PlayStation 3 to ship region free!

Well we'll be damned. Looks like after all the biz with the PlayStation 3 being delayed, Blu-ray possibly experiencing issues with managed copy, and a load of uncertainty about whether it'll even perform as well as Sony expects (and everyone hopes), Sony's announced PS3 consoles will launch region-free for games. Yeah, you heard us, any game anywhere in the world will play on any PlayStation 3 console purchased in any nation -- in theory. Granted, that doesn't necessarily mean developers will include translations for every language with their game, but could this usher in a new era of nation and language agnostic gaming? Perhaps, perhaps, but if nothing else, keeping it region-free is a very pro-consumer move that will make it easier for game fans to be game fans. Of course that's to say nothing for the homebrew community who will undoubtedly continue to suffer until the end of time, but hey, it's a step.

[Thanks, Bruce]

[Bytoro @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:42PM]

Nice!

[Dirty Lizard @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:43PM]

This should have been done along time ago. Not impressed..

[DarkStone @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:47PM]

=D omg woooooooooot! Ima order one of these now =D

[Eric @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:48PM]

I know some of the 360 games are region free, however, COD2 isn't, as Nazi material is illegal in Germany. So, how would Sony developers deal with this?

list of 360 regionally ambiguous games: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Region_Free_Xbox_360_Games

[Hitchcock @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:49PM]

The reason they are doing this is so they can crack down on modchips. Modchips are used primarily for playing pirated games, however vendors have been able to hide behind the "we're doing it to play imported Japanese games, being able to play pirated games is just a side effect." With this move Sony has now taken away any arugment for legitimate uses for modchips while at the same time boosting sales of games in their home market. Its win-win for Sony. Win for consumers who honestly import Japanese games. And a big loss for modchip vendors and pirates.

[A @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:52PM]

your mod chips are belong to us!

[Justathought @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:58PM]

Mmmm.... Wouldn't this also mean that this could DRAMATICALLY reduce production time, ( and possibly cost ) In that bringing us closer to that whole successful "world wide launch" concept.

[Chairman Kaga @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:02PM]

That would be cool but it could also work like the xbox does with dvd playback. The xbox is region free until you put the dvd dongle in there and then it locks it to the region of the dongle. So with the PS3 you could end up locking you console when you put your very first region 1 game in there.

[Hitchcock @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:03PM]

Nah, won't do much to production time. They still have to localize the UG/box/content/etc. That takes a lot longer than flipping a bit in the firmware/disk to identify a region.

[Jeff @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:05PM]

"So, how would Sony developers deal with this?"

They wouldn't. Why would a US developer care what some importer is doing in Germany? Hell, they'd probably be happy that they're getting some German sales, whereas before, they'd have a guaranteed revenue from Germany of zero. Now they can just put up their hands and say "hey, we didn't release the game in Germany, why don't you go arrest the guy that bought it or the web site that has it up for sale?" German authorities can't enforce content restrictions outside of their own borders.

I remember saying when the PS2 and then Xbox were cracked how absolutely stupid it was for Sony and MS to be putting the region and copy protections apparently in the same chip. So all us guys that just wanted to play Japanese games end up inadvertantly helping pirates and encouraging copyright infringement. Well hell, the only reason I've ever chipped a console was so I could play imports. So I applaud this move.

It's about time people realize we live in a global economy, and you can't wall off content from one "region" or another. It just doesn't work. Worst case, all someone has to do is buy a system from another region. So what, really, is the point? And why are you, for example, attempting to lock out the approximately 3 million Asian-born American residents from playing games in their native language? It just doesn't make any sense. I'm surprised it's taken any company this long to figure this out - it's really about time.

Yeah, I know, it's the developers that want region coding so they can sell the publishing rights to their games overseas. Well, too bad. They've gotta wake up and smell the coffee too. Because if I want an import, I'm gonna get it, and if they don't want me buying that import, then they've just gotta do their distribution deals a little quicker and get their games released here a little earlier (and without stupid changes like replacing all of the characters wholesale a-la Hot Shots Golf 3 and 4).

So, now Sony is throwing down the gauntlet and telling developers "if you want to develop for our system, then you have to accept that anybody can buy your game." Which does sound like a completely ridiculous statement that you should never even have to say to someone whose job it is to sell a product, but that's the twisted way this industry has worked up to this point. Good for Sony for doing a good thing and injecting a little dose of reality into the industry.

Now if only the MPAA would get off the juice too and realize how much of a failure region coding has been for them too.

[Aigarius @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:06PM]

Actually in one of the recent Sony keynotes it was mentioned that the capacity of BluRay discs will allow among other things to also include all localisations of a game on a single disc thus fully removing the need for localised versions of games being printed separately.

[baxter madu @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:29PM]

hitchcock is right.

In Australia they legalized modchips a couple months ago because of region-locking. The ONLY way around this for Sony was to not region-lock the PS3. This was an obvious move on Sony's part and it should come as a surprise to no one. As IGN says: "The move was not unexpected"

It may appear like a 'pro-consumer' move, but it is not motivated as such... I'm inclined to say this blogger did not RTFA.

[emagius @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:29PM]

"Good for Sony for doing a good thing and injecting a little dose of reality into the industry."

Of course, Nintendo's portables have been region-free from the get-go and every one of their systems except for the GameCube has had region-locking only in the form of easily bypassed physical restrictions (i.e., notches on the cart in the US, no notches in Japan). Even the GameCube's region-lock was designed to be easily bypassed (and was separate from the anti-piracy measures)

[Loban @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:30PM]

To your average gamer, does this even matter? I read this and said to myself "who cares".

[Loban @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:33PM]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Revolution is also region free. The DS is after all.

[Jake @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:44PM]

Sony just won a customer.

[Beer @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:47PM]

@7

well the localization won't be a very big problem,
i bought a PSP the day it came outthe 24th i believe) in New York and could immidiately select Dutch as language, so the localization is done first anyway

[baxter madu @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:56PM]

Bend over, MaxSMoke....

[everrette powell @ Mar 23rd 2006 3:00PM]

bravo thats all i could say #8 jeff

[alek @ Mar 23rd 2006 3:07PM]

hahah, MaxSMoke... well, at least you've got guts, if not a brain.

[Frankenstein Black @ Mar 23rd 2006 3:19PM]

MEH! The real big news is that Ageia�s PhysX technology/engine will be included in the PS3.
http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/03/21/ageia_ps3_physics/
http://www.ageia.com
Way to whip, er �turbo charge� that CELL processor into shape boys! Keep up the good work.

You know, just for that I�m gonna get two PS3�s ;^)...
It will be soooo much cheaper than a new PC with this type of tech.
Wow! 2 super computers for under 1k. SIGN ME UP!!!

[Finished.Law.School @ Mar 23rd 2006 4:17PM]

Right, just like it is supposed to include: (please insert complete list of supposed PS3 features here)

Sony leaks information like this just to get people excited about something that will not happen. Consumers who trust Sony are stupid consumers...

[Jeff @ Mar 23rd 2006 4:26PM]

"Of course, Nintendo's portables have been region-free from the get-go and every one of their systems except for the GameCube has had region-locking only in the form of easily bypassed physical restrictions (i.e., notches on the cart in the US, no notches in Japan). Even the GameCube's region-lock was designed to be easily bypassed (and was separate from the anti-piracy measures)"

But the fact is it was still a region lock, and I had to pay $50 to a shady Chinatown store to get rid of it. (Oh, I tried to do it myself, but when you've got 34 year old hands and you're trying to solder a point the size of the period at the end of this sentence, it just ain't gonna happen.) So your injection of Nintendo into this conversation is really unwarranted. They're part of the problem. They didn't stand up to developers and say "look, people don't want this, so we're not going to do it." Sony did. You can hate Sony as a company but in this case, Sony did something good and Nintendo didn't.

The portable angle is not really relevant either, because no portable that I know of has ever been region locked. Given that these things are *designed* to be used on airplanes, you'd be talking some major idiocy to lock the region on a portable.

If you want to talk about companies that have never region locked their systems in any way (for games), the only post-crash manufacturer you can name is SNK. No SNK system was ever region-locked. (Pre-crash, there was not really a consideration made of other regions, and there wasn't even really an idea of "importing" games made in other countries... especially since the vast majority of games were first-party anyway. So, it's true that systems weren't region-locked in those days, but then there was just no reason for them to be.)

As for MaxSmoke's comment... I don't even know where to start. I see a lot of other people apparently feel the same.

[Bud @ Mar 23rd 2006 4:31PM]

Finally sony does something right. I'm so happy I'm holding out for the PS3. A smart move on their part too, because the region encoding was forcing me to buy mod chips. And once you have a mod chip, you may as well play some pirated games, right? :)

[Johnny C @ Mar 23rd 2006 5:01PM]

#21 Angel Lallave -

The world could only hope that the Japanese will rule the world. If only so that all of the racist, Microsoft supporters like yourself, will commit suicide.

Seriously. Why even be alive if you can't accept the world for what it is. Please change your attitude or sleep on some train tracks.

As for the article, this is great news for expats that love their sports games (ie. Aussie footie in USA, or NHL hockey in France, etc) In the end, this will increase revenues for developers AND Sony. As well as increase the overall user satisfaction with the console.

[gravey @ Mar 23rd 2006 5:04PM]

#21

Is it 1945? Good lord, you and MaxSmoke should go jump from a very tall building...

[Tony @ Mar 23rd 2006 5:30PM]

hey, if they put Linux on it I think this will kill most of the mod chip market...if they decide to go the linux route (not sure if the latest news I read said they were or were not or confirmed/unconfirmed), but it wouldn't surprise me if they decided to open it up a little to homebrew code if it's linux. That would make the only use for a chip to be to pirate games...and I'm sure if that is the only reason to have one they will be able to crack down hard on the builders & sellers of them.

If sony pulls off a mainstream console that allows homebrew code and region-free gaming I think they will have a HUGE hit on their hands. It would even be able to justify the premium that is rumored to be charged for it. A casual gamer could buy the console and download numerous homebrew simple games and play those...then go out and buy the retail games when they want to. It would truly bring the PS3 a step closer to their true do-it-all "home entertainment" system.

Hopefully I'm not just dreaming here...

[steve-o @ Mar 23rd 2006 5:35PM]

Angel Lallave, I bet you own a foreign product in one form or another. There is no such thing is 100% domestic product any longer. By purchasing a PS3 unit you're contributing to success of domestic company, IBM. PS3 is not Cell's only market.

With PS3, people will learn and love Linux. ~100 Million units of PS3 that can run Linux is huge and software WILL be developed for this previously "geeks only" market. So IBM will start to sell Cell PC/Workstations that utilize the processing power of Cell clusters in your household (TV, PS3, etc.) and that, my friends, will be the next evolution of PC. I'm ready to be a part of it. Bring it on Sony, Toshiba, IBM!

[Maxwell @ Mar 23rd 2006 6:37PM]

Do you know what? People like Angel Lallave just remind that there are still a lot of slack jawed idiots around. I live in the UK and I think Sony are a respectable company, Japan has one of the highest quality output for consumer products. Why do you think most Pro Duo cards are made in Japan? Transistors for motherboards that brag 100% Japanese components...

It doesn't matter anyway, China produces some great things as well, so does Taiwan, Singapore etc etc.

I don't want Bill Gates to monopolise the market anymore than he already does, he needs a real competitor. I'm not saying Microsoft produces crap, I'm saying they need more competition. Sony, Apple, IBM etc etc are big companies and have the power to compete because they innovate, they take risks. Microsoft try and makes things shinier with each release without really trying anything new. I mean wtf is this origami crap? It's just a fat PDA.

To be fair I've gone off topic, all I want to say is Bill Gates alone? No. More competition, more innovation? YES!

Oh and thanks to Sony for going ahead with the same ideaology that made the PSP so awesome. Region free gaming ...

[nb @ Mar 23rd 2006 7:01PM]

Angel Lallave, you're an ignorent fool.

[Neester @ Mar 23rd 2006 7:07PM]

PSP Games are region free, so I expected this...

[Alan Erickson @ Mar 23rd 2006 7:31PM]

How's this going to work for DVD's (movies)? There ain't no way in hell that Sony is going to ship a region free DVD player.

[simsimi @ Mar 23rd 2006 7:34PM]

so this would mean that different regions of ps2 and ps1 games are playable on ps3?

[c.Lake @ Mar 23rd 2006 10:48PM]

@Angel Lallave - #21

I was wondering if you could be a little MORE racist! My God, �FRINGIN JAPS�! What the hell, did you just step out of 1945!! The WAR is OVER!!!

And by the way � you are stupid! Grow-up.

[Wry Cooter @ Mar 24th 2006 12:24AM]

Maybe they are just realizing that region encoding is not protecting a market as much as it is restricting it. Which is a smart move for Sony, who have nearly "protected" themselves out of business.

[Dartthbane2k @ Mar 24th 2006 4:11AM]

To the idiot who stated Sony just won a customer (because of region free - whoopy doo!) lets see how many customer they 'win' with their DRM crap

[Dartthbane2k @ Mar 24th 2006 4:12AM]

To the idiot who stated Sony just won a customer (because of region free - whoopy doo!) lets see how many customers they 'win' with their DRM crap

[newmiyamoto @ Mar 24th 2006 6:43AM]

All of you seem to have the memory of a goldfish. EVERY console in recent times has been touted as having no region locking, including the XBOX and the XBOX360. However, as it always is the protection isn't really a hardware issue it's a software issue.
The rights for region locking were handed over to publishers long ago which is articulated by the xbox, 360, gamecube, ps2, ds and psp ALL having region-free games. Everytime a hardware manufacturer touts region-free games I laugh as I know this is the reality.

That isn't to say that Sony won't do it right, maybe they will... but I prefer to wait and see.

[DG @ Mar 24th 2006 9:48AM]

"I know some of the 360 games are region free, however, COD2 isn't, as Nazi material is illegal in Germany. So, how would Sony developers deal with this?"


One idea is to stop making so many damn Nazi games. That's a thought.

I'm still waiting for a proper game based on the Russian Revolution. Or perhaps some more Vietnam games that are more than just last survivor toughing it out (but I do indeed love Metal Slug). Have there been any Alamo games? Or Spanish-American War? Or Cino-Russo War? Or the French Revolution? Man...playing as Robespierre would be a lot of fun.

There are plenty of historical conflicts that are ripe for adaptation. Why fight WWII over and over and over and over and over again?

[Rol @ Feb 10th 2007 2:33PM]

"I'm still waiting for a proper game based on the Russian Revolution"

try Red Orchistra it runs on Steam so you can try the demo

[JJ @ Mar 24th 2006 11:41AM]

3 words: Fire Pro Wrestling

PLEASE tell me the region free encoding is also backwards compatible and doesn't only apply to PS3 titles....

[danielelevy @ Mar 24th 2006 4:55PM]

Unfortunately, the region-specificity will continue to apply to DVDs. With the PS3 being the leading contender for BluRay in the high def DVD war, Sony just lost a good opportunity to truly embrace globalization and make the high def DVD player region-free too. I wonder why they feel comfortable doing it for games but not for DVDs?

[emry @ Jan 10th 2007 6:49AM]

If they make their players region free for regular DVD's, then they face the wrath of people with bigger lawyers than even they have. DVD region coding is Holly Woods doing, and they have a lot of law and money backing it.

[Larrikin @ Mar 26th 2006 9:21AM]

Because Sony can control the content of their games, they can't control the MPAA.

[david.e @ Mar 26th 2006 9:16PM]

when it comes to Nazi material, region-free shouldn't make a difference, as Germany is in Region 2, along with the rest of Europe. So if a game is shipped to anywhere in Europe on a region-restricted disc/player, it would still work in Germany.

Restrictions on that kind of material would come down to language -- don't ship it in German, so if they really want to play it, they can buy a copy in another language. Either way, if someone really wants it, they'll get it.

[Illan @ Mar 28th 2006 1:17AM]

wonder if the psOne and ps2 games will also be unlocked pn the ps3

[bboycookie @ Jun 25th 2006 8:05PM]

sony has made a wise decision in making there system region free.and the other thing that really excites me is that they said now sony said this so dont take it for sure, yet...but they will include asia in the region 1 setting.if this goes through i may buy one for the launch.if not then sony you must wait till the remake of final fantasy 7!but until then yes xbox360.i support microsoft and im not racist but someone like sony who usually has a good idea and tries to make more good ideas usually screws gamers in the back.i mean because of sony look how popular WOW got.sony dont play with my emotion anymore...

[ODESHI TEMMY @ Nov 8th 2006 8:32AM]

i need a pay station 3 freely.i will be grateful if u can send it 2 me soon

[julien.desalaberry @ Nov 13th 2006 5:50AM]

Just acquired myself a Playsation3 20Gb from Yodobashi in Akihabara. It works beautifully with the limited number of available games. However the claim that it would be region free is INCORRECT. My new console will not play Australia originated PS2 games. So beware!

[emry @ Jan 10th 2007 6:48AM]

julien.desalaberry:
The claim was that it would be region code free for PS3 games.
Making it region code free for region coded products is a whole new can of worms.