Ultimately the reason I have an issue with region locking is that while it does give publishers more control over the sale of their goods and helps them maximize profits, such a minuscule proportion of consumers are interested in importing gaming products in the first place that I feel it really has no significant effect on a company's bottom line. It does more to drive good will and word of mouth of anything. The lack of region locking on the DS for example, while not necessarily integral to its overall success, had a very tangible effect.