Xbox360 To Be Region Locked

[Oddmaker]

Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox 360 will be region locked for both games and DVD movie playback at yesterday's pre-TGS press event. This means, for those of you who do not know, that you will not be able to play one region's games or movies on another region's console. Nothing surprising here.

At the pre-TGS press briefing, Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox 360 will be region locked for both games and DVD movie playback, meaning that you can't play games or watch DVD movies from another region other than the one your Xbox 360 is locked to. Here's the Link (http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/9263/Xbox-360-to-be-Region-Locked/).

[omnithrope]

Not a shock, but certainly crappy news.

[Paranoia]

Not suprise. I think its more to do with DVD forum than MS. Otherwise there is no point of having a region lock feature on DVDs.

[thecrazyd]

Why would they do this? I have never seen the benifit of region locking.

[nonchalance]

Unsurprised, but Australia cries nonetheless.

If only our law forbidding region-locked DVD players applied to game consoles as well.

[KamaItachi]

Actually this is a bit of a shock, the original Xbox wasn't locked, only the games were. MS were always supportive of publishers keeping their games free so that those who wanted could always import the games they wanted/needed. I used to be able to play a good 40-50% of American games on my Japanese Xbox, looks like I may have to wait for the other Western Asia imports from Hong Kong and Singapore now.

[civx]

y dos *** keep screwing over the gamers?????????????

[Deadend]

y dos *** keep screwing over the gamers?????????????

Because they make more money this way.

That means a game needs to pass approval 3 times, and 3 liscencing fees.
Suck it down.

This also prevents importing from a region where games may be cheaper.

[sinclair122]

what did anyone expect? MS <3's DRM

[Paranoia]

Because they make more money this way.

That means a game needs to pass approval 3 times, and 3 liscencing fees.
Suck it down.

This also prevents importing from a region where games may be cheaper.

Don't forget movies too. In some countries DVD movies are sold very cheap.

[Beelzebud]

Yeah and some DVD's have better editions in different region codes.

I paid 30 bucks for John Carpenter's They Live from the U.K., because it has a better transfer, a director's commentary, and a behind the scenes documentary. U.S. disk is a bare-bones DVD with menu and trailer.

It sucks they will be locking the xbox360. I guess my xbox will still be occupying shelf space. Who am I kidding? XBMC will probably be better than 360's media capabilities anyway... I doubt the 360 will support OGM, Matroska, or any other open source codec.

[Kelegacy]

I pine for the day when region locking (and regions as well) will be done away with. Unite the world under one large glorious banner, I say.

[Commissar Rob]

I pine for the day when region locking (and regions as well) will be done away with. Unite the world under one large glorious banner, I say.

Down with the bourgeois pig Microsoft! Up with the proletarian...um...Nintendo? No. Um...

Little help here...

;)

[Eran Hawke]

*sigh*

Why bother.

[Chandler]

I dont understand what the fuss is about,

why would anyone expect microsoft to make it region unlocked when pretty much every console before xbox360 was region locked.

[KamaItachi]

See my previous comment, the Xbox played all regions, but the games themselves were locked.

[TrackZero]

Not a shock. I really wish they'd stop doing this though. I can understand it for movies, but leave games alone. Some of us like importing titles that aren't available here.

[Talanvor]

If you want to import then you're going to have to buy two consoles. How nice of them. Wonder if you can swap the HDs between consoles, or are they going to screw that up too.

Meh. I'm sure the 360 will be chipped and fully unlocked anyway if you want to go that route.

[Savok]

Oddly enough I could never get my Xbox to play other region DVDs. Being region 4 (with South America, thanks region pricks!), we get shit all in the way of obscure DVDs.

And those with Windows outside of the US know MS has a regioning fetish.

Also I've been through this before, they have regions so they can charge more money for the rights to locally distribute the game, it's making money at our expense.

[nonchalance]

If you want to import then you're going to have to buy two consoles. How nice of them. Wonder if you can swap the HDs between consoles, or are they going to screw that up too.

All indications point to being able to swap HDDs pretty freely, although I don't have a link for you.
I'd be very very surprised if there was a problem with that.

Meh. I'm sure the 360 will be chipped and fully unlocked anyway if you want to go that route.

Or maybe not.
At least, not for a while.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4218670.stm

[Chris_D]

Unfortunately modding is a pain these days, generally leaving the best option to be owning multiple versions of the same console for different regions (at least the pstwo doesn't take up much space). If only it was as easy as the freeloader disc.

I will probably just buy US versions of the next consoles and finally give the aussie market the flick.

[MrMeatshake]

Thanks Oddmaker, for the news. Expected, but crappy news.

Oh, and thanks Deadend, for the insight. DAMN I hate *** sometimes. :(

[baz]

I'm sure that everyone will manage to screw PAL users somehow. All console manufacturers have a deep seated hatred of PAL users, a hatred that runs so deep they have to go through and remove all HD modes before releasing games to PAL territories. Obviously they can't do that with the 360 as HD is a selling point, but they'll think of something...

[MrMeatshake]

so true, baz.