Import/Region Free Questions

Big Momma · Post by **Big Momma** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:18 pm

I was wondering if any next Gen Systems were region free. I'll be getting a Wii soon, and I want to import some games. Is the American Wii region free? If not, is there something I can use on it, like swap magic? I also want to know why they don't make system's region free. Just a few questions.

Post by **VegettoEX** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:41 pm

Big Momma wrote:I was wondering if any next Gen Systems were region free.

The PS3 console is region-free, but games still have the option of being region-coded by their publisher. Therefore, if the game has no region code, you can play it on your system. If the game is region-coded for Japan, you can't play it on your system. Also keep in mind that game region-codes are separate from Blu-Ray region codes (in which both the US and Japan are R1). Further keep in mind that even though the PS3 console is region-free, since PS2 (and PS1) games have region codes, you can't just slap Legends in your American PS3 and expect to be able to play it.

I believe there are a few 360 games that aren't region-coded. The systems are, but they'll play the games that don't have a region-code. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same situation as you've been used to in past generations.

Big Momma wrote:I'll be getting a Wii soon, and I want to import some games. Is the American Wii region free? If not, is there something I can use on it, like swap magic?

No, neither the Wii console nor any of its games are region-free. Supposedly there are swap-discs or boot-discs in the works, but I seriously wonder how they expect them to work when Nintendo can just patch the firmware via system updates (a la PSP)... I'd expect something more along the lines of a flip-switch mod-chip like in the olden days for this generation of systems.

Big Momma wrote:I also want to know why they don't make system's region free. Just a few questions.

It's a combination of things.

It can cannibalize the upcoming/potential sales of the domestic releases. This happened towards the end of the Saturn's era, though SoA was primarily responsible for just killing the system off, anyway...

Another big thing that almost no-one ever seems to mention is *MUSIC*... especially with the recent (relatively speaking, anyway) arrival of the true music-genre games. Take DDR, for example. The music in the Japanese games simply isn't licensed for home release and distribution in American without all sorts of record-label and game-publisher sub-licenses. It's not that Konami doesn't want you to be able to play those songs... they both want to catch you on your toes with omg hot trax from Sean Paul, and also it costs a crapton of money to re-license for American the licensed tracks in Japan.

I had other reasons in mind, but I got distracted by something shiny.

bkev · Post by **bkev** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:41 pm

No, it is not.
However, there is a trick with the PAL (and probably the NTSC wii) that allows you to play vice-versa. I would assume that it works with other region NTSC games as well.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg-FTdrWM6Y
Other one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR-BzBXAYm4

I'm assuming they're different methods and/or tutorials as they have different runtimes.

Eclipse · Post by **Eclipse** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:45 pm

Another big thing that almost no-one ever seems to mention is *MUSIC*... especially with the recent (relatively speaking, anyway) arrival of the true music-genre games. Take DDR, for example. The music in the Japanese games simply isn't licensed for home release and distribution in American without all sorts of record-label and game-publisher sub-licenses. It's not that Konami doesn't want you to be able to play those songs... they both want to catch you on your toes with omg hot trax from Sean Paul, and also it costs a crapton of money to re-license for American the licensed tracks in Japan.

Is that why certain tracks from the DDR Japanese console games are missing in the American ones?

And regarding region-free..is the Game Boy (and all handhelds associated with such) and DS region free? Or are the games itself region coded?

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:55 pm

Eclipse wrote: And regarding region-free..is the Game Boy (and all handhelds associated with such) and DS region free? Or are the games itself region coded?

Pretty sure both the GBA and DS are region-free (hence everyone able to import JSS and JUS)

Adamant · Post by **Adamant** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:17 am

bkev wrote:No, it is not.
However, there is a trick with the PAL (and probably the NTSC wii) that allows you to play vice-versa. I would assume that it works with other region NTSC games as well.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg-FTdrWM6Y
Other one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR-BzBXAYm4

I'm assuming they're different methods and/or tutorials as they have different runtimes.

This method is for running other regions' Gamecube games on the Wii. It doesn't work with Wii games.

And since the Gamecube Freeloader works with the Wii, it's not really that useful a trick.

_Jrinu_ · Post by **_Jrinu_** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:45 am

Not all Gamecube freeloaders work with wii though. Some of the older ones don't. So this trick can be pretty useful.

Big Momma · Post by **Big Momma** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:41 pm

Thanks all. This really helped me know about this stuff better.(No, really, it did.

)I basically asked this question because when I get a wii, I was thinking of Importing D.O.N, the new Naruto:Shippuden game, and the Sparking NEO! with all the new characters/stages.
And I was getting Magic Swap(or whatever it's called) So I could get KH:Final Mix+, since chances of a US release are slim...and Narutimate Heroes 3/4. I'd get the 2nd, but it'll be in the US here in June anyway.

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:47 pm

In the long run, get a japanese PS2 for import games.

Swap magic only worked for me for about 8 months before it became a piece of crap and only worked 1 out of 20 times. I'll literally sell mine for much less than it's actually worth.

Strongbad456 · Post by **Strongbad456** » Mon May 21, 2007 7:58 pm

I was just thinking about this same thing. I wanna be able to play import games on my PS2. The process aint that hard is it? I have one of the older PS2s and I have no plans to get a skinny PS2 any time soon so I figure that just makes importing a harder issue but I want to be able to do it. Anyway, you recommended he get a Japanese PS2. Would they plug into an American outlet without any problems? Or would you have to get a special outlet?

Post by **VegettoEX** » Mon May 21, 2007 8:33 pm

I would say go ahead and get the Japanese PS2. With the system heading into its swan-song years, you're going to be able to pick up a shit-ton of games that have gone into "Best Hits" for cheap. I'm always grabbing an extra game or two when I make orders! You can pick up a new system from Play-Asia for $170-180.

As for the power cords, check out this page. Long story short, yes, you can just plug it in and go... but in the grand scheme of things, you should probably pick up one of these little adapters that controls the voltage a little better. Hrmm... actually, looking around on the Radio Shack site, the only Japan-related one I see in there is in this mega-pack. If you head to Radio Shack and tell them what you're looking for, they should know.

Same video frequency (NTSC), plug it in, and go! The only problem I ran into with my Japanese PS2 is that the DVD software was not installed on the system from launch... I had to navigate an install DVD in Japanese to get the software loaded on my memory card

. I have no idea if later systems just came pre-installed (like all American systems), but I would assume they did.

Strongbad456 · Post by **Strongbad456** » Mon May 21, 2007 9:15 pm

VegettoEX wrote:I would say go ahead and get the Japanese PS2. With the system heading into its swan-song years, you're going to be able to pick up a shit-ton of games that have gone into "Best Hits" for cheap. I'm always grabbing an extra game or two when I make orders! You can pick up a new system from Play-Asia for $170-180.

As for the power cords, check out this page. Long story short, yes, you can just plug it in and go... but in the grand scheme of things, you should probably pick up one of these little adapters that controls the voltage a little better. Hrmm... actually, looking around on the Radio Shack site, the only Japan-related one I see in there is in this mega-pack. If you head to Radio Shack and tell them what you're looking for, they should know.

Same video frequency (NTSC), plug it in, and go! The only problem I ran into with my Japanese PS2 is that the DVD software was not installed on the system from launch... I had to navigate an install DVD in Japanese to get the software loaded on my memory card . I have no idea if later systems just came pre-installed (like all American systems), but I would assume they did.

That pack at Radio Shack looks like what I'll be getting I guess. I'm still not too sure about the whole plug issue but that site you gave will definitely help. Also would not using an adapter cause problems eventually? Anyways, I'm definitely gonna get a Japanese PS2 soon. Thank you.

The S · Post by **The S** » Sat May 26, 2007 1:15 am

Since this is a topic often asked in the forums (as well as the fact that it's actually not directly Dragon Ball related), would it not be wise to have this information as part of an FAQ on the site, or at the very least a stickied topic?

Strongbad456 · Post by **Strongbad456** » Sat May 26, 2007 8:22 pm

I'm still wondering about the voltage issue. I was talking about it with my dad and he said he thinks plugging the JP PS2 straight into an American outlet could cause an electrical shortage. That true? I'm more curious than ever because my mom agreed to buy me the JP PS2 along with a game and I wanna know these things. I wanna run it with no problems.

Also I agree that this kind of thing should be put in an FAQ or that there should be a stickied thread about it. It's a good idea.

Post by **TripleRach** » Sat May 26, 2007 11:49 pm

Strongbad456 wrote:I'm still wondering about the voltage issue. I was talking about it with my dad and he said he thinks plugging the JP PS2 straight into an American outlet could cause an electrical shortage. That true?

Well, Japan uses 100 volts, while North America uses 120 volts. The difference is a lot smaller than the one with Europe (which is about 240 volts IIRC). I'm an American, but I lived in Germany for a couple years, and I was able to use my American appliances just fine by plugging them into little metal boxes called transformers to convert the voltage for the German outlets. Your dad might have been thinking Japan was similar to China, which I think uses high voltages like Europe, and thus would be a lot more likely to cause problems.

But you absolutely shouldn't have any sort of outage or problems if you use an adapter or transformer sort of thing, though.

Strongbad456 · Post by **Strongbad456** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 6:18 pm

Hmm. I went to Radio Shack today but the trip only confused me more. My PS2 is on the way so I decided I wanted to go look around for a voltage converter. I saw they had a the product that was on their site and they had other things. Apparently the plugs are not for voltage conversion and are to be used with a seperate product. I asked and they told me what I needed but the product it's to be used with electronic devides that have 210-220 voltage, to convert them down. That's not what I would use right? Seems like they only had conversion things for people going to Europe.

Kanzenshuu

Import/Region Free Questions

Import/Region Free Questions

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