Differently from the previous portable consoles developed by Nintendo, the new DSi will be region locked. That means that the software developed for one region will only work on consoles sold in that particular region. The lock will be only on the software made specifically for the DSi, while those for the current DS models will be region free also on the new console. The lock will be applied on both cartridges and downloadable games. The internal browser, however, won’t be affected by the lock.

The explanation from Nintendo: “DSi is region locked because DSi embeds net communication functionality within itself and we are intending to provide net services specifically tailored for each region. Also because we are including parental control functionality for Nintendo DSi and each region has its unique age limit made by different independent.”

Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive VP, however, doesn’t seem to agree with the decision. “I believe that just as you can currently buy a DS in Japan and use it here in the U.S., that you should be able to do that with DSi”, she says, justifying her opinion with a personal example: “I carry around my Ice Blue DS because I like the color, and I could find it in Japan and couldn’t find it here.”

There’s still no official dates for the DSi launch at this moment. We’ll be tuned.