Nintendo confirms Wii U is region-locked, won’t play imported games
Bringing tears to the eyes of gamers everywhere, Nintendo (NTDOY) has confirmed to CVG that its upcoming Wii U console and its accompanying Wii U GamePad will be region-locked. To bring everybody up to code, Nintendo, along with Sony (SNE) and Microsoft (MSFT) have had a tradition of preventing video game consoles sold in one region from working with video game software from another region. Every home console Nintendo has released since the original Nintendo Entertainment System has been region-locked, as well as its 3DS handheld lineup. The exception to the rule was the DS, which has gone on to sell more than 152 million units worldwide as of July. The new Wii U console launches on November 18th starting at $299.99 for the Basic Set and $349.99 for the Deluxe Set, and many popular retailers are already reporting that preorders are sold out.
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