Pros and Cons of importing.

[Davion]

Well, what are they? I'm thiking about importing EP. 1&2, but I don't know what could happen. Give me a hand here please.

[Greg]

pro: you have the game
con: you don't

p.s. I think you can figure this stuff out on your own

[Sleet1]

Hahaha good one greg.

Pro: you have the game....
Con:It costs a good amount of money

Pro: WHen American newbies play, you are uber
Con: You get sick of the game faster

im still importing...

[Davion]

I mean is the language any different? What will the payment plan be? Would I be able to play with buddys on the same GC if they have the USA versions?

[watashiwa]

On 2002-06-26 09:47, Davion wrote:
I mean is the language any different?


Nope.



On 2002-06-26 09:47, Davion wrote:
What will the payment plan be?


Rest assured, the payment plan will involve money!



On 2002-06-26 09:47, Davion wrote:
Would I be able to play with buddys on the same GC if they have the USA versions?


Sure.

[SnAPPUrU-nyan-ko]

From experiencing DC PSO, the importers got more download quests. Also, the login server didn't go down as much =-_-=.

The bad part is having to translate the hunter's license page and paying a bit more for importing.

[Ina]

pro: u get to play the game before its release in US/europe
con:it'll b hard to find english players, except for forum users(ie PSOW, mamak, etc)

pro:the HL might cost cheaper than the US version when released
con:u'll have to wait for another person to come up with a way to sign up the HL with some weird japanese address

[watashiwa]

On 2002-06-26 09:55, Ina wrote:
con:it'll b hard to find english players, except for forum users(ie PSOW, mamak, etc)

It's actually always been easy for me to find English people who import.

Besides, there's always the HK blocks.

[Dangerous55]

There might be some glitches with the game. I forget, uh, wasnt it if you sorted in battle mode you would get FSOD? Correct me if Im wrong.

[watashiwa]

On 2002-06-26 10:38, Dangerous55 wrote:
I forget, uh, wasnt it if you sorted in battle mode you would get FSOD? Correct me if Im wrong.



Ehehehe, yes. I dunno if that's been fixed, but I think it has.

Although the starting level 30 tech bug in a non-battle #1 rule still exists, I think. =P

Funny how JP PSO got the reverser Ultimate mode fix and the domestic version didn't. <.<

[Spy]

con: Money you spend on an import is money not counting towards domestic sales. If everyone were to import future PSO games may not be released stateside.

con: Your instruction book will be in japanese.

[Khaotika]

Spy has a point, with not supporting the US release. Offhand, does anyone know how well the US versions of version 1 and version 2 did?

PRO: Everyone else will be able to go through the game, give out advice on new enemies, new rares, what the i.d.s have (since version 2's ID system was completely screwy compared to version 1's), their opinions on each class compared to the others. All this in order for people waiting for the domestic release to choose their IDs and character class.

CON: You'll be waiting in agony to play ep1 and 2, after reading all that, and not knowing if the release date is REALLY the day the game comes out. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

-Khaotika!

"I'm waiting, ya see..."

[watashiwa]

The way I look at it, it doesn't matter if you buy the import or domestic release, money goes to Sonic Team either way.

[Sleet1]

Well i dont care if money goes to US or JP, ill just keep importing. And i never usually read Instruction books and anyways i really dont think ill need ot for this game....i played it for months.

[GhoStar]

Spy has a point, with not supporting the US release. Offhand, does anyone know how well the US versions of version 1 and version 2 did? Like wata said, the money is going to Sega, which will probably gets divided with them and Sonic Team. Whether it be Sega of America or Sega of Japan doesn't really matter. Importing games is still a very small scene, not done by the masses and I doubt it will effect games publishers anytime soon.

As to answer the question, Version 1 did well by all means. Version 2 did OK in the US. I know in Japan both PSO and PSO Version 2 sold around 175,000 copies, which is very good for an online game. Sega actually released a Press Statement quoting exact numbers for each region PSO was released (JP, US and EU) and a company won't do that unless the game is a success in their eyes and will be deemed so by the press/public.

Since the games were released I've read a few publications comment how much of a "success" the first two games were, so hence the update in Version 2 and Episode I & II which is more like a sequel.

Also, from what I understand the PC version was also very popular in Japan and Korea.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: GhoStar on 2002-06-26 12:20 ]</font>

[Parn]

The only ones that lose out on cash when you purchase an import over the domestic release are the retailers who stock the domestic version. Either way you buy it, you've given your support of the developers by paying for the product.

Hell, some of us are dumb enough to buy both versions (like me). *shrug*

[Cloak]

Pro:
-You'll get the game before everyone else.(domestic buyers)
-If its anything like DCV2, you'll get treated better, maintenance, and quest-wise.
-You get the "leet" title of an importer.
-You get the ability to be arrogant w/the leet imp0rt3r title.
-All the other widely known things about importing.

Cons:
-Possibility of not being able to purchase/verify an HL.
-Possible problems like actually delivery of game.
-Costs for importing.
-NEEDED GameCube modification, or boot disc if you live in EU.
-You need another memory card if you have US saves on the one you already use.
-You won't be able to use your character over a friend's house when they get US version.

There's a lot more self-explanatory pro's and con's I can't think of. o_o;

[Sleet1]

Why wouldnt we be able to get a HL? im sure they wouldnt try to block Importers from buying a Hl...

[Cloak]

But how sure are you..? Just a possibility, not saying it'll happen.. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_eek.gif

[Sleet1]

im pretty sure....i mean they let importers get Dricas accounts on Ver 1 and 2 Imports.

[Zio]

im pretty sure they wont use dricas for gc pso, since theyre is no web browser disk and thats where u put your dricas info.

[Sleet1]

You can still imput ISP info on your PSO game tho....

[watashiwa]

On 2002-06-26 13:10, Zio wrote:
im pretty sure they wont use dricas for gc pso, since theyre is no web browser disk and thats where u put your dricas info.



The same place we put the ISP info for trial ... INTO THE DAMN GAME ITSELF.

[Spy]

But of course Sonic Team/Sega gets your money/yen regardless of where you purchase it. The problem is that when they are looking at units sold they will see how many were purchase domestically in Japan compared to the U.S. And if games don't sell in the U.S. the franchise won't be continued to be released to the American gaming public.

It is very important that they, big corp execs, see where the money is coming from, and importing screws the statistics up.

[Sleet1]

then we can still import, cant we?

[Spy]

On 2002-06-26 13:19, Sleet1 wrote:
then we can still import, cant we?



LOL. Yes. But that will only be a temporary solution. It would eventually get to the point where the games themselves wouldnt even contain english since, according to sales stats, nobody buying the games reads english and is theoretically japanese.

And then think of all the gamers that wouldn't get the chance to play games or find out about them since they won't be released domestically in the states. And once there is a dramatic rise in exported japanese games do you really think that such a business orientated culture wouldn't jump at the chance to raise prices even more than they are now? Think of how high the U.S. government could raise tariffs to take advantage of the situation themselves.

I shudder at the possibility.

[watashiwa]

On 2002-06-26 13:27, Spy wrote:
LOL. Yes. But that will only be a temporary solution. It would eventually get to the point where the games themselves wouldnt even contain english since, according to sales stats, nobody buying the games reads english and is theoretically japanese.


BS, they still have the language data of the users in the lobby who are using the English language setting. =P

[Sleet1]

True, but i dont care http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif I just want to play a game.

[Spy]

On 2002-06-26 13:28, watashiwa wrote:

BS, they still have the language data of the users in the lobby who are using the English language setting. =P



They log that!?

[watashiwa]

On 2002-06-26 13:32, Spy wrote:
They log that!?



Most likely. I don't see why not.

Besides, let's not forget about our lovely Hong Kong players who have no choice but to use the import version of the game and play in the English language setting.

[Sleet1]

O that would suck...

[Spy]

On 2002-06-26 13:34, watashiwa wrote:

Most likely. I don't see why not.

Besides, let's not forget about our lovely Hong Kong players who have no choice but to use the import version of the game and play in the English language setting.



That may be true. But at some point the executives would question if releasing a game world-wide would even be profitable, and at that point data that there are english-speaking players and Hong Kong sales would be negated as not being cost-efficient.

[Sleet1]

its a game... analyzing it is boring....

[watashiwa]

On 2002-06-26 13:41, Spy wrote:
... and at that point data that there are english-speaking players and Hong Kong sales would be negated as not being cost-efficient.



Well, if they log the language settings, they'd see the % of English speaking players.

I don't see why Sonic Team wouldn't log this information. I mean, I'd log it. I'd want to know the number the diversity of the players on my game, etc,. for compiling reports or things of that nature.

Then again, I'm a freak. >.>

[Spy]

On 2002-06-26 13:44, watashiwa wrote:

Well, if they log the language settings, they'd see the % of English speaking players.

I don't see why Sonic Team wouldn't log this information. I mean, I'd log it. I'd want to know the number the diversity of the players on my game, etc,. for compiling reports or things of that nature.

Then again, I'm a freak. >.>



It would cost them money to log language settings, and since they have dedicated(in name, anyways) Japanese, U.S., and European game servers I doubt they're logging languages as they can probably guess correctly that a high % of players on the JP severs are speaking japanese, english on the U.S. servers, and they probably don't even bother recording anything on the EU servers anymore.

And if, if they had language data, they would have that to compare against a big freaking pile of yen. Money does speak louder than words, or so the saying goes.

[Sojo]

There's a shop over here in Glasgow called G-Force, they stock import games.

Problem is they're shite! And very expensive! I saw a Japanese import of PSO v.2 just before it came out for £45!! When it came out in English, only a couple of weeks later it was £25 in regular shops, and came with Dream Key v.3...

I got one Jap import game off them, called Frame Gride. I also bought a suggested boot disk so that my DC could actually play the game. I tried it and it didn't work, no matter what...

So I took the shit back ot be refunded, like they said I could. But when I got there the next day it was a different guy at the till and he stared at me as if I just pissed all over his face! He even went to the bother of getting a dremcast from the backshop, plugging it into their demo t.v, and then trying to make the game run themselves and what a surprise, it didn't!

He then complained that I should have got it chipped instead, but I did explain that I was told the disk would be fine... So he very grudgingly gave me back my money.
I'm never going there again...

Cons of imports? The shops that sell them are run by penices, and they cost almost twice as much as real games!

[Wewt]

I paid £50 for PSO JPv2
I believe the EU version came out in March a lot later..

[Alisha]

is that supposed to be a pound symbol? its showing as question marks and maybee us pso players were treated like shyt i wouldnt mind waiting

[Ouroboros]

I paid £60 for my JP V2. Then again, that was before the USA and EU versions were out..

Edit - Yeah, the pound symbol doesn't work here.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Fat_Tony on 2002-06-27 05:00 ]</font>

[HC82]

Pros: You get the game now and will most likely get better server matience/up grades.

Cons: Hassles of importing and increased costs.

Most people don't import because of language barrier, hassles of importing/modding, and increased cost in general. So I don't see importing being a major impact on US sales.

Only reason why so many people imported ver2 was because of the INSANE waiting time.

For ver1 it was a few months, but for ver2 is was...*sigh* much too long.

[Wewt]

I really don't see why people say it was a hassle with importing. Seriously, all I did was buy the game from an import website, enter an easily made dricas account info into the web browser and paid for an HL....that was it.
How much hassle was it for some of you?

[watashiwa]

On 2002-06-27 06:58, WWWWWWWWWWWW wrote:
How much hassle was it for some of you?



I dunno why some people are bitching about import hassles or problems either. I had none. I was online in minutes after getting both v1 JP and v2 JP, so... >.>

[GhoStar]

Me too. Looking at Revels's Import guide it was pretty easy to get online. Took about 15 minutes.
There's a shop over here in Glasgow called G-Force, they stock import games.You wanna try CA Games. I got the Japanese Shenmue 2 for 80UKPounds. Now I've started ordering online, from places like Tronix and NCSX.

[Rubesahl]

Bah, there really isn't any import hassles good grief. First, you'll get to play the game before, I mean, if you really like it wouldn't you like to play it as soon as possible? Well, some can wait, some can't. Like me, I waited for PSO ver.1 and 2 in their domestic releases, and after seeing how much I like this game, it's almost inevitable to stop me getting it import. It is not hard to order. I just went to NCSX, put in cart game and modded GC, ordered, payed, there. I'll await my dear PSO and Modded GC around August 12 or 13 http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif As to getting online. If I were to use the dial-up modem, I wouldn't have any problem. I can just go to Ah king's site and he'll have a guide up probably the next day after release, he said so himself too. But this is not my case since I'm waiting for BBA on September in Japan http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wink.gif
See? Hassle free. Now, tell me, only thing I see here is the added cost, but besides that, no hassles. I myself got a GC on Christmast and ordered a modded GC for my B-day (which is August 6) Since I want to order other import games anyway. I know there's some kind of boot disk but I preffer going with this since I know it's a sure thing.

[DESSYX]

I'd like to think that importing would show the Japanese companies that doing a world-wide release of a game might be a good idea, instead of pulling this delay bull shit all the time. Of course, that's assuming they can tell who imported and who didn't, which I doubt.

[Sojo]

I won't bother with CA games if they charge £80 for Shenmue 2!!

They can go to hell! In Electronics Boutique (now Game) it's half as much, and I'd assume much less bother if you want to refund it should something go wrong...

Only problem is, it seems all DC games that could have been released have been. SO we have a very limited range, missing out some excellent games like Gundam Side Story. Why the hell the shops don't stock it is beyond me...

[GhoStar]

That was the import of Shenmue 2. The Japanese one that wasn't planned to be released in the UK and came with bonus discs and limited edition packaging.

[Buffy]

I think the last two points do a good job of underlining one of the bigger cons to importing : it will cost you more, maybe a lot more. I suppose this is only a con if you can't afford it but anyway ...
The only thing that concerns me is that I'll be able to get online with no problems. If it's easy to do then life will be sweet.

~B.

[shinokou]

I think that october isn't too bad! I can wait for that <i need the BBA anyways>. Importing is expensive, and i wouldnt mod my GC just to play a single game (even though when it comes out, it'll be the ONLY game i play for a few months heh). BUT if i hear of some ungodly delay (like next march or something) then import is what i shall do. I just cant throw THAT much money around.