Topic: 3DS region locked?

Has anyone determined for sure if the 3DS has region protection? I would like to play a European cartridge based game on my USA 3DS. Will that work?

Where have you been for early 2012? XD Yes, unfortunately, the 3DS IS region locked. So no european 3DS games on your USA 3DS.

Nope; 3DS games are region locked. However, if you have European DS games (not the black DSi-enhanced ones), those should work fine on a USA 3DS.

3DS and DSi games are region-locked. They can only be played on a same-region console.
DSi-enhanced games are region-locked if played on a DSi or 3DS. They can be played on any region DS consoles though.
DS games are region free and can be played on any region DS phat, lite, DSi, or 3DS.

@theblackdragon Not all the DS games are region-free. That Sonic buncle game was region locked.

@BenjaminRosa: are you talking about that 'Sonic Classic Collection' game? if so, that one was DSi-enhanced iirc.

Holy cow, Nintendo can be a pain, that was the best thing about the previous handhelds. I guess if I want import games I'll have to buy an Eurpoean model of the 3DS. The day hasn't come yet where each system has a GPS chip inside preventing you from playing it in another country... but it wouldn't surprise me if they are working on it....

@Steve - the region locking isn't about stopping people import, it is purely down to the parental controls/ratings. Each territory has a different ratings system so an EU 3DS would have no idea what to make of an ESRB M rated game, for exmple.

I think the real reason Nintendo region locks their consoles is for money reasons.

All I know is that I can't import MHTriG without importing a 3DS along with it

Pure BULL.

In the PS3 there ir a parental control by numbers from 1 to 7 (i think). Isn't very difficult to set the M ratinh to 6 (i think), the T rating to 4 and so on. Taht's just an excuse to prevent importing. And that's a pain in the but because i could gladle be playing Hatsune Miku and Future Stars: Project Mirai and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked insted of having to import another 3DS or waiting to Ghostlight to publish the SMT games.

Heck, Atlus even admited Persona 4 Arena's Region Lock in PS3 is because japanese importing it will get it a lot cheaper.

Really, nobody really cares about ratings seriously aside from the parents that dont know the games they buy to their kids.

It's mostly for two reasons. 1: for the money, as BenjaminRosa said. Publishers want to make more money off of the games, and if you can just buy it overseas for $15 less, some would do so. 2: To determine how popular a game is in a certain area. If the Wii wasn't region locked, Operation Rainfall wouldn't have had a need to exist. People could just buy Xenoblade and The Last Story in Europe. I know I would. Thing is, it would have taken a huge chunk out of U.S. sales, so it'd look like nobody cared about Xenoblade, when in actuallity most of them just bought it in Europe to get it earlier.

@moomoo - Publishers don't get their money based on the retail price of a game, so if someone gets them cheaper overseas, it doesn't cost the publisher (or Nintendo) any money. It is local retail and distribution that take the loss.

It is a simple fact that every Nintendo console that hasn't had age rating locks built in hasn't been region locked and every one that has had it built in is region locked.

Sony chose to use their own system to make regions compatible. Nintendo didn't. There was no financial motivation behind the decision. I suspect Nintendo took the decision that they did to eliminate the chances for people complaining that an imported game isn't suitable for their kids. Given the amount of negative press Nintendo have had over the years about "harmful" video games, I can't say I blame them.

There is no good excuse for region locking apart from giving publishers the ability to price things differently based on region. I don't have a problem with that per se - I recognise it for what it is - but it really annoys me when it means I can't play games from another region that were never released in mine.

(There are a few games on the Wii, for example, that I would buy copies of, but since it's region locked - and I don't want to mess around with unlocking the region at this stage - it's pointless for me to import.)

That's what's good about PC gaming. With a few notable exceptions, anything plays anywhere.

OMG! I'd forgotten that game existed! I was involved in its development.
I offer my most sincere apologies for your disappointment.