Games

[nloth]

This was originally posted in the Death Smiles topic.

Because I'm such an optimist, I was curious whether Death Smiles would be region free and got in touch via Cave's developer blog. This is what the producer had to say on the matter:

Dear nloth

We are not planning to sell Deathsmiles to customers overseas at the moment

Sry regioning Japan only

We are extremely grateful that we have fans even in countries far away from Japan

thx


CAVE CO., LTD.
Producer
ASADA

[icycalm]

Because I'm such an ignorant

Fixed.

When will people get around to realizing that ALL Japanese Xbox 360 games are region locked? Perhaps when the Xbox 720 is released.

I am amazed at the patience of the Japanese developers. If it were me I'd have told you to go fuck yourself -- IF I even deigned to reply to your email.

[nloth]

No, there are exceptions but I've fucked up and missed the point entirely, I didn't take Japanese-exclusive releases into account.

[icycalm]

How many are they? I have not heard of a single one, and especially not any Japan-only games (which are the whole point), and I am sick of seeing the same discussion in every single fucking thread of a Japan-only 360 game on the internet. The same shit over and over and over for pages and pages and pages, in every thread on SRK or Shmups or wherever, and the result is always the same: no, the fuckin' game won't run on your fuckin' US or EU console -- just get a Japanese already for Christ's sake.

So start a thread dedicated to this shit if you want, and only post in a specific game's thread if that game happens to be among the miraculous exceptions which I've never heard of.


Edit: Thread split and it's all yours. Knock yourself out.

[Molloy]

How come chipped consoles haven't become a feature of this console generation? It's as simple as buying a special memory card for the PS2 these days.

[icycalm]

Say what? Chipping a 360 is a simple as buying a memory card? Since when?

[Cacophanus]

How come chipped consoles haven't become a feature of this console generation? It's as simple as buying a special memory card for the PS2 these days.

A lot of the modification isn't so necessary in this generation as the PS3 is region free for games and large swathes of the 360 library are equally so (though more on that in a minute). The Wii is the only awkward member but the Homebrew Channel has seemed to assuaged that issue.

The reason why some 360 games are region free and other aren't is down to the way in which regioning is enforced on the console. Specifically, it has little to do with the console but is to do with the software itself. Games that are released in America are "W Signed", these are the region free games. Japanese games are under a separate signage which means they only work on Japanese hardware. You could argue this was an intentional move, to exclude easy import of foreign games into the Western market but who knows for sure these days :roll:

[icycalm]

Games that are released in America are "W Signed", these are the region free games. Japanese games are under a separate signage which means they only work on Japanese hardware.

We've explained in this very thread that this is all wrong. It is common knowledge that only SOME US games are region-free, and nloth has shown us here that there do exist Japanese games that are region-free.

By the way, I am still waiting for Molloy to explain what he meant with the memory card comment.

[milkycha]

Icy, I think Molloy was asking why chipped 360s/Wiis arent as popular as they could be, seeing as how simple it is to chip a PS2 "these days". Flashing a 360 is not as simple as chipping a PS2.

same discussion in every single fucking thread of a Japan-only 360 game on the internet. The same shit over and over and over for pages and pages and pages

Amen. Not only is it tiresome reading this shit all over the net, but I've noticed icy saying the same thing in numerous threads here, where people should know better. Was Raiden Fighters Aces region free? Raiden IV? Shiki? Otomedius? Idolmaster? FUCK NO they weren't, and Deathsmiles isn't either.

[Molloy]

Yes, I was just saying that 'chipping' a PS2 is very easy. I haven't heard anybody talk about playing pirated/foreign region games on Xbox/PS3/Wii and a quick search didn't bring up anything. But then I searched 'chipped' which isn't the term they use anymore I guess.

[Doctor Fugue]

It is worth mentioning that it is more than some US 360 games that are region-free. It is at least half and probably more like 75 percent; this is considering the Play-Asia guide to be accurate and my own experience.

Out of my admittedly small collection of about 30 US games, only 3 will NOT work on my JP 360.

It would be entirely reasonable to own only a JP 360.

[icycalm]

From my own experience (I own two Japanese 360s a European one, but no American ones), I would say about 50% of the US games I want to play have not been region free.

[A.Wrench]

I know that on the Wii (as well as Gamecube) it's possible to just buy a "freeloader" disk that lets you bypass region locking. It's also easy enough to mod a Wii using the SD card slot, a couple of homebrew programs, and a hacked Zelda save file. Recent firmware updates might have put an end to that, though.

[milkycha]

Indeed, a Freeloader disc exists for the Wii. However, since (around) the release of Brawl, firmware updates rendered it useless. There are still ways to make your Wii region-free/piracy-friendly, and they're not too complicated.

And yeah, Molloy, "flashing" is the new key word to search when looking for 360 mods(not "chipping"). However, getting your 360 to play imports/backups/pirated games is too risky to be worth it; even if you really know your tech -- and flash your drive successfully -- when your 360 fails, you're pretty much screwed. Sure, people will tell you the newer models are more reliable, but I've sent my PAL 360 in for repairs twice within a year(and it's starting to show signs of death again, and after twelve months, YOU have to pay for the repairs unless the failure is caused by RROD).
Q: When will Microsoft make a product that doesn't suck?
A: When they start making vacuum cleaners.

Lastly, I'll agree with Icy in regards to games I want to play being region locked; I own PAL and NTSCJ 360s, and am constantly swapping between machines because of compatibility issues.

[Cacophanus]

Games that are released in America are "W Signed", these are the region free games. Japanese games are under a separate signage which means they only work on Japanese hardware.

We've explained in this very thread that this is all wrong. It is common knowledge that only SOME US games are region-free, and nloth has shown us here that there do exist Japanese games that are region-free.

I meant to say "often" region free. It is to do with the W signage though.