It's official: Nintendo is to region-lock the Wii U.

Various claims on the internet to that effect prompted trade title CVG to ask Nintendo, and Nintendo said that it will indeed implement region-lock measures to stop punters buying games from, say, Japan and playing them in consoles bought in the UK.

As the site notes, Nintendo has been doing this as long as it has been selling consoles, so it's not surprising that the company is continuing to do so with a new generation of hardware.

Unsurprising, but disappointing nonetheless. Nintendo's business is global, its fanbase likewise. There's no longer any reason - if there ever was - why titles should not be sold across borders, especially when certain regions get games others do not. ®