PSP European Delay?

[Deadly Diabetic]

I don't know if this is true or not but the news from PSX is not so good for our eurpoean brethren. The articles states that because of the strain to get one million PSP untis ready for the North American launch, the european units won't begin build until April pushing the release date back to late May or June. :evil:

Anyway, here's the link for anyone interested:

http://www.psxextreme.com/scripts/news3/new.asp?NewID=68

I hope this isn't true.

-DD

[Mobius]

:cry:

[Ally Graham]

Even though this is very VERY bad news for us, at least this news states that they will soon start making the Euro units and so building up a stock ready

I have calmed down, It could be worse.

Still bad planning on Sony's part!
Why say they will ship 1m if they are having trouble making that :?
Someone got a little ahead of themselves.


The delay would not be such a major problem if we were given a solid release date!

[Bob Todd]

Waaaa. Everything I ask for for my birthday gets delayed.

[Space Cowboy]

Im definitely going to get one on import from the US. This euro delay thingy is rubbish.
Nothing will keep me from PURE is say! :D

Oh BTW hello everyone! :) I've been lurking here for years lol!
With the advent of Wipeout PURE though, i thought i'd join the fun.

[zargz]

heyya! welcome to the forums! :)

btw did you hear about a song called the joker?
' some people call me the space cowboy ' ;)

Praeterea censeo autopilotum esse delendam

[Space Cowboy]

heheh :D I'd forgotten about that.

[zargz]

hehe! I thought you took it from there! :cowboy


Praeterea censeo autopilotum esse delendam

[Space Cowboy]

Does anyone know if there will be any differences between the Euro and US psp's?
I know the games are region free, but maybe a bios or firmware updates will be made between the launches? Its entirely possible that Japan was used to test the water and see how the psp handles.

[Ally Graham]

We have been told that at the moment the games are region free (could change in the future mind you).
UMD videos, music videos, etc. are region locked.

Multiplayer may not always work between diffirent region versions of the same game.

[Mobius]

[sarcatic mood rant]

So basically your still screwed if you buy a non-european psp.

European ones are expensive and non existant for the next however long and the american wipers will be clocking pure before we've started...

What joy...

[/sarcastic mood rant]

[Ally Graham]

In the end some people, myself included, don't want to import for the reasons I gave, but it does not stop me from being jealous :?

If i were to import, I would sell the console and games just before the Euro date, this may be a problem, so I don't want to risk it.

[zargz]

So basically your still screwed if you buy a non-european psp. as far as I understood what I read it's the games not the psp that is the problem .. :roll:


Praeterea censeo autopilotum esse delendam

[yawnstretch]

Yes - as I understand it the system itself will play any game so multiplayer should be fine when you start buying euro games on a Jap/US PSP.

It is a portable afterall...

edit by Lance: unnecessary quote of immediately previous post was removed

[infoxicated]

I'll re-clarify this, since Colin mentioned it in the Wipeout Pure discussion:

You will not be able to play multiplayer games between copies of the game from different regions, although games from any region will work on any PSP.

[Space Cowboy]

So i could get an import psp, and a UK copy of pure and that should be kosher for multiplayer?

[Lance]

.
Rob, could you clarify why the games are regionalised? it would seem on the face of it that this not necessary since they all play on a standardised non-regional machine which has no need to display in different regional video formats. only differences in the physics engine to suit regional preferences would seem sufficient reason for regionalisation. could you or the expert search maven, xEik, point my lazy self at Colin's explanation, please?
.

[xEik]

mmh, maven 8)
http://www.wipeoutzone.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=25236#25236

[infoxicated]

Rob, could you clarify why the games are regionalised?The language of the text contained in them, for the most part. There might also be other regional variations as you mentioned, like changes in the gameplay to suit the tastes of the target audience.

A Euro version might contain English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Finnish, for example, and each of these languages would need to be put through the QA process. A North American version might only contain US English, so producing a stand alone version in that locale means it can be done and dusted earlier, for example.

Usually a Japanese version is done as a stand alone version, too, containing just Japanese and English and tuned to suit the Japanese market. Japanese QA procedures are notoriously more stringent than other regions too, focussing on stuff that probably wouldn't even affect most of the people to play the game.

For instance "Whilst downloading content, I broke the PSP in half over my knee and danced a merry dance of satan around its shattered remains. When I put my memory stick into my new PSP, I noticed that the sacrificial PSP had failed to properly save the content I was downloading." is an extreme example of something that might come back as a bug from Japan.

While the response of any sane person would be "no ****? What the heck did you expect?", developers are forced to implement extra code in order to allow for each unique circuimstance that comes back as a "bug". In some cases it might just be adding text which says "Downloading content - do not attempt to turn off wi-fi mode, power down the machine, enter standby mode, remove the memory stick, or involve the console in any sacrificial ceremony that might interrupt the download process." In other cases it might mean adding lots of lines of code to handle the new exception.

There are probably lots of other reasons that I don't know about, too, but that's basically how things work as I understand it.

[Rapier Racer]

lol :D an explanation with some nice sarcasm, I can't stop laughing. You should put that on your quotes thing, any new members who had not read this thread would have puzzled facial expression, "He did what now?"

[infoxicated]

Some mornings I seem to ooze sarcasm for some reason.

This is one of those mornings, evidently. :)

[Deadly Diabetic]

Now Gamespot is reporting something similar:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/03/14/news_6120420.html

Sorry guys. :?

-DD

[Ally Graham]

Amazon.co.uk have put the date 24th June.
Lets hope that this is at the far end of the delay scale :cry:

[Hellfire_WZ]

Well sod it then, I'm importing. VideoGamesPlus (http://www.videogamesplus.ca) are selling the value pack for £130, and it seems very few people have had any problems with them. They check each one for dead pixels as well. Even when it eventually does come out over here, it'll be at least £50 more expensive.

I think I'll still take Rob's advice and wait for the Euro release of Pure though. Ridge Racers will do me till then.

[Rapier Racer]

Let me get this straight, If I import a PSP form Japan for example then buy a Euro copy of Pure the multiplayer will work right? But UMD movies and such also purchased in Europe wouldn’t would they?

[infoxicated]

Holey ****, man - I don't know how I can more accurately spell this out - it has now been said clearly on two different topics! 8O

If you buy a copy of the game from another region you WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY IT AGAINST A EUROPEAN VERSION.

Got that? Clear enough?

People at the back? Can you hear me? Can you see the big bold letters?

Last time I clarify this - it's no different from what I said above:

You will not be able to play multiplayer games between copies of the game from different regions, although games from any region will work on any PSP.
Anyone who hasn't gotten the message by this point deserves to feel like a twat when they cant play with other people. You can take a horse to water... :roll:

[Rapier Racer]

excellent

[infoxicated]

:lol:
<comic book guy>
Best. Response. Ever.
</comic book guy>

[Rapier Racer]

lol

[Ally Graham]

Let me get this straight, If I import a PSP form Japan for example then buy a Euro copy of Pure the multiplayer will work right? But UMD movies and such also purchased in Europe wouldn’t would they?
No, UMD movies and such will only work on the region of the console they are from.

[infoxicated]

But the movies aren't regionalised!

The idea is that if you're from Europe, and you're in holiday in LA and you fancy buying a UMD movie to watch on the flight back home, you can buy it in LA without having to worry about whether it works or not.

[Ally Graham]

The only thing that has stopped me were 3 reasons:
1) Region locked movies-
If that is not true, then great!

2) Games becoming region locked in the future-
Can never be sure what the developers are going to do.

3) Risk of multiplayer not working accross regions-
That is true.


In that case, wait for it to be released in the UK, or buy it again when it comes to the UK.

I would be worried about trying to resell the import console when it comes to the UK.


I am still in two minds :?

[Ally Graham]

Another thing, Japan is Region 2, so that should mean that IF UMDs are region locked you can play UK UMDs in a Japan console?

[mid]

Do what I plan to - buy a US PSP, and import all your games and movies as well. It isn't like they cost any more that way.

[Rapier Racer]

Yes but think of the inconvenience man the inconvenience!!

[Hellfire_WZ]

The only thing that has stopped me were 3 reasons:
1) Region locked movies-
If that is not true, then great!

2) Games becoming region locked in the future-
Can never be sure what the developers are going to do.

3) Risk of multiplayer not working accross regions-
That is true.


This is pretty much why I AM importing.

1 - I don't plan on buying movies for the PSP, only games.
2 - Any future region locked games I can just import. I'm happy as long as the current batch are region free
3 - To be honest, I don't have anyone with whom I can play multiplayer on a regular enough basis to warrant this being an issue.

And, of course, the colossal price difference. :wink:

[Ally Graham]

I have said on here before, but I have preordered 2 PSPs for Europe, from 2 companies, one for me, and one for my mate.

So I will have someone to play mulitiplayer with.


Another problem is that I was unable to find an import site that takes Electron.

[mid]

Yes but think of the inconvenience man the inconvenience!!

Precisely. Placing an order at VG+ and waiting three days for it to drop into my letterbox is so much easier than waiting until the weekend and facing the hordes of Watford.

[Rapier Racer]

Err, I mean if you import one and it's dodgy trying to send it back..

[Salt|Ultra]

But the movies aren't regionalised!

The idea is that if you're from Europe, and you're in holiday in LA and you fancy buying a UMD movie to watch on the flight back home, you can buy it in LA without having to worry about whether it works or not.

Movies are regionalized.



Q: Will the PSP be a region-free device?

A: Reports from Sony claim that games, at least, will be region-free. So in theory, you could buy a Japanese PSP and play US releases on it. Video (and probably audio) discs, however, will be region-locked

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/12/12/news_6114909.html



The manual reconfirms that the PSP has region coding on UMD movie discs...
...
We contacted a Sony spokesperson for the scoop. As previously stated, PSP games are, by default, region free. Movies, on the other hand, will be region coded.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3137903

I would assume that Sony had to put region locks on movie playback to keep the movie studio happy. I have never seen anyone make the claim that movies will not be region coded. That is why if you were going to import it would make more sense for some one in Europe to import from Japan, since you share a region code. Unless you are willing to buy all of your movies import from the US which you would have to do with a US system.

[Ally Graham]

Still worried about warranty problems.

HOWEVER, on e-bay I have found an e-bay store that sells PSPs already in UK, Japan standard packs, for £160. VAT already paid.
They will also hold up the 1 year warranty if something goes wrong.

If i did import, I would sell the import console and games, and buy the UK versions.


Does this sound like a good idea?


Also which would be better to get, a JAP or USA pure?

[Rapier Racer]

well, can you read Japanese :wink:

[Ally Graham]

lol, thought the jap version might have english.

[Sausehuhn]

Yes, the japanese PSP also has the English language, that's no prob. And if you want something like French, German or Italian: no problem as well because Sony released a FREE update (15 MBs big).
I've a few problems with importing the PSP:

Take a look at ebay (Germany) and there aren't so many PSPs that are allready in Germany. And if so, they are expensive, too expensive. If I would import a PSP (Value pack) with Pure (including shipping and taxes) it would cost 360€!!! 360€!!!!!!. Okay, I maybe would buy it if the PSP would be a real console! But it isn't!!! And you can't conect it with a TV-Screen! It's "just" a better Gameboy! If I could conect it I would think about it one more time, but this way I don't.
There are different ways to get a PSP:
Import one and pay high prices
or wait for the european release (and Sony still doesn't say anything about this, wrote an e-mail, they said they had no informations and all I could do is writing a real letter...)
I'm sure there's a way to conect the PSP with a screen, but that is not confirmed yet, so I will wait I think. It's too expensive.

I think I don't have to say that this is real $hit! :brickwall :evil:

[Rapier Racer]

Yeah I know the Japanese PSP's have English menus available but Ally was talking about Pure, maybe they do have English on the Jap version of Wipeout Pure after all they want you to buy games when your on your travels..

[Mobius]

I have found out one thing tho.

The gizmondo is £220 it looks like a pair of upturned briefs and from what i've heard it is about as good as.

So £180 for something a lot lot better doesn't seem so bad after all. :)

[eLhabib]

the gizmondo is a hilarious pile of crap. and apart from the system being mere bullsh*t, the people behind it don't know a thing about advertising, presentation, or PR either. it's a shame.

[infoxicated]

Rumours of PSP region-locking false (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=58810)

[Dogg Thang]

Ignore my last post. I'm an idiot.

[infoxicated]

:? :?:

[Chill]

Ignore my last post. I'm an idiot.
:lol:

...ooh, they mentioned WipEout as one of their examples, catchy. :P Though why would movies be regionalized by the developers anyway? What's their reasoning? :roll:

[Lance]

.
um... what last post? you appear to only have one post in this thread
.

[Dogg Thang]

Sorry Lance - I made an idiot post and then edited it with that so by 'last post' I meant the original version of that one. Sorry!

[Lance]

.
i suspected as much, but thought i would ask just in case you had actually made a post relevant to this thread, but on another thread
.

[Gonaka]

when i listen to cold storage-onyx i want a psp more and more