PES 2011 3D region lock confirmed

PES 2011 3D will be region locked, Konami has this afternoon confirmed at a question and answer round table presentation at Nintendo's 3DS preview event in Amsterdam.

This week Nintendo told Eurogamer there is a "possibility" 3DS games from one region won't work when played by a 3DS from another region.

Nintendo's statement has caused some confusion on the matter of region locking. Eurogamer hopes to receive clarification later this evening. We do know, however, that PES 2011 3D is the first 3DS game to be confirmed to have region locking.

Konami has also failed to include online play in the game, leaving multiplayer functionality to one-on-one wireless matches and Street Pass mode.

PES 2011 3D's Street Pass feature allows players to play matches automatically using their Master League Team Data.

Opponents can be anyone in close vicinity carrying a Nintendo 3DS and a copy of the game.

Winning Street Pass matches leads to a higher Street Pass ranking. The best players gain the rank of UEFA Champions League. Playing Street Pass matches unlocks new players and teams which can be used to further strengthen Master League teams.

PES 2011 3D's hook is, unsurprisingly, its 3D visuals, and Konami has created a new Player Camera view designed to make the most of it. Player Camera zooms in on the player with possession, and uses arrows that point in the direction of play to prevent disorientation. 3D makes everything more precise, Konami said.

Meanwhile, Konami revealed it "would love" to create a stereoscopic 3D version of future PES games for other consoles.

"This is definitely something I'd like to do, to develop for other consoles in 3D," producer Naoya Hatsumi said. "But I must say one of the strong points for me of Nintendo 3DS is it has a rather small display. It's almost like you're looking at a miniature garden, your little miniature world, and it's in 3D. This is a very special aspect of it which I don't think you can, one-to-one, use the same experience on a big 3D screen.

"I will probably think about how to then present the game."

PES 2011 3D is one of over 25 3DS games confirmed to launch in Europe by the end of June.