5 questions posed by the DSi region-lock statement

According to, uh, somebody, “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.”

So some portion of DSi software is region-locked. Okay. But that doesn’t really tell us in any concrete way what is region-locked. And, in fact, it leaves me confused about some more things.

Does the DSi use a different style of networking?

If the net services for the DSi are specifically tailored for each region, then it would follow that they are somehow different from the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection we currently have. Hopeful fanboys would assume here that Xbox Live-style friend lists and the cessation of friend codes will be part of the new service. But I would never go that far.

I’m just thinking that there may be some new net functionality outside of the DS Shop. Certainly the parental control that is supposedly the reason for the region lock suggests expanded online features. Unless…

Does this refer to DSWare only or to DSi retail games as well?

I’d expect DSWare to be region-locked— all console download services are, if not locked, designed to discourage region-swapping. But retail games? No Nintendo handheld has ever been region-locked. Of course, that leads to the question:

Will there even be DSi-specific cartridges?

Cammie Dunaway said there wouldn’t be in an interview with Wired, but didn’t sound as if she had been specifically informed. Certainly some developers will want to make use of the camera and onboard storage for their retail games, and Nintendo doesn’t seem to mind splitting the market in such a way, making some software unusable on some hardware. Just ask Activision.

CVG indicates that Nintendo did specificallly refer to future DSi-only cartridges, but of course Nintendo has yet to show any such cartridges, and they certainly would have done so last week. I’ll wait for a firsthand, clear statement before I call anything “confirmed.”

Will it be possible to buy games on a DSi from outside that region?

Buying Japanese VC/WiiWare games from anywhere in the world is as “simple” as buying a Japanese Wii and a prepaid Wii Points card. Will it be the same for the DSi or will the lockout be more stringent, due to an increased emphasis on saving the children?

Do I want to buy one?

This question has much less far-reaching impact than the others, but it’s still important to me. I initially wanted to get a Japanese system not just because it would be out several months sooner, but because I want access to the Japanese DSWare games. But if I wouldn’t be able to play US-region cartridges on the thing later on, I would be a bit annoyed.

tags / 20 questions / dsi / upgrade / jc

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