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The Wii U will be region-locked, Nintendo has confirmed to Famitsu. Given Nintendo’s region-locking on Wii and 3DS this comes as no surprise.
A Famitsu translation posted on Twitter reads: “What can be played on the Wii U is restricted by a region-lock feature; software not sold in the same region cannot be played.”
The Wii U arrives first in the US on November 18. Europe follows on November 30, with Japan bringing up the rear on December 8. Given the close proximity of release dates it’s likely most gamers will be able to resist the temptation to import at launch. Big title release date discrepancies between territories further down the line could, however, convince some to pick up an import machine.
Find a list of the best Wii U pre-order prices.
