Wii - GC region locking and VC regions

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 03 Oct 2006 06:10 pm

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=68306" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nintendo UK has confirmed to Eurogamer that the Wii's region locking will extend to GameCube games.

A company spokesperson also said that Virtual Console game releases would not be universal - in other words, European gamers will get European versions of the games.

The news paints a slightly clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding Wii's backwards compatibility in the run-up to the console's 8th December launch.

The console is known to be compatible with all GameCube software, and peripherals including controllers and memory cards, while Virtual Console will deliver titles from systems including NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64, Megadrive and TurboGrafx at the rate of around 10 per month.

In answering our queries, culled from some of your recent forum threads, Nintendo also said that it expects to release RGB and component video cables that fit current pricing models.

It declined to comment on recent reports, supposedly surfacing in Nintendo Power, that Virtual Console will also host Commodore 64 games in future.

So basically you get a PAL GAMECUBE NINTENDO in Australia, and no guarantee that games like Chrono Trigger or other NTSC-only SNES classics will rock up on our version of the VC. Could be bad.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » 03 Oct 2006 06:13 pm

Hmmm... after the Wii was confirmed to be region locked I guess most assumed it would also extend to GC games.. it sucks to have it finally confirmed but oh-well

Let's see how the freeloader goes I guess.
I'm hoping for another GameCube style region switch mod so that I'll be able to flip from US to JP with a switch or something.

pilonv1 · Post by **pilonv1** » 03 Oct 2006 06:21 pm

Hopefully getting around the VC stuff is as simple as making a JP/US XBL account. But I doubt it.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » 03 Oct 2006 06:37 pm

Other than the language factor I simply don't understand why they would limit stuff VC wise to certain regions??
What could they possibly get from it other than not snagging potential buyers?

Talez · Post by **Talez** » 03 Oct 2006 06:44 pm

Ben wrote:Other than the language factor I simply don't understand why they would limit stuff VC wise to certain regions??

Welcome to the dirty world of IP rights.

Froggy · Post by **Froggy** » 03 Oct 2006 06:48 pm

You could buy a cheap NTSC one off Rocco.

Rocco · Post by **Rocco** » 03 Oct 2006 07:45 pm

Froggy, you’re a poor man’s Candy Arse

PS: I’m not poor, so fuck off!

Cletus · Post by **Cletus** » 03 Oct 2006 07:48 pm

here he goes...

Sonic Jam · Post by **Sonic Jam** » 03 Oct 2006 07:55 pm

Who would care if you were poor?

Do we hate poor people here now?

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 03 Oct 2006 08:32 pm

Talez wrote:
Ben wrote:Other than the language factor I simply don't understand why they would limit stuff VC wise to certain regions??
Welcome to the dirty world of IP rights.

Yep, although at least we dont have to play games re-titled "Lylat Wars" anymore

I'd be happy if the VC means for titles such as, say, SMB3, we get the PAL version since it's much the same (plus all the translation is already done = quicker releases) - although that is a bigger issue and much more helpful for text-heavy games.

But I hope that doesnt mean we miss out on games that never came to PAL. Especially the classics.

Texas · Post by **Texas** » 03 Oct 2006 08:33 pm

Rocco wrote: PS: I’m not poor, so fuck off!

WTF does that have to do with Froggy's post?
No, please. Enlighten Us.

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 03 Oct 2006 08:38 pm

$20,000 in assets.

GreyWizzard · Post by **GreyWizzard** » 03 Oct 2006 09:12 pm

lol what's your rig like rocco?

GreyWizzard · Post by **GreyWizzard** » 03 Oct 2006 09:13 pm

That is what I was hoping for in the VC library, games that weren't released to the AU market but made either a US or Euro release.

Candy Arse · Post by **Candy Arse** » 03 Oct 2006 09:25 pm

Rocco is a fuckhead.

Also I'll be keen to see if the Wii can read/run the Freeloader disc.

If not, yet ANOTHER kick in the balls by the jews at Nintendo.

selfish · Post by **selfish** » 03 Oct 2006 10:56 pm

Pat wrote:Yep, although at least we dont have to play games re-titled "Lylat Wars" anymore

but really, how much nicer was the lylat wars logo? the 64 on sf64 nearly made me hurl!

and this could be VERY BAD for us, mark me unimpressed
oh, speaking of mistakes nintendo's made, giving this to a kid who can't see was a nice stunt, but on ELLEN WTF? and even managing to screw up getting her to show the logo when she gave it to the kid - ouch. notice the brief OMG OMG OMG GEt A CAMERA IN THERE angle they use to when someone realises you can't see it

BOOMY · Post by **BOOMY** » 03 Oct 2006 11:14 pm

My future 360 purchase is more certain every day.

Gamma · Post by **Gamma** » 04 Oct 2006 12:15 am

That's a real shame about the region locking for GC games, though it's what I was expecting.

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 05 Oct 2006 07:20 pm

"While this is a non issue for the GameCube games as the Freeloader is wideley available, it does mean that you will only be able to purchase games for Virtual console that have only been released in your region. Games such as Earthbound or Sin and Punishment sadly wont be making it to our Wii Store."

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

selfish · Post by **selfish** » 05 Oct 2006 07:34 pm

WHY THE FUCK WOULD THEY DO THIS?!?!!?!?

someone give me a rational explanation

Texas · Post by **Texas** » 05 Oct 2006 07:37 pm

...cause they wanna have a really good idea and fuck it up by restraining it totally? This has turned me off the Wii. I'll stick with emulation on my Mac, thanks

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 05 Oct 2006 07:38 pm

Nintendo believe people in PAL regions dont have TVs less than 10 years old that also support 60Hz and NTSC signals. Further, we can't read "American English" hence the need to translate all those games that never got PAL conversions would result in an IMPOSSIBLE workload.

The only thing that will make this pill somewhat easier to swallow is Goldeneye and Blast Corps.

Someone better tell me that Chrono Trigger got a PAL release back in the day.

GameHED · Post by **GameHED** » 05 Oct 2006 07:48 pm

That fucken sucks. Part of the appeal was the hope that you could access all the games that didn't get a release here. A lot of the good stuff that you can play, I had played to death when they were new.

Why can't console gaming just be like portables where the region isn't an issue?

Same thing with dvds: region locking only prevents fans from accessing stuff not popular enough in thier own region to see a release. (and just plain being a pain in the ass for the creator in the long run since it means more chance people will go about it illegally or through buying bootleg versions of something because there isn't any other way)

What a waste of an opportunity. Not even if you want to play and pay for something legitimately will they make it easy on thier fans. Nintendo hates thier fans!

Pat · Post by **Pat** » 05 Oct 2006 07:54 pm

Chrono Trigger = no PAL version. I wonder how likely it is we might see VC games leak through from the US to Australia, as with DS games (compared to Europe and 6 month delays for language options).

GameHED · Post by **GameHED** » 05 Oct 2006 08:14 pm

Whatever, but its a crying shame for those who want to see some classic titles like Final Fantasy III/6 as they originally appeared on SNES for example. (if they haven't already) This, the soul blazer/illusion of gaia/terranigma games, chrono trigger, secret of mana (thankfully this did get pal release) and Zelda: ALTTP were the games that made me into a total snes fan and I have fond memories of these. It would be a shame if aussies couldn't play the really good stuff that didn't make it, as they were some of the finest pieces of 16 bit software for thier time and would be severely missing out on great stuff.

List of things australian pal gamers need:

- r rating
- proper treatment (no locking out - freedom of choice)
- progressive scan support in all the PAL games so we don't need to mod or use bootdiscs.
- cheap prices ($30 for 8-bit nes castlevania on the GBA??? this is something that should be one of many titles on a castlevania compilation cart, not by itself. )