Published on 10/ 6/2008
Here's news that is definitely a damper - Nintendo's upcoming DSi will be region-locked. This is unlike Nintendo who used to offer free access regardless of which zone your console came from, although current carts are still universally compatible, software and games downloaded onto your DSi will be locked out. This will definitely make one think twice as whether to import a DSi from Japan way before it is officially released in the US or not. According to Nintendo, "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. Also because we are including parental control functionality for Nintendo DSi and each region has its unique age limit made by different independent."