Imports - stopped getting them?

[mackemansj1]

I import more now than ever before:

Jpn ps3
us wii
us 360
Jpn360

I like the choice quicker releases and money i save.

[JamesS]

I still import most of my games, too. I don't really see the logic in waiting longer for a more expensive version of a game.

I don't see the current set of consoles being massively better than previous generations, either. The 360 is great, with enforced 60Hz modes and generally decently-short waits for games, but the Wii still has its share of bad PAL conversions, and there have been fairly long delays for some of its better games. The PAL PS3 doesn't even give you the option for 60Hz, with all its games running at 50Hz unless you have a HDTV.

[egparadigm]

I import to save money and get the best version of a game.

With the 360, the picture quality is exactly the same across regions, but region free asian games are a LOT cheaper on release. I choose my 360 games according to price alone.

I still import games for other consoles because they have a progressive scan option and they are also cheaper because of VAT, etc. Obviously there are still a few games that aren't released in Europe.

It is purely pragmatic.

[buster_broon]

i normally import most things, but i havent bothered with the latest gen of stuff, console wise - games i still import

Wii: i will get around to it and intend to import at some point
360/PS3: Reliability issues and no come back if it breaks concerns me

but the fact that all PS3 games work on any system is fantastic

dont bother about 360 games at all just incase they dont work - quite happy with the pal games at the moment

i mainly import because of these factors - in order
1. price
2. cover artwork
3. release schedules
4. actual boxes (ds boxes in the uk are ugly and fat)

[Johnny]

I still do. I have a JP PS3, JP 360, JP Wii and US Wii so for this gen, unless there's some region-free/cheap PAL PS3/360 stuff, I ain't going near PAL.

3/4 of my PS2 collection is non-PAL. My really old stuff (pre-PSX) is all PAL as I didn't know bout importing much back then but everything from the PSX on is heavily import based.

Once you get used to cheaper games and quicker releases, it's hard to go back.

[in5ane]

Call yourself importers?! I remember the days when importing was ridiculously expensive... getting games cos they're cheap is not in the spirit of importing

But PAL does have a huge amount of positives as well: swapping games with 'normal' people, renting from services like lovefilm.com, bargain bins in high street shops etc.

[MartyG]

I still import, but there's less need now. With Xbox360 and PS3 being largely region free, the only reason now is dates and cost. Importing from VG+ with postage compared to places like play, choicesuk and shop.to, pretty much means equality on prices.

Nintendo are now the only company that's really dragging their heels on the gaming scene with regards to releases and they don't really seem to care particularly. With the success of the Wii, I don't suppose this is going to change anytime soon.

[importaku]

Anyone else done the weird thing of waiting for the jpn version of a game even though the us or uk version was out way before.

I did that for metroid prime & warioworld on the cube along with metroid pinball on the ds.

[mugetsu]

i still 99% import my games(japanese) and consoles and have done since the megadrive was first released in japan. I find it a lot more fun to import, getting games b4 other regions, better artwork, better voice acting etc etc.
Its also an excellent way learn some of the lingo here and there and reading key text pieces in jrpg's etc.

the other 1% being US biohazard4 basically cause it was completely unedited.

1 game i was absolutely itching to play back in the day was biohazard 2 which was released in the US something like 1 whole week earlier than japan, i waited for the japanese edition......1000% better boxart, lovely lookin discs, lovely glossy instruction mauals, spinecard and 2 sticker sets.

[Fuddle]

i waited the extra week or whatever it was to get a japanese DS instead of an american one. mainly as i thought most would rush for a us model leaving plenty of japanese ones around, but partly as the box didnt have the metroid demo artwork on it.

[importaku]

Yeah i held out for the jpn launch, it was torture but it was worth it as i had a better choice of launch games. That was a great xmas that year.

[Kubrick]

Anyone else done the weird thing of waiting for the jpn version of a game even though the us or uk version was out way before.

I did that for metroid prime & warioworld on the cube along with metroid pinball on the ds.

Loads of times, sometimes even if the JPN version is dearer Metal Slug Complete, Lumines II and OutRun 2SP are some recent examples.

[englishbob]

I still import just about everything, CD's, DVD's, Blu-Rays, and games. The only PAL console I own is an Xbox 360, and then sometimes if a game is region free and cheaper, I go with that. For example Senko's PAL pricing was a pisstake, so I imported it from the US.

[hudson]

As PS3 is region free, I'm importing quite a bit of late. My last 4 games were imported. I keep an eye on VideoGamesPlus's blog for when they check reion freeness on 360 games too.

However, the last time I imported a console, was probably for the Super Famicom.

[John Beaulieu]

Xbox 360 - I own PAL and Japanese machines. The Japanese model is a godsend since it also plays the few US titles which are only NTSC region free. Software wise it is mostly PAL, though I have the few Japanese exclusives which have been released plus the games which were released months ago in Japan and only just got a PAL release.

Gamecube - everything is US. Both consoles and every single game.

Xbox - Mixture of PAL, US and Japanese software. Ended up doubling up on a lot of my US software since its not backwards compatible on either of my 360's (not that big an issue due to the low cost of xbox software now)

PS2 - all my rpg's and text heavy games are US, shmups/fighters etc all Japanese. Only PAL games I own are stuff like singstar. Slightly pissed that I can play none of my rpgs on the PS3 due to it being a Japanese model.

PS3 - Japanese model, majority of games are US with the rest split between PAL and Japanese.

Wii - PAL but looking to buy a US wii alongside it.

So as you can see I still import, as well as buy domestic releases - same as it ever was, same as it ever will be.