Imports

[Garple]

I just found out that PS3 games are region free. This is exciting, but it's hard to figure out which games would be worth importing. Does anyone ever import to play Japan-only games or for any other reason? You don't have to talk only about PS3, though if you have any hot scoops on that, I'd be much obliged.

Edited December 2, 2009 by GrouchoClub

[brkl]

Huh, I wonder what games I could just have sent from the States and save money.

EDIT: Hey, this doesn't apply to Blu-Rays, does it?

[Garple]

EDIT: Hey, this doesn't apply to Blu-Rays, does it?

No.

[Randall Theil]

I haven't imported anything yet, but I'm looking at dipping in pretty soon. A significant amount of these quirky Japanese releases have been translated into English and sold in southern Asia. The first post of this thread is the most expansive PS3 import primer I've seen: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3184340

[Garple]

Thanks, Randall, that's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

[gdf]

Demon's Souls is the first PS3 game I've imported, and even then it was from a UK ebay seller who had a bunch of them. I've bought a few games for my NTSC SNES as well, but again, UK sellers.

If I lived in North America I doubt I'd bother importing, you guys get everything relatively quickly.

[miffy495]

Region freedom is seeming less and less necessary in modern consoles, honestly. I'm sure there are still some gems that I'm not seeing, but it feels like ever since Katamari Damacy struck gold in North America, publishers love bringing quirky Japanese games over in the hopes that they'll make it big. Demon's Souls is actually a good example of this. Weird, distinctly Japanese, doesn't look like a successful game to bring over. They do anyway, bam, tons of money.

A few years ago, I imported a bunch of stuff for my DS, PSP, and GBA. Now even that is fading. I was crazy psyched about Rhythm Tengoku for the GBA, so I imported it. The sequel had a moderately successful North American release anyway, so the need was gone. See also Osu Tatake Ouendan becoming Elite Beat Agents. And Gitaroo Man for the PSP eventually getting a release over here. The releases that I'd really like to have a chance to play are ones I wouldn't be able to understand if I did, like that Captain Rainbow thing for the Wii that sounds incredible. I would love to play that, but it requires Japanese language competency that I just don't have. (Also, a Japanese Wii, but that's beside the point)

[SoulChicken]

I remember when I was living in England around the time of the PSX and getting a chip put in it so I could buy Japanese/US games. This was so I could get my hands on

Tekken 3

Ridge Racer 4/Rage Racer

Parasite Eve

Parappa The Rapper

FFVII

Metal Gear Solid

and a bunch of shitty japanese games.

Importing these games made me feel so badass because back then things took soooo long to get released in the UK. It was really exciting going to that shop on the Tottenham Court Road to see what strange unknown overpriced games had shown up that week. Then giving HMV the finger as I walked past with my exclusive treats while the stupid gaijin flicked through yesterdays tired ol' games. A beautiful time of innocence where I wasn't completely saturated with information on what was coming out, working mainly off of what I had read in magazines. Good times, happy times.

Nowadays, Demon Souls, a totally fucked port of Bayonetta, some train games and no doubt a zillion hentai games await your $$$.

I did regain some of the magic when I ran down to Chinatown in NY after work the day I first read about Osu Tatake Ouendan to buy a copy. Oh and I bought a DS Lite that same day, which some places were selling before the official release date.

[Sombre]

As a British denison, I will be importing Pokemon Soul Silver when it hits American Shores. I did the same with Pearl, and got it months before people here. Good times.

[Patters]

Demon's Souls is the first PS3 game I've imported, and even then it was from a UK ebay seller who had a bunch of them. I've bought a few games for my NTSC SNES as well, but again, UK sellers.

Then you haven't imported, you have bought previously imported copies [/pedant]

I have personally imported a couple of games including Hotel Dusk an FFIII on DS (the US cases are far nicer) and both seasons of Sam and Max (if they count).

[Irishjohn]

Region freedom is seeming less and less necessary in modern consoles, honestly. I'm sure there are still some gems that I'm not seeing, but it feels like ever since Katamari Damacy struck gold in North America, publishers love bringing quirky Japanese games over in the hopes that they'll make it big. Demon's Souls is actually a good example of this. Weird, distinctly Japanese, doesn't look like a successful game to bring over. They do anyway, bam, tons of money.

I love region freedom for a rather mundane reason. I travel to Asia a bit for work, I live in the US, and my family and many close friends are in England and Ireland. For birthdays I often get asked for suggestions for a gift, and it would be great to be able to nominate a 360 or Wii game. Last Christmas we were very fortunate to get a Wii for my sister, when my dad could have picked one up with less hassle in Asia. Obviously I represent a pretty small group, but it would be nice if region locking didn't exist for video games or for movies!

[miffy495]

That's very true. I would still obviously prefer that region coding never existed, I just feel it is less of an issue than it was last generation, for example. It's at least now a pretty safe bet that a game will be released in your region, whether in a timely manner or not. Obviously it's a bigger deal for the UK folks where things take forever to come out.

[Irishjohn]

That's very true. I would still obviously prefer that region coding never existed, I just feel it is less of an issue than it was last generation, for example. It's at least now a pretty safe bet that a game will be released in your region, whether in a timely manner or not. Obviously it's a bigger deal for the UK folks where things take forever to come out.

Oh yeah, I think you're right. Importing used to be a MUCH bigger deal. While saying that, I remember playing considerably less video games when I was living in England because it's just so expensive. Video game fans in Europe and particularly in Britain get screwed. Of course, you have to pay for shipping on imports in any case.

Thing is, didn't Brazil just get the PS2 or something crazy like that? Maybe I'm remembering it wrong.

[Fodder]

Depends on the console to some extent too. The Wii is still getting rubbish 50Hz PAL conversions of some games in Europe. It's much better than the PS2 era, but still makes imports more attractive for that system.

Just a warning about the PS3. Although it's region free, if you don't have HD, some NTSC games won't work on a PAL PS3 (or the other way round). EU PS3s don't support 60Hz SD resolutions, so can't display some games even though they're not region locked. You're fine with HD or if you're in the US and want to play Japanese games, though.

Oh, and Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 is completely amazing even if you don't understand a word of it.

[Irishjohn]

Oh, and Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 is completely amazing even if you don't understand a word of it.

Ok, that game looks fantastic. I would be down for that.

[syntheticgerbil]

I don't understand why region coding still exists when even in the United States now, our boxes and manuals have 2-3 different languages plastered everywhere for every phrase.

If you aren't going to take the time to print different package material for different in countries, why do it in the game (I know, they hate importers, but still)? More often than not all of the languages are available within the game and just depends on the language your console/handheld is set to.

I would think with HDTVs becoming the norm, that PAL and NTSC versions should be a non-issue by now. I guess there's always still someone running older equipment, but even then, I think the console just outputs the signal that your country normally uses (assuming you didn't import your console), right?

I guess it's sort of hard for me to wrap my head around this, but I'm not the most knowledgeable because the only two PAL games I own are Shadow of the Colossus and Ico, which allow you to choose between 50 and 60 Hz, fixing any screen offset. My DVD player has played PAL DVDs no problem as well, but I can output a PAL signal if I feel like it to the TV, but I think there's not much use to that besides being a higher resolution than NTSC.

[SoulChicken]

Shit this reminded me I don't own Vib Ribbon

[elmuerte]

that game was fun, but difficult, and insane when playing the wrong music

[Fuzzy Lobster]

I imported the Japanese version of Afrika when it first came out, since they seemed unsure if they would make a US version initially. Of course, then they did.

I also received a super-awesome imported Kanji dictionary program for the DS as a birthday present. You write in the character, and it defines it in one of the other alphabets, uses it in a sentence, etc. I'm a bit of a troglodyte when it comes to technology, so I'm easily impressed as a whole, but this thing blew my mind. .. I know, not a game. But it's really cool!

Oh, and Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 is completely amazing even if you don't understand a word of it.

Oh my god, hooray. I LOVE random, quirky Japanese games.

It's not an import, but all people should play chu-lip. It is the most bizarre/kind of disturbing game in the history of time.

[Garple]

It's not an import, but all people should play chu-lip. It is the most bizarre/kind of disturbing game in the history of time.

I almost bought that the other day, but I was afraid it looked too good to be true and would end up ultimately being boring like Animal Crossing. Can you give me a quick rundown of why it's worthwhile?

[Fuzzy Lobster]

I almost bought that the other day, but I was afraid it looked too good to be true and would end up ultimately being boring like Animal Crossing. Can you give me a quick rundown of why it's worthwhile?

Ehh..... Well, truth be told, whether you like it or not depends a great deal on your sense of humor, I think. It's really, really wierd.

Basically, it's kinda adventure-gamey, you get items and run errands for completely bizarre villiagers so that you can access new areas, blah blah. The goal is to impress your love interest by gaining more kissing experience, which you accomplish by kissing various townspeople, such as the mushroomish guy who lives in the sewer, or the guy dressed in S&M gear chained up in a basement. Your dad is constantly praying to the world's most suggestive tree that you'll become "experienced" whenever you go to sleep, if I remember correctly. And so on.

Beyond the concept of the game, the art design is really puppetish and exaggerated, which I thought was fabulous, but kinda surreal and disturbing in it's own right.

I love love love super out-of-nowhere, wierd, surreal stuff like this, so personally, I think it's tops. I have heard slightly different opinions, however...

It was really inexpensive when I bought the one and only copy that the local GameStop had ever sold, so if you can get it cheap and all that sounds like you'd find it funny, I heartily recommend it.

I haven't played Animal Crossing, so I don't know if they're that similar or not. I'm guessing not.

[Garple]

thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed response. It sounds fairly promising. I'll probably give it a shot.