Europeans can't buy adult content before bedtime.
If you're the proud owner of a brand new Wii U and are living in Europe, you might have noticed that you can't by 18 rated content from Nintendo's eShop. According to Eurogamer (first reported on NeoGAF), the issue sees users prevented from watching trailers for 18-rated Wii U games or buy 18-related content no matter what their age or their parental controls.
One NeoGAF user from Italy wrote to Nintendo to ask why he wasn't able to purchase mature content from the eShop. Nintendo responded, telling the user that it likes to offer experiences suited to all age groups and observe the relevant regulations present across the various European countries.
"We have thus decided to restrict the access to content which is unsuitable to minors (PEGI) to the 11pm - 3am time window," the user was apparently told.
While Nintendo sort of explains the reasoning behind the decision to block access to adult content at night time, the company didn't mention the specific regulations it was abiding by in following this protocol. Today, the company got in touch with the Verge and explained things a little further.
"Legal age restriction requirements vary across a number of European countries," the company is quoted as saying. "Since Nintendo of Europe is based in Germany, Nintendo eShop is complying with German youth protection regulation which therefore applies to all our European markets. Under German law, content rated 18+ must be made available only at night."
So, there you have it. If you want to buy some of the more mature Wii U games, you'll have to wait until late at night to do so.
Don't you mean during the day?
Last line: " If you want to buy some of the more mature Wii U games, you'll have to wait until late at night to do so."
*slow clap* What a bright editor...
Don't you mean during the day?
Um no, I think you're looking for night AND day.
FU£% OFF
A lot of irony in this one.
Last line: " If you want to buy some of the more mature Wii U games, you'll have to wait until late at night to do so."
*slow clap* What a bright editor...
... wait, who am I kidding. We're turning into as much a bunch of PC ninnies as the EU.
You want to download the boobs, blood and guns? Just wait till later in the day. No biggie. If it is, grow up.
Each time some entity outside of myself tells me I can't have access to violence or porn, I feel enraged. It is not their place to do so. It is my place as an adult to either control myself or not. If I happen to destroy myself in the process, nobody else is to blame but me.
This includes but is not limited to heavy or light drugs, alcohol, watching reality shows, buying apple products, doing whatever I wish with one or more consenting adults, engaging in unprotected intercourse with underage Artificial Intelligence, skydiving, mountain climbing, etc.
Why would anyone think that treating their customers like a naughty, German, children would be a successful move. Nintendo has lost the plot entirely.
Another reason (and the pile continues to grow) why no one should touch the Wii with a barge pole.
Oookay. So, that's either a reference to a work of speculative science fiction that I'm not familiar with, or juuust a little more than I needed to know about a fellow poster...
You fail to see how people would be unavailable for 4 specific hours a day? Grow up yourself and get a life and a job. Not everyone is home 24/7. They have parental controls, should be enough.
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to fail comprehension and say it's Nintendo's fault. Nintendo is doing this in Europe, to abide by German law.. Germany is a part of Europe, complain to Germany. Nintendo doesn't need to prgram a different market for every single country in the EU. Complain to your entire semisocialist big brother of a union. It's not like the EU listens to any of the wishes of it's citizens anyway. If I were you, I'd be more concerned about the eventual fall of the shaky union rather than having to stay up to buy Zombi U.
so far though, i don't Bellevue content over the web is restricted like this, such as digital download.
this IS nintendo blanketing all of europe because a law may apply to it, but has yet to EVER apply to it to my knowledge.
be an adult
be an adult who works nights
be an adult who can never access adult content on the wiiu