Topic: 3DS Will Be Region Locked

[Enner]

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While I entertain the possibility, I have similarly low expectations of phones being a comparable gaming platform. It doesn't help that the current crop of games seem to be cultivating an expectation of very low price points. I was thinking that really fun and really big menu-based or turn-based games could be a real possibility on the iPhone, but the fact that most games are priced and made at such low cost means that I can't really expect a Tactics Ogre or Dragon Quest on the platform. Game Dev Story sounds neat, though.

Square is planning to release a port of the PSP Final Fantasy Tactics remake on the iPhone at a premium price point. It will be interesting to see how that goes. I really hope it works; I want more substantive games on that platform.

That is very good to hear. I hope it does well. It would be good for the system to have bigger and grander applications. Well, not the entire system as the battery will probably crying out from the work load.

[Chozo Ghost]

This is bad news if Nintendo happens to make a Tingle RPG or Captain Rainbow game for the 3DS. What the hell is someone in North America supposed to do when Nintendo absolutely refuses to bring those games here?

[GK]

This is bad news if Nintendo happens to make a Tingle RPG or Captain Rainbow game for the 3DS. What the hell is someone in North America supposed to do when Nintendo absolutely refuses to bring those games here?

Buy an imported 3DS so you can play imports I guess.

I hope online play won't be region-locked too. I have a friend in the UK that really only wants a 3DS to play me in Street Fighter 4 & Ridge Racer since I refuse to get a 360.

[KDR_11k]

I have a feeling that this also has to do with the parental features restricting specific ESRB, PEGI, CERO and etc. ratings. Since each region has their own rating system, each game would logically have it's respective rating encoded in the game in order to make this feature work.

Honestly I don't buy that explanation, Germany has the USK, Britain the BBFC and yet neither gets separate releases on any platform with parental controls.

Didn't the UK agree to switch to PEGI last year since that is what the rest of Europe uses? Germany does have USK, and because of that there are several games that didn't get released in that country because they thought they were too violent.

Yes but if ratings are the only reason for region locking then Germany would be in a different region than the rest of Europe. If they really can handle multiple ratings for one game then why can't they stuff ESRB, PEGI, USK and CERO on the same cart? They've got 8GB!