No Decision Yet on Region-Free Wii
So don't get pegging all your hopes on an import system just yet.
One of the great things about the DS is that there is no region coding of games, meaning you can play games from anywhere in the world no matter where you bought your DS. For a portable, this makes sense. But that doesn't necessarily mean the idea will carry over to the Wii.
IGN recently asked Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan whether we could expect Wii games to be region-free, as Sony has said PlayStation 3 games will be, and, somewhat surprisingly, the company doesn't have an answer yet.
"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," Kaplan told IGN. "For the Wii system, we are finalizing all the relevant details and will be making announcements in the coming months."
"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."
Whatever the decision, time is running out for Nintendo. The company has confirmed that the Wii will be out this autumn.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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