Wii Officialy Region-Free and Not Region Free

[Arcadium]

This is very confusing, I don't know how nintendo has the information but they are saying things that are the vice-versa of the other like this:

Wii Region-Free Says Nintendo VP

Speaking to Wired News' Joel Johnson, Kaplan confirmed that, like the DS, Wii gamers will be able to play titles from different territories without restriction. Traditionally, games purchased in regions such as Japan, US and Europe have only been playable on native home consoles. The news is likely to be welcomed by import fans, eager to get their hands on games as close to initial release as possible - however, Kaplan also suggested that region-locking on third-party games would be left up to individual publishers. Currently, it's unclear how Nintendo's region-free policy will affect the playback of existing GameCube titles, which are fully compatible with the Wii.

In the same report, Kaplan revealed that downloaded Virtual Console games would be tied to an individual user's account. However, the system is structured in such a way that, in the event of, say, a meteor crashing through the window and pile-driving your Wii to a pulp, you'll still be able to play your previously purchased games on a brand new Wii console.

Wired also questioned whether Wii owners would be able to add storage capabilities via a USB hard drive add-on. Kaplan's response was that, initially, storage would be limited to flash memory. Although she suggested a hard drive add-on could conceivably be released in the future, it doesn't sound like Nintendo has any official plans as yet. Whether enterprising Wii users will be able to use their own non-Nintendo USB hard drive accessories with the console from the off is unclear.

Source: HERE!

And then they say this:

Wii Titles Region-Encoded

Wii games will not be region-free according to Nintendo UK's General Manager David Yarnton. Speaking exclusively with IGN at Nintendo's European Wii press event in London, Yarnton confirmed that Wii games and online content will be region-encoded, meaning European gamers won't be able to play titles from the US and Japan and vice-versa.

The news follows contradictory comments made by Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Marketing and Affairs, which IGN reported on yesterday.

Source: HERE!

What is nintendo doing? Saying information and then changing it! This is very confusing :crazy:

Who are we going to beleave? ut:

 

[Mr_Stoukaph]

what are the dates of the articles? the Wii will not be region-free

 

[Jeff]

Has anyone heard anything about being able to play on wifi with people around the world? (Like in Japan, not just your own country, as i believe Ps2 does.)

 

[Mr_Stoukaph]

i think you can, but the Wii has friend codes like the DS

 

[Kherrek508]

They tell us that the system allows for games bought in other countries, and then, exactly one day later, says the exact opposite? Something seems kind of fishy..

 

[Arcadium]

what are the dates of the articles? the Wii will not be region-free

the first article is September 14th and the other is September 15th

 

[Mario Famous]

Nope, the Wii will not be region-free, and for does who do not get it, when a system is region-free, it is able to play imported games from other contries. It also allows you to VS people across the world. DS is regionfree but the Wii is not.

 

[turpentine]

console usually aren't region free so people don't import it into different settings than it was designed for, ie, the european wii would possibly explode if you plugged it in in the US.