PS3 to be region free!

[Kuta]

Read all about it here; http://ps3.ign.com/articles/697/697656p1.html

Apparently it is intended to fight piracy due to the number of people modding their console just so they can play overseas games. This is a great move from Sony.

 

[mal]

Originally posted by Kuta@Fri, 2006-03-24 @ 12:37 PM

This is a great move from Sony.

Yeah... woot

 

[Malakai]

This would have been great in the early or mid 90s, when 100 times the games were released in Japan than in America. With every new generation of console, we have been getting more and more Japanese translations that it is almost pointless. Mainly, games that are either really bad or go after the Japanese market and its people are the ones that would not come to America these days, like dating simulation, horse racing and betting, etc. That's not to say that there won't be a few good games missed, but we definately have a lot better chance in getting the good games in North America now.

 

[Pearl Jammzz]

I'll mod and DL games anyways...very few games are worth money now adays

 

[schi0249]

See, thats why I don't play many new games. These days, my DS has the newest games. I can't remember the last console game I bought.

 

[Cloud121]

I just hope that the region free also extends to PS2, I can import all the SNK fighters to use with my Real Arcade Pro.

That is, if I can use my stick on the new console. (Hopefully).

 

[VertigoXX]

This is a good move on Sony's part. There are three types of modders out there; those who mod to play imports, those who mod to play bootlegs, and those who mod to play imports but end up playing bootlegs just because they can. This eliminates two of those groups, and will cut down on the demand for mod chips. Lack of demand will result in higher prices for mod chips. Higher prices for mod chips will result in less people modding just to play bootlegs. It won't eliminate all of us pirates, but it will curb the number somewhat.

If they were *REALLY* smart, they'd come up with a way to play homebrew software without a mod chip. Even smarter, sell software to burn homebrew software on a PC that puts some sort of requried code on the disc to allow it to play. The homebrew disc would then be copyable in any other program, but in order to make that first copy, you need their program.

 

[Kuta]

Well actually, theoretically speaking, it should kill all three groups of modders seeing as exporting games was propably the only legal use of a mod chip and after that becomes invalid mod chipping would likely become an illegal practice altogether. I supposed people could start with the usual argument where people have a right to be able to back up their software but then Sony would only have to provide some kind of disc replacment program to kill that argument as well.

As for the homebrew idea, well Sony would never do that because it would threaten their software sales.

 

[arromdee]

Originally posted by Malakai@Sat, 2006-03-25 @ 10:10 AM

This would have been great in the early or mid 90s, when 100 times the games were released in Japan than in America. With every new generation of console, we have been getting more and more Japanese translations that it is almost pointless. Mainly, games that are either really bad or go after the Japanese market and its people are the ones that would not come to America these days, like dating simulation, horse racing and betting, etc. That's not to say that there won't be a few good games missed, but we definately have a lot better chance in getting the good games in North America now.

[post=145287]Quoted post[/post]​

This isn't really so, because Sony has a policy against 2D games. To get most 2D games you pretty much have to import them from Japan. I've got Double Shienryu, Fist of the North Star (not worth it, but that's another story), and Darkstalkers Collection, with Sengoku Ace/Blade on order, and none of these have a prayer of coming out in America. (Well, okay, Shienryu I was on PS1)

I wonder, though, if the PS3 is going to really be region free, or if Sony is going to put in region coding that doesn't get used--until a couple of years later, like happened with Sega Genesis games. (And will Sony edit the US versions, so the system will require the equivalent of a language switch if we want Japanese voices or whatever?)

 

[Malakai]

Don't ya just know that the world would fall apart if we couldn't play but 49 of the 50 pokemon games :/