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Shouldn't region-free gaming be a standard next gen?
- Thread starter CurseoftheGods
- Start date
charlequin
Banned
OuterWorldVoice said:
You haven't given a reason why this control is actually necessary to "not lose money on foreign distribution" given that three of the current five systems do without it, though.
Flying_Phoenix
Banned
Console makers should take note of SONY's region-freeness and Nintendo's perfect backward compatibilityness.
Your argument doesn't hold up to a logical assesment. If there is a large enough local market to support a game's local release, then it will be there regardless of whether or not region locking is in place. If there is no such market, then region locking will only reduce the total amount of sales for a game. Also, translation is a completely different matter: if someone wants a translated version of the game he won't import anyway.OuterWorldVoice said:
Region locking benefits no one except maybe local subsidiaries of publishers. It does not benefit developers and it does not benefit customers.
3 1/2 actually. Or rather, 4 1/2 out of 6.charlequin said:
gutter_trash
Banned
-the best way to counter importing is to make World-Wide releases or close enough world-wide releases dates.
-not region locking
-not region locking
Another_visitor
Member
No, blame the publishers.acm2000 said:
Goldrusher
Member
Those are all extra features and with the exception of Blu-ray, not even "this gen".H_Prestige said:
Besides, 90% of Blu-ray movies are region-free as well.
Name one.sprocket said:
charlequin said:
OK, here's a scenario.
SCEA is set up as a standalone business unit. It has not decided whether it will release Super Jumping Flash in the US yet. Meanwhile, demand for import is huge. So it sells a lot to hardcore import gamers.
Now SCEI doesn't make any more or less money on these transactions, but SCEA loses the cream off the top of a future release. It also loses control of marketing and messaging for the product.
Also, Super Jumping Flash is LOUSY with nudity AND swearing in the Japanese version, and the ESRB slaps Sony with a fine for not doing a better job of protecting the children.
I'm not saying any of this is a big deal, I'm just saying it's one of the primary reasons companies still do region locking.
There are two takeways from this scenario:
1. It's an old artifice, that while annoying, has practical non-evil benefits for the local subsidiary.
2. Super Jumping Flash is GOTY 2009.
Haunted said:
Let's just clear up one thing: it's the publishers who want region locks, not the console makers. If anything, region locks are another hassle when making a console. Nintendo could do a region free DS because they pretty much owned the handheld market. But it's pretty clear they didn't want any reasons to scare off potential publishers with their new unproven console, especially coming after one of their worst performing (sales-wise) consoles ever.
I do hope, and actually expect, that all next-gen consoles will be region free. There's, after all, no reason for them to not be region free.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
Isn't the Wii the only region-locked console out?
OldJadedGamer
Banned
stilgar said:
"no"
Nintendo only region locks their home consoles. Even the original brick GameBoy unit was region free along with the Gameboy Advance, the Virtual Boy, and the DS. All systems are region free.
Every Nintendo home console has been region locked but what was funny is that the N64 was region locked due to plastic. It was little nubs that just prevented other region carts from being inserted into the machine. If you removed that piece of plastic, you could play just fine.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
The 360 is region-free. Games on it are locked by the publishers on a game-by-game basis.Durante said:
With ToV, there's a very good reason why it's region locked: Because Namco sell distribution rights in Europe as they don't distribute their own games here.
NekoFever
Member
I wonder if Microsoft's stance on region-coding has been softened by Sony's approach. Both Xboxes have left whether or not the game should be region-coded to the publisher, but whereas on the first Xbox it was pretty much only Microsoft and Ubisoft that left it out with any regularity (a list I found listed 45 region-free original Xbox titles), on the 360 it's mostly just EA and obscure Japanese games. Something changed there and I can only assume that Microsoft has started encouraging publishers not to use it.
Whether or not MS will drop it entirely for the next Xbox is 50/50, but Nintendo changing?
...
:lol :lol :lol :lol
Edit: There have been region-locked demos on the PS3, so the provision to do it is obviously there.
Whether or not MS will drop it entirely for the next Xbox is 50/50, but Nintendo changing?
...
:lol :lol :lol :lol
Edit: There have been region-locked demos on the PS3, so the provision to do it is obviously there.
Nintendo used to really do the bare minimum with region lock : physical differences in cartridge shape, resistors on PCB and so on. I don't really think they want a strong region lock. But they definitely don't want publishers to go away with this. 360 way could be a solution, though.
And it really bothers me
Actually, I think it may be one of the reasons of the success of 360 among japanese publishers... I was expecting PS3 to be the home for smaller japanese studios, but it turned wrong. And indeed, most japanese 360 games are region-locked.Brakara said:
And it really bothers me
Many people say this. I really don't see why. The arguably most successful current gaming system (DS) is not region locked. Neither is one of the current consoles and the other handheld. In one console it's optional but rarely (if annoyingly) used. PCs never had a region locking mechanism to begin with.Fredescu said:
Why does it seem like such a fact of life to some? Because a few clauses in some distribution agreements would have to change slightly? I really don't see it.
Not to pee on your parade, but by using your argument (though reversed), you could bring up the fact that the the best-selling home platforms are region locked (or in the 360's case, mostly region locked), and the two worst-selling home/handheld platforms are region free.Durante said:
Maybe publishers are jumping ship because they want region locking!
Again, I'm using your argument, lol
If I'm not mistaken, PS3 game saves and DLC work just like they do on the PSP. Game saves and DLC are stored on folders named after the games serial number. Since each region has its own unique set of serial numbers, each game is tied to the DLC of the same region.Fredescu said:
If you have a N.A. console and want to download content for a JP game you have to buy it from the JP store and if you have a Euro console and want to download content for a U.S. game you have to buy it from the U.S. store (etc...).
Publishers are jumping ship away from DS or towards Wii? That's news to me!Michan said:
Anyway, my argument was not that lack of region locking causes great sales, that's what you interpreted. My argument was and is that plenty of gaming platform do just fine without it, so it is by no means a necessity.
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
With publishers and console suppliers leaning more and more toward digital delivery of games, fighting used sales, controlling individual game content through codes and direct purchase, I'd say you could kiss the dream of region free gaming goodbye along with a lot of other niceties we took for granted the last couple gens.
rollingstart
Banned
yes
Wii is stupid because I need homebrew or a disk to play the import games I PAY FOR and instead of Nintendo giving a reasonable solution similar to the one that FANS DID IN THEIR SPARE TIME they attempt to constantly block ways of doing this.
Wii is stupid because I need homebrew or a disk to play the import games I PAY FOR and instead of Nintendo giving a reasonable solution similar to the one that FANS DID IN THEIR SPARE TIME they attempt to constantly block ways of doing this.
2 Minutes Turkish
Banned
regioning should be abolished, but now that the Australian dollar sucks the hairiest of balls right now, it's irrelevant.
Earlier in the year though it was brilliant. Got my PS3 games so cheap.
Earlier in the year though it was brilliant. Got my PS3 games so cheap.
It will never be a standard - a few advocates of digital distribution will probably be surprised when the platform holders region lock our asses off.
If I lived in the United States I probably wouldn't worry to much but as a European and especially a German gamer I'm pretty afraid of the first generation that only uses digital distribution.
If I lived in the United States I probably wouldn't worry to much but as a European and especially a German gamer I'm pretty afraid of the first generation that only uses digital distribution.
H_Prestige
Banned
Brakara said:
Wouldn't the same situation arise with the region free 360 games and region-specific DLC?
Goldrusher
Member
If you can buy the game from another region, make sure you can buy DLC from that region, if you want it.
Besides, it's very easy anyway, with prepaid cards in the US and Japan.
Unless you want something from Europe, but with the current exchange rates I don't know why any sane American or Asian person would buy from Europe...
Besides, it's very easy anyway, with prepaid cards in the US and Japan.
Unless you want something from Europe, but with the current exchange rates I don't know why any sane American or Asian person would buy from Europe...
rollingstart
Banned
KevinCow said:
Again, Nintendo is trying to get rid of this stuff with (now) stealth firmware updates. PS3, PSP, and DS are the only good solutions since they are 100% region free. 360 is sometimes region free, sometimes not.
Linkzg said:
They don't like the fact that Wii's security was broken, the primary concerns are over disc based and downloadable piracy which is what many of their updates are tageting. It's not region circumvention they are trying to kill.
DSi is region-locked for the purpose of parental controls. Nintendo made their portables region-free for a reason, but with DSi they probably don't want to force global ratings as it may be too much of a burden on small publishers and people could possibly file lawsuits over their children playing games that have not been properly rated. People really are this stupid. Physical games need special importing, dowloadable games can be had by anyone which makes the problem harder.
Region locking might be (besides the money hats) one of the reasons why the Japanese publishers actually like the 360 this gen. Square-Enix especially is well known for being extremely against any kind of importing of their RPGs. Heck, they even managed to make sure that us Europeans wouldn't import a worldwide released title like the Last Remnant...
H_Prestige said:
Well, I can easily buy European DLC for the US and Asian 360 games I have. I'm just saying I want my region free games to be 100% region free. If not, then I'm not going to bother. Registering a Chinese account with a credit card, and having my DLC tied to that account instead of my main one, is just not going to happen.
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
Durante said:
You don't have to look long to realize that this isn't the only anti-consumer issue that GAF doesn't mind. Some (most?) are awesomely in lockstep with any such plan as long as it's endorsed by their sweethearts.
It's not a problem on PSP and DS because it's by and large the ultra realistic gore that the OFLC is against. Steam is region locked on the PC, we pretty much can't buy GTA in Australia through Steam. It's illegal to import banned region free games anyway, although I haven't heard any reports of people being busted for it.Durante said:
As a consumer I hate it, especially living in the country I do. I hate that Activision can price something like CoD4 out of the market in Steam altogether. Software publishers are the driving force of the industry though. If publishers believe they need region protection to be profitable, then it's something that I'd have to begrudgingly accept.
So does this mean if you wanted to play DLC on an imported game you couldn't play it under your normal profile? Trophies and that sort of thing don't get credited to your normal account?Killthee said: