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Xbox To Use Region-Locked Peripherals
Cutriss writes "This newspost over at National Console Supply Exchange seems to leave all the potential Xbox controller-importers in the dust. Apparently the US Xbox will only allow peripherals with a specific USB ID to connect to the console, thus locking out the use of Japanese controllers, which will have different USB IDs."
Update this doesn't mean all peripherals
will be region encoded. Apparently Joypads will
work on both sides of the pond.
Playstation made it so you couldn't play japanese playstation games.
I don't see the big deal, here. If Japan wants to sell controlers, they'll make them with the appropriate "US" USB settings.
Or people will make an adapter, like the modchip.
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
But I'm not very keen into it. I wonder if this kind of thing will slip over into the PC world? I somehow doubt it since most hardware companies are interested in selling to the max number of customers (think motherboard mfrs like Asus).
Locked hardware is almost criminal. Unfortunately we're all boned.
Look, nobody could argue that MS has monopoly power in the gaming console market. Therefore, antotrust law doesn't even enter into it.
I have absolutely no problem with them doing this. The problem I have is if they want legal protection to allow them to protect this revenue stream. It should be perfectly legal to create a USB pass-through that modifies the region coding on a device in order to allow non-region devices to work. This is the same issue as with DVD. I don't care if DVD manufacturers want to put region coding on the DVD, but if I figure out a way to defeat that region coding, that should be perfectly legal.
"If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for everyone else."
Oh hooey! This is exactly the same as if a fork manufacturer tried to restrict the brands of pork chops you were allowed to stick it into. Selling a product entitles you to be paid for the product; it does not magically grant you additional rights to dictate to third parties how to conduct their business. That's called an "anticompetitive practice", and the current administration notwithstanding, it's illegal.
Of course, the laws are written for and interpreted by people who are paid by the people who want the laws in the first place, so it's rather academic, but still...
Proud member of the Weirdo-American community.
This is perfectly fine if you think about cheap knockoffs that don't give Microsoft Licensing fees. But I think about my PSX with Dance Dance Revolution. Obscure peripherals like dance pads, light guns (nowadays), etc. Might be produced in Japan and not in the US, meaning XBox owners won't be able to play some games with the peripherals they desire. If this happens however, I guarantee a mod-chip inside of a couple months. And a perfect mod chip inside of 6.
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
Yes the XBOX is a marketed as console (although, as you and I know, it's suspiciously close to a PC). It is, however, the only console to disallow importing peripherals. A joypad bought in Japan is not any less official than one bought in the UK, the USA etc. And what makes you think for that matter that "cheap Taiwanese knockoffs" will not create "cheap joystick knowoffs" with US USB ids?
This is a good example of Microsoft trying to totally control their livingroom PC...
When another company does things to try and protect their market share, it's reasonable. When Microsoft does it, it's inherently evil. Remember, Microsoft does *NOT* have a monopoly on the console market, and has to claw it's way into contention.
/. party we had to celebrate the brilliance of Intel making a proprietary slot connector for their CPUs to lock out clones! At least I assume it was kick-ass... I can't remember a thing about it!
Oh, that's right. I remember all those posts along the lines of "God bless Nintendo for using proprietary DVD technology to lock out unlicensed 3rd party developers!" I myself have written ballads in praise of Cisco for breaking compatability with other company's routers. And don't forget the kick-ass
Or maybe it's because it didn't happen.
Nice try, but if you want hypocrisy, you'll have to search for it somewhere else. Go check any other article where someone has tried to lock in their market share by locking -out- competitors, and you'll find the only people who thought it was okay -then- are the ones who are saying it's okay for MS to do -now-... Like you.
The enemies of Democracy are
Did somebody say Apple?