DSi games to be region locked

In a move that's sure to annoy many Nintendo fans, the company has just revealed that games for the new DSi will be region locked. While the standard DS games will not be, the DSi cartridge games and those which are to be made available through the DSi's new online functionality will be.

Nintendo announced the new DS a short while ago, revealing that the new model will have two cameras built into it, improved WiFi and online downloads and a new SD card slot. The GameBoy Advance cartridge slot however will be absent.

Nintendo has already disappointed a large portion of the market with the announcement that non-Japanese markets will not be getting the DSi for a while, so the announcement that the platform will be region locked too may be a major blow for importers. While the handheld goes on sale in Japan this November, it won't be coming to Europe until Spring 2009. The US won't get the DS until later in 2009 either.

According to the companies official announcement the DSi platform will be completely region locked in regard to the software made especially for the DSi, though the actual DS firmware is region-free. In other words, regular DS games can be played regardless of region on either the DS or DSi, but the downloadable games and DSi SD card games will be only compatible with the DS. There'll be no option to transfer or port the software.

"The DSi is region locked because DSi embeds net communication functionality within itself and we are intending to provide net services specifically tailored for each region," said an official announcement.

"Also because we are including parental control functionality for Nintendo DSi and each region has its unique age limit made by different independent."

Gutted that you won't be getting the DSi for months, or could you care less? Let us know what you think in the forums.

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