When Nintendo was asked if its console will offer "region free" gaming they had to pause...but did not say no.
Sony has decided to make the PS3 'region free,' and now we wait to see if Nintendo will make the same move. This has become a normal occurance for hand-held systems, but not for a true home entertainment console.
What does this mean? It first would allow people to import games from other countries and be able to play them on their console. This thwarts pirates from making region-free mod chips for the consoles thus voiding warrenties, breaking hardware, and underground money that the console venders would otherwise miss out on.
When asked about region-free Wii Nintendo stated:
"Clearly, the success of Nintendo DS has offered a lot of lessons about what works in the marketplace -- and we certainly intend to keep our fans satisfied. For the Wii system, we are finalizing all the relevant details and will be making announcements in the coming months. We know that isn't what you all want to hear (or read) but at least we are being honest! We will share a lot of ways people can play globally, regionally, without boundaries. You're right that the region-free approach has proved to be a successful and attractive feature for Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection on Nintendo DS -- we have even blown the doors off our own anticipated numbers! Cost, ease-of-use and player privacy are the three things that were a focus for us with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Those priorities also will apply to the Wii system."
The PS3 has pulled this off, but one must remember that there are different standards for power and video in Europe and Asia compared to US models. If you are running HD you should be fine for video, but the Wii is a non-HD device so buyers must be prepared to purchase a PAL to NTSC converter for games that haven't been re-worked or wait for a foreign version to release both PAL an NTSC variants. Also, owning an RPG or similar game from Japan will add challenge to your gaming skills for all those that do not speak or read Japanese.
Still, the move could mean real simultanious releases of games across the world without extra time building parallel products with varying region-codes.
Sony has decided to make the PS3 'region free,' and now we wait to see if Nintendo will make the same move. This has become a normal occurance for hand-held systems, but not for a true home entertainment console.
What does this mean? It first would allow people to import games from other countries and be able to play them on their console. This thwarts pirates from making region-free mod chips for the consoles thus voiding warrenties, breaking hardware, and underground money that the console venders would otherwise miss out on.
When asked about region-free Wii Nintendo stated:
"Clearly, the success of Nintendo DS has offered a lot of lessons about what works in the marketplace -- and we certainly intend to keep our fans satisfied. For the Wii system, we are finalizing all the relevant details and will be making announcements in the coming months. We know that isn't what you all want to hear (or read) but at least we are being honest! We will share a lot of ways people can play globally, regionally, without boundaries. You're right that the region-free approach has proved to be a successful and attractive feature for Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection on Nintendo DS -- we have even blown the doors off our own anticipated numbers! Cost, ease-of-use and player privacy are the three things that were a focus for us with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Those priorities also will apply to the Wii system."
The PS3 has pulled this off, but one must remember that there are different standards for power and video in Europe and Asia compared to US models. If you are running HD you should be fine for video, but the Wii is a non-HD device so buyers must be prepared to purchase a PAL to NTSC converter for games that haven't been re-worked or wait for a foreign version to release both PAL an NTSC variants. Also, owning an RPG or similar game from Japan will add challenge to your gaming skills for all those that do not speak or read Japanese.
Still, the move could mean real simultanious releases of games across the world without extra time building parallel products with varying region-codes.
