Nintendo DSi - Now with less portability

Joseph alerted me to one of Nintendo's latest products, the DSi.

It's a revamped DS with bigger screens and TWO built-in cameras, and yet it's somehow lighter than its predecessor. Pretty fricking awesome, right?

But wait, there's more! It also comes with Regional Locking, just like your Gaming Console and DVD player!

Yeah! Regional Locking!

Wait a minute? Regional Locking? As in...I visit a games store in another country, like Japan, and find an awesome RPG that hasn't been released in my country...and there's no point buying it because it won't play in my DSi? That kind of Regional Locking?

Yes. That kind of Regional Locking.

You know the chip to incorporate Regional Locking had to increase the base cost of the DSi, even if only by a small margin. And once word gets out of the Regional Locking, other gamers like Joseph and myself, who may have bought a bigger, lighter DS with TWO Built-In Cameras, won't buy it now.

For some reason Nintendo increased the production cost of the DSi while also decreasing customer demand. The decision to incorporate Regional Locking will increase expenses while decreasing revenue. How on earth could that be perceived as a financially sound business decision?

Nintendo did issue a statement re: the DSi and Regional Locking, claiming: "DSi software (ie, DSi games/cartridges) is region locked, eg: European DSi software can only be played on European DSi consoles.

Nintendo DS software however is region free so you can play any DS software on DSi from any region. You can also browse the Internet on your DSi wherever you are in the world and exchange your photos with friends from around the world."

However, Nintendo did confirm that download-able games and future DSi-only cartridge-based games would be region locked.

So yes, you can play your old DS games on your new DSi, regardless of which country you bought those DS Carts...but your DSi Carts? You'll only be able to play them on a compatible DSi.

How can Nintendo ensure customers will buy the technically flawed DSi? By releasing DSi-only cartridges. How many new GBA-SP games do you see now? I don't mean units that have been sitting on the shelf for a year or more and haven't sold, I mean new releases? You don't see any, they're all DS, and by the time the DSi comes out Nintendo will have already begun phasing out the DS carts. After all, what better way to sell the DSi than by having some awesome new titles already available for it at release.

I wonder if Nintendo and the DSi will receive similar treatment from the gaming community as did EA & Spore? I feel that as a Gamer who vehemently objects to Regional Locking on a portable gaming unit, it's my duty to give the DSi a negative, 1-star review on Amazon, once they have a page up for it, that is.

The Nintendo DSi. Now with even less portability.