Owners of portable gaming systems so far have had the option to enjoy software from all over the world, thanks to the lack of region locking on systems such as the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. That will all change, however, with the Nintendo DSi.

The upcoming DSi will be the first Nintendo portable system that will carry software restrictions according to region. “DSi software (software that is only compatible with DSi) is region locked, eg: European DSi software can only be played on European DSi consoles,” a Nintendo spokesperson told CVG.

To clarify, only software that is created specifically for the DSi will be region locked. This will include both download and cartridge-based games. Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance games, however, will continue to be region-free.

Why would Nintendo change what appears to already be a winning system? The spokesperson explained, “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.”

This bit of news definitely puts a damper on those looking to import a system from Japan this November before it hits the rest of the world in 2009. While the region locking won’t stop the hardcore from importing, the limitations imposed make those foreign DSi’s nothing more than slim Nintendo DS Lites with larger screens.