Nintendo has confirmed to CVG that the Wii U hardware will be region-locked when it launches on November 18th.
Placing a region-lock on the console means it will only be able to run software that is released in the same territory as the system. This restriction will also apply to Nintendo’s Wii U eShop, and customers will not be able to make accounts for different regions so that they can access other digital games.
As disappointing as this news is, it is not at all surprising. Every Nintendo system going back to the NES has been region-locked, with the exception of the original DS and DS Lite.
The move is unlikely to impact the majority of gamers, however, it is unfortunate that Nintendo has chosen to continue using these types of restrictions with the Wii U, especially when their competition is giving consumers more flexibility.
