Nintendo Wii U To Observe Regional Locking

The Nintendo Wii U gaming console will be region-locked when it arrives to market. Several reports on Monday announced that Nintendo has developed region and country specific gaming consoles to ensure game sales are strong in each selling country. Nintendo also hopes to stop game and software imports from other areas.

This is not the first time Nintendo has focused on regional locking, the same type of practice was observed for the original Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo 3DS portable gaming system.

In the meantime customers in the United States will be the first to pick up the Nintendo Wii U when it debuts on November 18. Following the US will be Europe on November 30. Japan, Nintendo’s own home country will be last to receive the Wii U when it lands in the country on December 8.

Customers looking to pick up the basic console will pay $300 while the deluxe model will run up the bill to $350. For the extra $50 customers receive 32GB of storage instead of the standard 8GB offering. The Deluxe version also includes HDMI out support, two power adapters and a Nintendo Network Plus membership that provides customers with a 10 percent discount when purchasing digital downloads.

Nintendo is banking on customers quickly adapting to their new remote control and game play that the company has promised will be more in-line with current gaming systems.

Do you think the Nintendo Wii U is going to be a success or should Nintendo have stuck more closely to its original Nintendo Wii construct?