Death Smiles: Countdown to North America Invasion

[Taylor]

Yeah I just picked up CT last week.

I will import CS however, but what do you mean by expect not to be using the online features that much???

99% of your potential opponents are going to be on the other side of the planet.

(I realise this is off-topic, but on-topic is rather pathetic right now)

[Elixir]

Why would you buy a fighter to play it offline? Everyone in Aus/NZ imported BlazBlue for PS3.

[Pirate1019]

like aksys just picked some random people off the street .

It's probably some kind of halfway-house deal where Aksys takes former hookers and meth addicts fresh out of rehab to use for their cosplay models so they can get a tax cut.

[Taylor]

Why would you buy a fighter to play it offline? Everyone in Aus/NZ imported BlazBlue for PS3.

Everyone played them offline until this generation, I don't see a reason to stop now.

And you can still play online, like I said, but if you're importing it just for that then prepare to be disapoint.

[apple arcade]

Why would you buy a fighter to play it offline?

this is possibly the stupidest comment i've ever read on this forum.

[dmauro]

Why would you buy a fighter to play it offline? Everyone in Aus/NZ imported BlazBlue for PS3.

o_0

The answer is: to play with friends.

[Skykid]

Why would you buy a fighter to play it offline? Everyone in Aus/NZ imported BlazBlue for PS3.

o_0

The answer is: to play with friends.

Don't nobody say nuthin.

[originalz]

Euro BB has really weird boxart. It's like what happened with Agarest, what's with Europe and turning anime covers into some weird style of semi-real art? You'd think the fans of the game would want to embrace the original artwork, not having some weird-looking Noel pretending to be Bayonetta or something.

[shmup-o]

Why would Cave go to the trouble of making games region free, then specifically declare they want them to be only catered to the US market? That doesn't make any sense.

Because some lawyer type probably told them they can make more money if they hold out for a European publisher to pay them more money to publish the game there, and they'd be less inclined to do so if people can just import the already-translated American copy.

STUPID MICROSOFT!

You guys can blame Aksys/Cave all you want, I'm blaming Microsoft. Why do games have region locks on them? I'm going with Microsoft's business practices. Why not follow Sony's lead?

To top that off, you can't mod your system to play imports and go about your regular gaming business. This means that if you want to enjoy your region-locked import games, you have to buy an import system.

This in turn screws you over when they actually localize a game you would want to import?

Again, I blame Microsoft.

No one wins here.

[Pirate1019]

Why do games have region locks on them?

Because developers want them to. Microsoft didn't make the discs, or decide to lock them down. Cave/Aksys made a business decision, and that decision fucked you over.

[Skykid]

Why do games have region locks on them?

Because developers want them to. Microsoft didn't make the discs, or decide to lock them down. Cave/Aksys made a business decision, and that decision fucked you over.

If it sells 'okay' in the US, some small publisher will probably try their luck in Europe, get the rights from Cave/Aksys and it'll turn up in GAME as a bargain bin title for £7.99.

That's how much I bought Psyvariar for.

[Elixir]

The problem is that RFA and Raiden 4 have not had PAL localizations. 505 Gamestreet don't seem to care about this generation and so far the only localization is based on Aksys.

This gen introduces region locking for the 360 determined by coding on the disc, but that determines what the entire userbase of a certain region is playing or not. Making games region free is a good idea, making localizations is not.

[Taylor]

Euro BB has really weird boxart. It's like what happened with Agarest, what's with Europe and turning anime covers into some weird style of semi-real art? You'd think the fans of the game would want to embrace the original artwork, not having some weird-looking Noel pretending to be Bayonetta or something.

Euro BB box art is fan art. It was a competition.

[shmup-o]

Why do games have region locks on them?

Because developers want them to. Microsoft didn't make the discs, or decide to lock them down. Cave/Aksys made a business decision, and that decision fucked you over.

My point was that Sony said "screw region locking" and Microsoft didn't. Sony is pretty smart - if we let importers play the games they want to, they probably won't need to mod their systems. Less systems modded = less piracy. Seems smart to me.

Then there is the whole viewpoint that if the PS3 were getting all of these games we wouldn't be bitching about any of this. We could import, then buy localizations, and we would be able to play everything. If you were to counter this with "Sony wouldn't let any of these 2D games come out", well, I can't really argue that one .

The biggest difference between this gen's and last gen's consoles is the whole internetz issue. To fully enjoy your games (ie get the latest updates or DLC), you need to be able to go online with your console. Unfortunately, you cannot do this AND mod your system to play imports. If you could, this wouldn't be an issue. With Microsoft going out of their way to kill systems that have been modded, it puts gamers who want to import into a shitty situation.

So yes, I blame Microsoft. You can say that this particular game by this particular dev was region locked by the dev and you would be 100% correct with the statement. I'm just looking at the bigger picture and saying that Microsoft caused this to happen.

Done bitching, debating on the double dip.

[dmauro]

My point was that Sony said "screw region locking" and Microsoft didn't. Sony is pretty smart - if we let importers play the games they want to, they probably won't need to mod their systems. Less systems modded = less piracy. Seems smart to me.

People would be modding their PS3s if it meant they could play backups. Allowing region locking is more likely to attract publishers because some of them want to region lock their games. Sure, it's not as good for the end consumer, but the vast majority of players don't give it a shit, and it probably helps them attract more games.

[bcass]

I think we should have a one-stop thread for people who want to keep the region-free argument rolling. I don't normally care about topics deviating, but this time it's getting pretty tiresome. Also, there might be a glimmer of hope for players in Europe - just because Aksys say the game won't be region-free doesn't mean that the EU region-flag won't be ticked. There are loads of 360 games that aren't region-free which will still work on US/EU machines. Slim chance, but entirely possible.

[shmup-o]

Please, this thread is 90 pages of bullshit. You can put up with a little more.

First region-locking, now Duke beats Butler - there is no god.

[MachineAres 1CC]

Seriously, shut the fuck up. And you act like Microsoft is the first and only console maker who region locks games. Remember Wii also has full-on region lock with NO exceptions, unlike with 360, where there are some exceptions, and pretty much every other disc-based system in history also had region locking and people got fucking used to the facts of life and imported games and consoles if they really wanted to play. PSP Go is also region locked, so don't act like Sony just has this benevolent, sweeping, company-spanning policy of no region coding anymore, they still have it, but somehow PSP disc games and PS3 slipped through the cracks of region coding. Now people are so damn spoiled by a few things here and there being unlocked (MushiFutari, ESP2) that they expect everything to be given to them on a silver platter and whine about it when they don't get their way.

I'm starting to think CAVE fucked up the attitudes of whiny overseas fans who may have considered buying a J-360 to play some of their great games by releasing things unlocked and giving people the expectation that things would be like that as a norm, and then taking it away immediately after. People now act like the only way to play these games is to wait for them to be released in your region.

Bcass says there's a "glimmer of hope" that people in Europe may be able to play DeathSmiles on their systems when it comes out in the US as if that's the ONLY option that could possibly allow you to play DeathSmiles in the fucking universe when you could've solved the problem a while ago by buying a 360 that plays those games. Honestly, I got my J-360 for about $170 brand new and by the time you finish importing and paying shipping prices to import an American game like DeathSmiles, you'll probably be at about the same price as the game is for a Japanese copy. That's really not a lot of money if you're really into these games.

[bcass]

Bcass says there's a "glimmer of hope" that people in Europe may be able to play DeathSmiles on their systems when it comes out in the US as if that's the ONLY option that could possibly allow you to play DeathSmiles in the fucking universe when you could've solved the problem a while ago by buying a 360 that plays those games.

Those people aren't going to buy JP360s. They're going to hold out for localisations that arrive 12 months after the JPN release. I have a JP360, so I couldn't give a shit about localisation, I think it's a massive waste of time. I just don't think the market is there for these games in the West. The only way I think Cave are going to attract a wider Western audience is when they (inevitably) pull-out of the dying Japanese arcade market and focus on console-only titles.

[neorichieb1971]

I used to import but not anymore. Before it was about getting 60hz refresh rates, full screen display etc. If the only reason to import a console is for one or two games thats retarded. What you don't realize is that there are 150 shmups you can play on local systems, why go out and buy an import system to play another 2 or 3?

Cave chose 360 and region locking, put your money elsewhere. I personally buy the PCB's which are more expensive but at least I get the experience i'm looking for.

[Strider77]

silence... no more non-sense from any of you!!!

[dcharlie]

My point was that Sony said "screw region locking"

i really don't understand how Sony have been able to pull this off, seriously. Given that regioning is driven by content producers and they were , apparently, down like a ton of bricks on MS to do regioning, i can't imagine HOW Sony were able to just do away with it.

Perhaps it was before the Ps3 turned out to be a steaming pile of FAIL?

Cave chose 360 and region locking, put your money elsewhere

no, Cave chose the system that wasn't ass backwards to develop for first and foremost.

What you don't realize is that there are 150 shmups you can play on local systems, why go out and buy an import system to play another 2 or 3?

woooo - i can play Shitty Subpar-BangBang ! or Euro Inertia Fighter Amiga Style Thing 4 ! 150 shitty games doesn't change the fact that the games people want are elsewhere does it?

(yes, i'm ignoring setting up a JPN account and replaying all those PSN JPN shooters that 99% of this forum has probably already played the ASS out of)

I personally buy the PCB's which are more expensive but at least I get the experience i'm looking for.

well, yes, that's all well and good for you and me, but everyone else? Consoles are a perfect solution.

[MachineAres 1CC]

If the only reason to import a console is for one or two games thats retarded. What you don't realize is that there are 150 shmups you can play on local systems, why go out and buy an import system to play another 2 or 3?

2 or 3 games? There are at least 10 fantastic shmups for 360 that have not and probably will not be localized. I'd hardly call that a waste of money, especially with many more on the way.

[Lordstar]

heres the guy boasting about his 'awesome' artwork on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkUv2QMm_vw

Chatting with some peeps Pqube. It has nothing to do with them and all to do with the company Zen.

[heavy liquid]

If the only reason to import a console is for one or two games thats retarded. What you don't realize is that there are 150 shmups you can play on local systems, why go out and buy an import system to play another 2 or 3?

2 or 3 games? There are at least 10 fantastic shmups for 360 that have not and probably will not be localized. I'd hardly call that a waste of money, especially with many more on the way.

Agreed. I bought my Japanese 360 almost a year ago now, and haven't regretted it once.

I was able to play Bayonetta two or three months early and hopefully I'll be playing No More Heroes: Paradise in a couple weeks. So it's a good investment if you like any other Japanese games other than shmups, too.

[Jockel]

Can somebody recommend me a cheap online shop for US games that ships worldwide?

[Elixir]

PSP Go is also region locked

No it isn't.

[Lordstar]

Can somebody recommend me a cheap online shop for US games that ships worldwide?

http://www.dvdboxoffice.com

I used them a few times up until about a year ago (Stoped buying GBA games then) Im trying to get the website to load and its not having it right now. Dunno if they even exist anymore.

[Jockel]

Can somebody recommend me a cheap online shop for US games that ships worldwide?

http://www.dvdboxoffice.com

I used them a few times up until about a year ago (Stoped buying GBA games then) Im trying to get the website to load and its not having it right now. Dunno if they even exist anymore.

That was the first page that came to mind, but it seems to be down atm.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

i just checked it, while the link wont load the cached copy is from 5 days ago, so its safe to say theyre still in business.

the art vid was intresting watching the artist work, since i used to have an intrest in art as a school boy and have never seen someone working with computer art properly