region-Locking Its Hardware

[alexosborn]

Importers, the day you've longed for may actually come!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/38904/iwata-nintendo-must-consider-no-longer-region-locking-its-hardware

Nintendo is considering the possibility of no longer region-locking its hardware.

During a recent investor Q&A, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata explained that "region-locking has existed due to circumstances on the sellers' side rather than for the sake of the customers. In the history of game consoles, that is the current situation." He then went on to note that "as for what should be done going forward, if unlocked for the benefit of the customers, there may also be a benefit for us."

The Nintendo boss then went so far as to say that the company is considering doing away with region-locking in the future, even though there will likely be several challenges to overcome along the way. "Unlocking would require various problems to be solved, so while I can't say today whether or not we intend to unlock, we realize that it is one thing that we must consider looking to the future."

While this by no means confirms that the Big N's next gaming device won't be locked by region, at least there's a glimmer of hope for importers around the globe to hold onto.

[Adrock]

The fact that it's consider this is progress. I don't import games or anything, but the restriction still seemed odd.

[UncleBob]

Optional region locking for publishers.
No 1st Party games region locked. (unless some weird licensing thing requires it).

Everyone wins.

[pokepal148]

We considered it and decided to retroactively region lock all of our old systems. Please understand.

[Ian Sane]

I think it needs to be done away with for downloadable games as regions on the internet are completely arbitrary.  I don't see any need to get rid of it with physical games though I don't like region locking and would be fine with Nintendo getting rid of it.  I just don't think they would need to do so.  Maybe they're thinking ahead to the future where physical games are slowly phased out, much to the annoyance of old farts like myself.

"Must consider" sounds very serious like Iwata feels this is some key factor in Nintendo's problems when in reality it's pretty much a non-factor.  Something lost in translation perhaps?  At this point I wouldn't at all think that this something they MUST consider.