Your thoughts on Region Locking

[PikabooPikachu]

So what do you guys think about region locking games and systems?

IMO, I think that it's kind of silly and kind of a scamish thing to do. I mean, yes it is a good way to get people to wait for the game to be release in their region, but there are many games, especially Japanese games, that don't get to the States and other regions. The only reason the game won't come to the other region is because the group of people who will buy the game isn't large enough for the company to make money off of.
I really hate how Nintendo region locked the 3DS and DSi, and I appreciate that Sony didn't lock the PSP or Vita.

 

[Card Slinger J]

Region Locking is just as bad as what alot of video game developers have been doing with DLC's and Capcom is notorious for this like what they did with Street Fighter X Tekken and
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Back when I played fighting games in the 90's all you needed was a cheat code, password, or some button configuration to unlock secret characters but nowadays you have to pay actual money upfront for the same result which is bullcrap.

As for Region Locking it really hurts gamers from playing specific video games that doesn't appeal to the U.S. Market all that well in which they import because of it. For example video games based on Anime have taken a nosedive because of how stupidly overrated Naruto games are in the U.S. so for some gamers who like Anime series like Bleach or One Piece they have to import the games based on those series from Japan because the U.S. Market only recognizes certain games' success based on popularity in the U.S. alone.

 

[Athena]

I was really, really happy when I learned the DS wasn't region locked. I didn't use it all THAT much, but I did get the DS version of Phoenix Wright 2 imported in Japan, since the Japanese remakes of the PW games came with English translations, and thanks to some coupons, I managed to get it faster and cheaper than the US release. My fiancé, who lives in Europe, bought his DS and some games when he was visiting me here in the US since he got them for some much cheaper.

Region locking is kind of a classic case of things that are good for the producer but bad for the consumer. Companies can control the market and get the most bang for their buck, but consumer are forced to wait, and in some cases they must pay more, and maybe even not get the games they want if they aren't released in other regions. On the other hand, consoles/games being region free throw off market research and also mean less money for the companies since people will be more likely to import them to get them cheaper (this is/was actually a pretty serious concern in Japan in regards to DVDs).

I wish there were a good middle ground, but, honestly, as a consumer, I'm much happier with region free. >_>

 

[SotS]

Region Lock is dumb.

Not being able to spend my money on more of the companies products is their loss.

The end.