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German youth protection regulations are being blamed for Nintendo’s decision to block the downloading of adult-rated games content on the Wii U.
MCV reported late on Friday that owners of the console can only access such content between the hours of 11pm and 3am.
And as hard to believe as that is, it transpires that it is true!
"At Nintendo we always aim to provide a safe gaming experience for fans of all ages and ensure that we comply with applicable legal age restriction requirements across Europe,” a spokesperson told MCV.
Legal age restriction requirements vary across a number of European countries. 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."
Don’t be surprised to see this policy changed in the near future, however. The decision has garnered plenty of negative press for the firm – something that Nintendo will be keen to avoid as Wii U fights to make the most of the pre-Christmas market.
