With the Wii U’s worldwide debut beginning in just under two months (November 18th in the US), the trickle of news regarding Nintendo’s new home console just keeps a comin’. Most of the news to come so far has been good, or at least potentially good, however something to sour the mouths of importers is the discovery that the Wii U will be region locked.
So far, only Sony’s PS3 and Vita aren’t restricted to the regions they’re retailing in (with the Xbox 360 having restrictions at the discretion of its games’ publishers). Consumers are still feeling the burn after learning that Nintendo’s 3DS will be region locked, despite the fact that it’s a handheld console and some owners are likely to travel to other regions with the possibility of purchasing titles on trips. The reason for fans’ annoyance is due to the original DS/Lite being region-free, allowing the freedom to import.
Usually consoles utilise region locks because it allows the manufacturer to moderate releases to their online distribution services, or to better regulate classification ratings. With online distribution on the rise and showing no signs of slowing, it’s likely region locks for consoles will become the norm eventually.
How does this affect you as a consumer? Does region locking not bother you? Or are you one of the few who enjoys importing obscure overseas titles/unreleased games? Hit us up below or talk more about the Wii U in our forums.
Source: NeoGAF