Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

F-Zero Breaks Freeloader - Intentionally?

Posted by simoniker on from the doorknob-came-off-in-my-hands dept.

Thanks to Gamers.com for their article pointing out that the Japanese release of Nintendo's hotly-awaited F-Zero GX is partially incompatible with the Datel Freeloader region-free disc for the GameCube, which "normally allows players to run Japanese games on American or European Cubes without difficulty", as it "refuses to display the select screens or the in-game interface overlays (such as the speedometer, placing indicator, and so forth)." Since this a major Nintendo-developed title, and one of the first to sport notable incompatibilities with Freeloader, could it be that Nintendo are deliberately releasing games to break region-free circumvention, or is this just a coincidence?

14 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. What did you expect? by D.A.+Zollinger · · Score: 4, Informative

    It is probably just coincidence.

    --
    I haven't lost my mind!
    It is backed up on disk...somewhere...
  2. Intentional? by Eluding+Reality · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I would say Yes. There were systems built into cartridges on the N64 at least that would stop you playing import games( on the N64 you had to have a joining cart, which you plugged the import and a home cart into) As the import devices started appearing, I believe later carts blocked them forcing you to either buy games when they were released in your home country or buy a new import converter cart that got around the new measures, so in other words if it is intentional, expect freeloader v2 in a month

    Anyway, had my Japanese GC since launch day and had it modded a couple of days after the mod was discovered so I'll be enjoying F-Zero in a couple of days!

    Another article on it here

  3. Sound like a localization bug... by jordanda · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It sounds to me that they were trying to do language detection for the interface so they could release the same disc to several regions. Freeloader probably sets some language flag incorrectly which caused the text display to fail. Isn't it curious that the failure occurs just in the menus and in the speedometers? I would speculate that you can't see a single character of text. If they were purposely trying to break compatability then the failure would have been a lot more dramatic.

    1. Re:Sound like a localization bug... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Sorry, that's far too logical and un-conspiracy like. If you keep saying things like that, the /.ers mights just take thier tinfoil hats off. ...and we can't have that. There's an entire industry built on manufacturing foil for them! Do you want to be responsible for an industry crash?

    2. Re:Sound like a localization bug... by NanoGator · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "It sounds to me that they were trying to do language detection for the interface so they could release the same disc to several regions. Freeloader probably sets some language flag incorrectly which caused the text display to fail. Isn't it curious that the failure occurs just in the menus and in the speedometers?"

      We *all* know this post wouldn't have been taken seriously if this was about the X-BOX.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
  4. Why region-lock? by DarkVein · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why do companies even try to region lock? What are they trying to do? They only seem to create a useless business niche dedicated to bypassing it.

    --

    I'm as mimsy as the next borogove but your mome raths are completely outgrabe.

    1. Re:Why region-lock? by bigbigbison · · Score: 3, Interesting

      As I understand it, generally it is because a subsidiary of a company in another country is basically a seperate company. Nintendo of America has their own production schedual and own profit margins and whatnot. If Nintendo of Japan released a game that wasn't region locked, it would hurt Nintendo of America's bottom line.

      --
      http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players
    2. Re:Why region-lock? by IIRCAFAIKIANAL · · Score: 2, Insightful

      That's what I thought, but then why is GB and GBA lacking a region control of any kind?

      --
      Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.
    3. Re:Why region-lock? by JazFresh · · Score: 3, Informative
      Region locks exist to increase the value of the exclusive rights sold to a publisher for a region.

      If you were the publisher for a game in Europe, you'd sure as hell want to make sure that the Japan/US versions of the game (which might be out months before yours due to localization delay) can't be bulk imported by retailers and sold - cos that money won't go to you, it'll go to the overseas publisher.

      Likewise, the original publishers that sell the rights to overseas publishers want region locks so that they can inflate the cost of the rights. It's more money for them to sell truly exclusive rights to a region (due to region locks), than some half-assed rights because overseas retailers can just import from overseas.

      That's one reason, there are other more minor ones too, like limiting marketing to one region so they can see how well it does, and apply those stats to the budgets for other regions.

      Same deal with DVD regions too.

    4. Re:Why region-lock? by Godai · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They'll spin you every which yarn they can think of to convince you otherwise. But in the end, it simply boils down to one of the oldest tricks in the book: divide and conquer.

      From what I remember of economics theory, it has to do with something called market specialization. In other word, divide up the market and charge each piece whatever it can bear.

      Take Asia and, say, the UK or example. Try to sell the same game for the same price in both regions and you will see substandard income in one of them; either the price will be to high in Asia (less affluent generally, more piracy) or too low in the UK (ie. they would be will to pay a lot more). So by region locking they can charge $X in Asian and 3 * $X in the UK. If they didn't have region locking everyone in the UK would simply import the games from Asia because the costs of importing/modding are less than the price difference. This is analagous to chargind different rates at the movies depending on your age.

      This is the same for DVDs. Why do you think they could get away with charging 80 pounds for GoldenEye in the UK when it was sold in the NA for $30?

      --
      Wood Shavings!
      - Godai
  5. Uhm, and? by Reality_X · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Having my very own Freeloader, I can say that incompatibilities with it are nothing worth writing a slashdot news story about. I've had a success rate of 1/5 games so far. Using 3 different boot methods.

    The thing doesn't work properly.
    007 Nightfire doesn't go past the start screen.
    Harry Potter, Chamber of Secrets is in black and white.
    Luigis Mansion is in black and white.
    Zelda doesn't load.
    Super Monkey Ball 2 works perfectly!

    So yeah, if there's anything to blame for not working as advertisied, it's the Freeloader itself.

    Probably cheaper to buy a different region cube anyway :-)

    1. Re:Uhm, and? by saintm · · Score: 2, Informative

      The most common reason for the games appearing in black and white seem to be that your TV does not support NTSC (or PAL60).

      If you are sure your TV does support that, have you tried holding 'B' when the game boots up? You usually get a 60mHz option appearing.

      Of course this is assuming you have a PAL console.

  6. Pansies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Boot discs are for non-modding pussies anyways. Crack that shit open and get out the solder- warranty be damned.

  7. Just wait for the damn game... by Man+In+Black · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No offense or anything, but I don't see much point in importing a game that is guaranteed to be released in North American anyways. Instead of spending twice the price and sitting through japanese menus and cutscenes, you could just wait the month or so and get a copy that has no compatibility issues whatsoever.

    Of course, in Europe where everything seems to take forever to come out, I can understand it a little better.

    --
    -"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." -EH