No Region Eencoding for PS3

[Vandenh]

Sony might not have an online service but they are looking at other ways of pleasing people. Looks like PS3 might drop region locked games (http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,17178898%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html).

Sony's current crop of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 consoles contains technology that blocks the use of illegal copied games. It also prevents the use of game and DVD discs that have been region coded for other markets.

However, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia managing director, Michael Ephraim, said the company was unlikely to continue the policy as international television standards emerge.
I have the feeling from the interview the Sony guy meant region locked movies instead of games. Since region encoding is optional for 360, I guess Microsoft could follow. Surely a good thing for gamers!

[bapenguin]

Well..that's good news. I never understood the whole region locking thing anyway.

[Vandenh]

Oops.. spelling devil in headline :(

>I never understood the whole region locking thing anyway.

Well I guess it is done to protect local higher/lower prices. I doubt we are really going to get region free games... but who knows. That basically means lower prices I guess and maybe more weird games ;)

[fitbabits]

Does region-free mean that games will have to be released simultaneously in all territories so as not to dent the sales in any given territory? I am, of course, referring to AAA games like MGS4 that will likely be released all over the world. If a title such as MGS4 releases in Japan first and the game is region-free, people will simply import it, which will in turn put a dent in US sales.

I can't see it working otherwise.

[emperordahc]

I'd love region free games. If you think about it, many people who have modded systems have them just to play region free stuff.

[El Gato]

Not to sound negative or anything, but this is Sony we're talking about. How likely does this sound?

[Okamura_Takashi]

Does region-free mean that games will have to be released simultaneously in all territories so as not to dent the sales in any given territory? I am, of course, referring to AAA games like MGS4 that will likely be released all over the world. If a title such as MGS4 releases in Japan first and the game is region-free, people will simply import it, which will in turn put a dent in US sales.

I can't see it working otherwise.

I don't think that many Americans speak Japanese well enough to want the game before it is released in English (and similarly for other territories).

[fitbabits]

I don't think that many Americans speak Japanese well enough to want the game before it is released in English (and similarly for other territories).
But that hasn't stopped people modding their consoles to get a game early.

[DaedalusFolly]

One of the biggest uses of region locking is to protect IP licenses. Frequently, one company doesnt own distribution rights to the same IP in different countries. Harmony Gold and Macross is a classic example, a more contemporary example would be the Shonen Jump game for the DS. All the characters in Shonen Jump are not necessarily available to be distributed outside Japan by the game publisher, though ironically, I don't believe that game is region locked.

[NoName]

But that hasn't stopped people modding their consoles to get a game early.
True, but it really depends on the game. I've played the Naruto PS2 games in Japanese and thanks to gamefaqs I had no problems.

Now try playing an RPG in full Japanse when you don't know the language...

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

Region free PS3 would make so freaking happy.

[Spoon]

I would love region free games also. But also region free dvd players etc., should be easily accessible, and sold in stores. Fu*k this PAL / NTSC BS.

death to regional restrictions!
tear down the wall!

[Savok]

a more contemporary example would be the Shonen Jump game for the DS. All the characters in Shonen Jump are not necessarily available to be distributed outside Japan by the game publisher, though ironically, I don't believe that game is region locked.
It's not.

Damn you Sony, on one hand you pull that DRM shit, on the other you finally kill regions which became completely fucking stupid by the late 90s. I only hope this forces MS and Nintendo to ditch regions, maybe we'll finally see some god damn great games here which aren't limited releases or not at all.

[JediSanf]

Damn you Sony, on one hand you pull that DRM shit, on the other you finally kill regions which became completely fucking stupid by the late 90s.

You see this shit all the time in huge corporations, the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. I imagine once the restructuring is finished they'll be more streamlined but Sony Music and SCEA are pretty much still seperate companies. Region free will be great though, now I can finally order Red Dwarf from amazon.co.uk

[Savok]

America doesn't have multi-region DVD players?

[fitbabits]

America doesn't have multi-region DVD players?
We most certainly do - I was given one for Xmas some time ago!

[Savok]

Also you'll likely find they keep regions for DVDs, like they did with the PSP. Games are region free for it, UMDs are not.

And hell, just never, ever play a DVD on a console, you'll kill it.

[Ernst_Jager]

Not going to happen.

[Chimpbot]

But that hasn't stopped people modding their consoles to get a game early.

I'm sure the number of consoles modded specifically to get import games early are rather low...at least in the US. People typically mod their consoles in order to pirate software.
Out of all of my encounters, I've only met three people with modded systems...and they modded them specifically for pirated software.
One would assume that since most Americans have a limited(at best) control of the Japanese language, there really wouldn't be much of a desire to import a game they couldn't understand in the first place. I know I've only imported one game, and I certainly didn't enjoy having to keep a huge stack of papers by my side to plow through the incomprehensible text splattered across my television screen.

Region-free games will, in all likelyhood, not affect sales significantly...if at all. The only games it would have the potential to really affect would be the "non big-name" titles...but those aren't the titles that people would be clamoring to import, so it all balances out. The titles that people would really want to import would be titles like MGS4 or a Final Fantasy; of course, these titles sell so many copies that the limited number of pre-US release imports wouldn't even dent the overall sales Stateside.

[Liquidize105]

Don't trust anything Sony says before there's solid proof.

[Sensei-X]

Sounds like pure speculation, I'm sure Sony will lay the smackdown on poor Mikey soon enough for opening his mouth without their permission. As for MGS4, well we've gotten both MGS2 and MGS3 here in the US first, so I wouldn't worry too much.

[KamaItachi]

Both MGS2 and 3 came out in the U.S. before they did Japan. Kojima said in previous interviews that it was a thank you gift for supporting him even more than in the home territories.

When was it announced that the 360 was goign to have optional region coding? It was optional on the original Xbox which was great for importing U.S. games, but there was a very definite announcement that the 360 would now have region locks on all it's games a month or 2 ago.

[Savok]

I'm sure the number of consoles modded specifically to get import games early are rather low...at least in the US. People typically mod their consoles in order to pirate software.
Nice disclaimer, what you yanks do means fuck all with this by the way. Regions aren't a curse to you, they are to PAL though, some games have taken 2 fucking years to get here, others not at all or with half the fucking features missing (Legacy of Kain: Defiance anyone?).

So don't give me shit about how mod chips are for pirates, blah blah blah. If we weren't constantly screwed with releases, there wouldn't be a genuine need and we could all hold hands and hate together.

[Chimpbot]

Nice disclaimer, what you yanks do means fuck all with this by the way. Regions aren't a curse to you, they are to PAL though, some games have taken 2 fucking years to get here, others not at all or with half the fucking features missing (Legacy of Kain: Defiance anyone?).

So don't give me shit about how mod chips are for pirates, blah blah blah. If we weren't constantly screwed with releases, there wouldn't be a genuine need and we could all hold hands and hate together.

Since us "yanks" make up the lions share of the market, what we do means quite a bit. The focus is rarely in Europe...and oddly enough, it's not always in Japan. The make-or-break area is the US.
I'd guess that the majority of people with modded consoles did that in order to pirate software. Like I implied, there are some people who mod their systems simply because they live in an area that tends to get screwed over...but virtually everyone that I've talked to with a modded system had one in order to get games for free.

Anyway...

Ultimately, I doubt it will really matter if any of the consoles are region-free or not; most people wouldn't take advantage of it even if they were.

[Savok]

Exactly my point, Americans are a large portion of the market, regions aren't a major problem for you. PAL however, is screwed, most people with mod chips here have them to import unbutchered games or to get their games at all.

If you'll notice the guy talking is an Australian Sony person, you might realise this isn't about you, I know as an American that can be hard to grasp but there are some things you just have to accept.

[Player 1]

Exactly my point, Americans are a large portion of the market, regions aren't a major problem for you. PAL however, is screwed, most people with mod chips here have them to import unbutchered games or to get their games at all.

If you'll notice the guy talking is an Australian Sony person, you might realise this isn't about you, I know as an American that can be hard to grasp but there are some things you just have to accept.

ZING!

You know, it doesn't happen often, but it's so funny when you guys don't get a game first or at all (Shenmue II on DC appeared in Europe but not in the US as it became an Xbox exclusive, Zelda: The Minnish Cap on GBA came to Europe before the US).

The Americans on gaming forums went berzerk over those events. It's actually worth being a PAL gamer just for when something like that happens. The comedy value is priceless.

...

You know, I don't know whether to believe this story or not. But the idea is nice. It's not particularly high-brow or cunning but it'd convert a boatload of gamers to PS3 overnight.

[Savok]

Yeah it does happen (Silent Hill 4 was another), very rare and usually crap anyway (Minish Cap was terrible).

[KamaItachi]

ZING!

You know, it doesn't happen often, but it's so funny when you guys don't get a game first or at all (Shenmue II on DC appeared in Europe but not in the US as it became an Xbox exclusive, Zelda: The Minnish Cap on GBA came to Europe before the US).

The Americans on gaming forums went berzerk over those events. It's actually worth being a PAL gamer just for when something like that happens. The comedy value is priceless.



Actually, you don't need to look much further than the announcement that the X360 was being released for the equivilent of $40 cheaper in Japan. There was plenty of nashing of teeth then.