Gaming eShop codes region-locked?

[Katana]

Can somebody tell me if eShop codes are region-locked? For example, if I buy a $10 eShop card at GameStop in the US, and send the code to my buddy down in Europe, would he be able to use the code? I assume that if it is possible the currency would be converted, re-adjusting the value.

 

[Bonny]

Correct. They are locked. Of course... we europeans always pay more. Nobody in europe would buy a european eshop card if he could use US cards.

 

[noki@]

LOL I hate how companies do that,,, Maybe someone will figure a way to dump the games on the E-shop, especially the new Mario Kart levels

 

[cearp]

everything for the 3ds is region locked except... accessories and parts...

 

[noki@]

everything for the 3ds is region locked except... accessories and parts...

If Nintendo could, they would lock them too haaha

 

[nexuspunk]

yeah it seems about right for nintendo

 

[MOHRCORE]

I wonder, why dumping e-shop games seems to be much harder, than rom dumping. All the eshop files are on SD card (or they aren't?), so it should be easier if eShop doesn't use another encryption (but as far as I know, encryption doesn't matter when it comes to cartridges - roms are encrypted anyway, so there's no need to decrypt them) or what? Or it's easy, but no one wants to do it... Anyway I hope that more e-shop dumps will be released soon, like FS3D, or Puchicon 3gou (Petit computer 3DS [release date is only set for Japan])

 

[hippy dave]

A cartridge game is just encrypted, but in such a way that it will work on any console. You dump the cartridge, still encrypted exactly as it is, and it will run on gateway in any console (that gateway works on).

An eshop game is encrypted to only work on a specific console. You dump it as it is, it won't work on any other console.
You'd have to decrypt it, and then re-encrypt it in such a way as it will run on any gateway console (turning them into a .3ds file is how this has been done, and has also required gateway to patch the firmware so that it doesn't care that the game was encrypted by someone else other than nintendo).

 

[Arras]

LOL I hate how companies do that,,, Maybe someone will figure a way to dump the games on the E-shop, especially the new Mario Kart levels

Note that the new Mario Kart tracks are for the WiiU, not the 3DS, which isn't even properly hacked yet. (also they're really not that expensive for the amount of tracks you get, so you could actually buy them)

 

[MOHRCORE]

A cartridge game is just encrypted, but in such a way that it will work on any console. You dump the cartridge, still encrypted exactly as it is, and it will run on gateway in any console (that gateway works on).

An eshop game is encrypted to only work on a specific console. You dump it as it is, it won't work on any other console.
You'd have to decrypt it, and then re-encrypt it in such a way as it will run on any gateway console (turning them into a .3ds file is how this has been done, and has also required gateway to patch the firmware so that it doesn't care that the game was encrypted by someone else other than nintendo).

Thanks for getting things straight So, eShop games are encrypted seperately for every 3ds... Hmmm... that makes stuff much harder. So finding encryption key sounds almost impossible. But someone can do it (or found way to get pure unecrypted game from Nintendo servers, which sounds more impossible)... I hope we'll know soon how to dump eShop

 

[RiffRaff]

It's locked, even the currency for the PS4/Xbox are locked like that, has to be from your region.