NTSC-J Xbox 360 owner's manual

[bcass]

The original region-locking will almost certainly still be in place, so it's not going to be any use for anyone other than people with JPN/Asian 360s.

[Elixir]

I'd actually like to buy Bullet Witch. Yes, I know it's bad, whatever. So, does anyone know more about using proxies?

From what I understand, you would basically need to use one for your main internet, and then have your 360 leech off of it.

[E. Randy Dupre]

You'll be able to pick up a disc-based copy of Bullet Witch for pennies by now, Elixir. It's a tatty game, but it's good fun in a cheap, trashy way.

I haven't used any Japanese MSP cards yet to buy stuff off the JPN Marketplace. Do you have to supply a Japanese address when redeeming points cards? I can understand that being the case for credit cards, but for MSP cards too?

Yes I had to populate a Japanese address in order to add MS Points to my account.

Can we clear this issue up? Because I definitely didn't have to provide any address details when I redeemed a Japanese points card and that's not all that long ago (about a week or so before the Deathsmiles MBL DLC came out).

[bcass]

When I bought the DeathSmiles MBL DLC (using a points card) last week, it asked me to confirm my address. You only need to enter a post code though.

[emphatic]

When I bought the DeathSmiles MBL DLC (using a points card) last week, it asked me to confirm my address. You only need to enter a post code though.

Cool, I filled all fields out when I got that adress prompt. Hopefully, you'll only need to fill this crap once.

[bcass]

It auto-filled all the other fields when I entered the post code. I may have used this address before though when I originally created my JPN gamertag.

[emphatic]

It auto-filled all the other fields when I entered the post code. I may have used this address before though when I originally created my JPN gamertag.

I never entered an adress when I created my gamertag. Hopefully it's saved somewhere now.

[Elixir]

You'll be able to pick up a disc-based copy of Bullet Witch for pennies by now, Elixir. It's a tatty game, but it's good fun in a cheap, trashy way.

Nobody sells it here. Nobody. And I only have a JP console, which means I'd have to import it way above what it's selling for on Games On Demand (~$10-25 more). Not worth it at all.

Yeah I'm aware the game is mediocre, that didn't stop me from putting 120 hours into Earth Defense Force 2017.

[mistcore]

To me, EDF3 is just on it's own level of awesomeness.

[Elixir]

EDF rules.

Account creation has changed, and I tried making this as short as possible, but whatever. I'm adding this to the original post.

Updated 21/08/2009
After selecting to get an account, it will display 4 steps. Choose "Sign Me Up".
Afterwards, enter your email,
then enter your password. It will also ask for your date of birth, probably to filter stuff for people under 18.
After this you should be on "Verify information". Locale determines which marketplace you're going to sign up for, so choose Japan.
Accept the Terms of Service. If it's not in Japanese, go back and do it again.
After accepting the terms, it should prompt you with a menu displaying what Xbox Live offers. Click "Continue".
Choose "I don't want a gold membership", and it should say that you're eligible for 1 month of Gold (note, this can only be done three times per console). Continue.
It'll ask you if you wish to add payment info, choose "No, add it later."
Now it'll ask for your first/last name, phone number, and contact email (which should already be there).
Next it'll ask you if you wish to sign up for "exclusive insider information", and the bottom choice asks if you wish to share your information with parnters. I assume the top option just sends you email junk and the bottom option registers you on MyGamercard, I dunno, choose whatever and click Continue.
Select a gamerzone: Recreation, Pro, Family or Underground.
Past a few menus, it'll ask you to choose a gamertag. This is your online identity. Note: If the gamertag is available and you choose OK, it'll proceed to create it immediately. If it isn't available, it'll ask you to try another gamertag.
And you're done. Choose a Mii/Avatar thing and have fun.

[bcass]

Locale determines which marketplace you're going to sign up for, so choose Japan.
Accept the Terms of Service. If it's not in Japanese, go back and do it again.

This bit was easily missable when I setup my JPN gamertag a while back and I ended-up wasting a free Gold trial by accidentally creating a non-JPN account. To avoid this, setup a Japanese hotmail email account first:

* Go here: http://www.passport.net/
* Sign up a new account, Click "No, sign me up for a free MSN Hotmail e-mail address"
* Pick JAPAN for your country, pick Tokyo-to as your Prefecture 150-2345 for your zipcode
* Keep going, and then have it set you up with a @hotmail.com address.

By doing this first and entering the subsequent email address while setting-up your JPN gamertag, your gamertag locale should automatically be set to Japan.

[Elixir]

You don't need to have Japan in your passport account any more, the only thing that determines your marketplace is the new locale prompt in the registration menu. But I'll bold it for posterity.

[Ichabod]

I too am interested in a ntsc 360.

I've read this thread entirely, but other than this and stuff on ntsc.uk, I'm a total novice.

What I need further clarification on is:

- I only see occasional mention of 'asian' 360 imports - why isn't it referred to more here? Is it an inferior choice?

- Much reference is made to acquiring a Japanese account and MS points. Is this mandatory? Can you not just buy games from playasia ect?


cheers

[emphatic]

- Much reference is made to acquiring a Japanese account and MS points. Is this mandatory? Can you not just buy games from playasia ect?

If you want to get the DLC games (DeathSmiles Mega Black Label) or update patches for games, then you want to have a Japanese account.

[Ichabod]

- Much reference is made to acquiring a Japanese account and MS points. Is this mandatory? Can you not just buy games from playasia ect?

If you want to get the DLC games (DeathSmiles Mega Black Label) or update patches for games, then you want to have a Japanese account.

ok, cheers.

So how important are the update patches - can you get by without them?

And another thing. If the jap games are written in Japanese, are they difficult to navigate around?

[Ghegs]

- Much reference is made to acquiring a Japanese account and MS points. Is this mandatory? Can you not just buy games from playasia ect?

If you want to get the DLC games (DeathSmiles Mega Black Label) or update patches for games, then you want to have a Japanese account.

Wrong, updates download regardless of your account's region. This was mentioned in the first page.

[emphatic]

- Much reference is made to acquiring a Japanese account and MS points. Is this mandatory? Can you not just buy games from playasia ect?

If you want to get the DLC games (DeathSmiles Mega Black Label) or update patches for games, then you want to have a Japanese account.

Wrong, updates download regardless of your account's region. This was mentioned in the first page.

Sorry, I thought that applied only to the Dashboard, and not for the game content.

[Ichabod]

- Much reference is made to acquiring a Japanese account and MS points. Is this mandatory? Can you not just buy games from playasia ect?

If you want to get the DLC games (DeathSmiles Mega Black Label) or update patches for games, then you want to have a Japanese account.

Wrong, updates download regardless of your account's region. This was mentioned in the first page.

ok, so this is good yes?

So the whole 'getting a jap account' is not so imperative after all then?

[Ghegs]

So the whole 'getting a jap account' is not so imperative after all then?

I'd say it depends on how much you want the DLC. I've had my JP 360 for few months and haven't bothered to make a jpn account yet. But then, I'm also not in any hurry or even interested in getting some of the DLC that would require a jpn account. There's MBL for Death Smiles, some stuff for Otomedius, new ships for Raiden IV...check out the jp games you'd be getting, what DLC is available for them and decide just how much you want them.

[Elixir]

My main account is Japanese but anyone can do that. Gold memberships aren't region locked like points are. If you want to continue to use an American account (I'm going to overrule all purpose of owning an European one as they're lacking in every area), go for it, just download the DLC on your JP account and use it across accounts.

[Ichabod]

And is Japanese games & dlc not more difficult to navigate? (unless you read japanese of course)

[Elixir]

Updated the shmup list again. I think that pretty much covers everything.

[brentsg]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, but I have not seen it.

I own a J360 but had a tiny hard drive on it. I got a good deal on the 120GB unit so picked one up... a "USA version" hard drive. Obviously there's no problem using the hard drive across regions.

What did surprise me though, is that the drive came with the transfer kit (disk and cable). Well the transfer kit disk is region locked, so I couldn't migrate the contents that way.

[Ichabod]

I still have a few questions needy of answer in addition to the one unanswered 2posts up.

1. What is the disadvantage in this Japanese xbox scenario of not having a HD model?
2. Are games such as Ikarugu on XBLA, only available there, or can you buy from a shop.
3. Is there a uk member on this forum with a jap 360&account who could confirm total success? Only I've costed a console+1 game delivered to uk- it totals around £300($488) - which is a lot to gamble if it doesn't work completely.

[Bootaaay]

I still have a few questions needy of answer in addition to the one unanswered 2posts up.

1. What is the disadvantage in this Japanese xbox scenario of not having a HD model?
2. Are games such as Ikarugu on XBLA, only available there, or can you buy from a shop.
3. Is there a uk member on this forum with a jap 360&account who could confirm total success? Only I've costed a console+1 game delivered to uk- it totals around £300($488) - which is a lot to gamble if it doesn't work completely.

Not sure what you mean for the first question, but for the others;

2. you can only purchase XBLA games online, there aren't any physical disc based releases.
3. yes, i'm in the UK and my JP 360 works fine - I use a UK account with Gold membership to play my games on and purchase new XBLA titles, while I have a Japanese silver account for downloading shmup DLC.

As for your other question, yeah it can be a bit difficult browsing the JP store - I just looked at the katakana on the side of the DeathSmiles box and matched it up to it's counterpart on the store.

[Ichabod]

Cheers for that reply Bootaaay - very reassuring.

What I meant by the 1st question is - Is there an obvious disadvantage to getting a jap Arcade model(no HD) as opposed to an Elite model(120gb)?

Presumably if you want to download XBLA games, the Arcade model isn't much use with no HD?



PS. Ellxir - I couldn't see which list update you just added?

[Bootaaay]

What I meant by the 1st question is - Is there an obvious disadvantage to getting a jap Arcade model(no HD) as opposed to an Elite model(120gb)?

Presumably if you want to download XBLA games, the Arcade model isn't much use with no HD?

Ah right, I understand now - yeah, if you get an arcade unit it wont have a HDD but newer arcade units have 512mb of internal memory, and while that might hold a few XBLA games it really isn't much space at all - however, you can pick 20gb 360 HDDs up on ebay for about £20, so it could work out cheaper importing an arcade unit then buying the HDD on ebay.

[Ichabod]

Ok, cheers for that - it's all becoming a little clearer.

yeah it can be a bit difficult browsing the JP store - I just looked at the katakana on the side of the DeathSmiles box and matched it up to it's counterpart on the store.

Just had a look on the jap xbla, and yes, it troubles me that I have no idea what anything on the screen means! Potential problem for me! (I wonder why MS haven't considered english speakers may be living in Japan but unable to speak the lingo!)

[emphatic]

I think that the Arcade models are being phased out in Japan. They where sold out everywhere anyway when GaijinPunch tried to find one for me, and I didn't want to buy a used one. That's why I got a unit with a 60GB hdd in the end.

[Ichabod]

I think that the Arcade models are being phased out in Japan.

Are PA.com not still offering them?