Why exactly is there different DVD regions?

[nikomas1]

So i'm just throwing out a question here, Why is there different DVD/Game regions? I mean why can't europe and america have the same consoles and region types for example, If anybody could explain why this thing even exists I wan't you to give me a damned good reason for it. Im kinda sick of games realesed in the US that I can't just inport and play on my european 360.

And yes im to lazy to look it up right now so i'll depend you you guys.

Edit: I'm talking about NTSC and PAL btw.

 

[Caliostro]

Everyone's too stubborn and wants their region to be the only one...?

 

[Zombie_King]

People in Europe don't speak English (except you, Britian...you are your scones and tea and hygene). Plus, their games are configured differently, but it's mostly just the language thing.

I just realized you meant console certification codes. Well, America uses NTSC, and Europe uses something else. If all of the consoles were the same, the world would explode! I don't know, if I had to guess I'd say it's because the countries want the revenue for games, so you just don't import every game from another country.

 

[Zephirius]

I read somewhere (might have even been here) that region codes are likely to still be in use because it prevents people from importing the games, allowing for higher pricing (ever compared USD and EUR prices on games? It's insane) and preventing people from exploiting exchange rates to import a copy from a country that has a low value coin compared to their own, thus allowing them to get it far cheaper than in their own country.

That's about what I read, anyway. Personally I think we should do away with countries altogether and make one world government with a single economy, but that's both an improbability and a matter not for this thread.

 

[Phoenix Arrow]

Price discrimination. So distributers can drive prices up in richer countries.
That's why all the NA countries are region 1 and EU, JP and your rich African countries are region 2.
Then you get regions for unreleased things as well.

 

[nikomas1]

:/ So basicly games are cheaper in the US? Whats the exact difference on a new game?

What's the cost on a new game in the us? I calculated and i pay 105 dollars for a new game here in sweden

 

[Lucas113]

NTSC and PAL is something slightly different - they are the video standards for North America and Europe respectively. The main difference is NTSC runs at 60Hz, while PAL is down at 50Hz.

EDIT: There is also some difference in the colour technology, meaning a 60Hz source is sometimes monochrome on old PAL (50Hz) TVs.

 

[PersianLlama]

:/ So basicly games are cheaper in the US? Whats the exact difference on a new game?

What's the cost on a new game in the us? I calculated and i pay 105 dollars for a new game here in sweden

$60 for PS3/Xbox360 games
$50 for Wii/PC games
$30-40 for DS games
No idea for PSP etc..

 

[haruvister]

The PAL/NTSC mismatch becomes irrelevant with HDMI, so region-coding Blu-Rays is just downright mean.

 

[Phoenix Arrow]

$60 for PS3/Xbox360 games
$50 for Wii/PC games
$30-40 for DS games
No idea for PSP etc..

When you convert it in the UK, it comes out as:
$80 for a PS3/Xbox360
$70 for Wii/PC
$50 for DS
God knows about the PSP.

 

[Aries_Split]

The PAL/NTSC mismatch becomes irrelevant with HDMI, so region-coding Blu-Rays is just downright mean.

Which is why they aren't.

To be honest, it would be pointless.

 

[CyberAkuma]

What I don't understand is why they insist on having Region-coded DVDs.
EVERYONE with a brain has a Region-free DVD-player nowdays and it's basically a waste of time and effort DVD coding them movie-discs.

I could understand the regional difference in videogames... *caugh* I can't say that with a straight face - but to me DVD coding when it comes to movies is just byond me.

When you convert it in the UK, it comes out as:
$80 for a PS3/Xbox360
$70 for Wii/PC
$50 for DS
God knows about the PSP.

In Sweden its
$87 for new Xbox360/PS3 game
$73 for Wii/PC games
and DS games - I just don't bother (run a modded NDS here)

 

[clarinetJWD]

NTSC and PAL is something slightly different - they are the video standards for North America and Europe respectively. The main difference is NTSC runs at 60Hz, while PAL is down at 50Hz.

EDIT: There is also some difference in the colour technology, meaning a 60Hz source is sometimes monochrome on old PAL (50Hz) TVs.

You forgot the other element of the whole PAL vs. NTSC thing - PAL has a higher resolution to make up for that slower refresh rate. You damned Americans just had to hold onto your archaic system - there's a reason why people remark that NTSC stands for "Never The Same Colour" - didn't you?

Technically, since it's an American specification, I'd argue it's "Never the same Color" (No extra U's for me!)

SO here's the thing. America has widespread black and white broadcast before the invention of the color TV, which most of Europe did not. Therefore, when creating the specification for color broadcast, it had to remain compatable with older black and white TVs. They decided that it would have a black and white broadcast that would double as the luminescence for color, and paint over the top.

PAL (Phase alternate line) did not have the problem of having to be backwards compatable, and therefore doesn't suffer the same fuzziness and inaccurate color representation of NTSC.

This is all moot in less than a year, though, as all OTA bradcast in the USA will switch to ATSC for digital HD, which I can only assume means "Always the same color"

(Posted with accurate information, though tongue very much in cheek)

 

[Flour]

$60 for PS3/Xbox360 games
$50 for Wii/PC games
$30-40 for DS games
No idea for PSP etc..

When you convert it in the UK, it comes out as:
$80 for a PS3/Xbox360
$70 for Wii/PC
$50 for DS
God knows about the PSP.

You lucky bastards...

I'll use CoD4 as my example, I'm using Yahoo Finance to convert. Except the DS version, these examples are 5 to 15 euros more expensive than normal.

XBOX 360 = 74.99 euros = 107.7231
PS3 = 74.99 euros = 107.7231 dollars
PC = 64.99 euros = 93.3613 dollars
DS = 39.99 euros = 57.4476 dollars

 

[Altorin]

calculating DS games is a moot point as they don't use region codes in the first place

 

[Flour]

calculating DS games is a moot point as they don't use region codes in the first place

I don't have a DS, so I don't really care, but importing a game makes me pay more than I normally would or save barely enough money to get a burger from McDonald's.

 

[haruvister]

The PAL/NTSC mismatch becomes irrelevant with HDMI, so region-coding Blu-Rays is just downright mean.

Which is why they aren't.

Edit: Ok, my mistake, it varies from company to company, with 20th Century Fox being the biggest offenders.

Thankfully those lovely suits at Warner Bros don't lock theirs, which means this happy Brit gets his Stanley Kubrick Blu-Rays on the cheap

 

[PurpleRain]

Because the Bigwigs don't want us to have fun!