How important is importing to you?

[vic_viper]

I was talking to a friend this afternoon and was discussing how the import videogame scene used to be back in the late eighties and early ninties. Obviously the conversation turned to how cheap it is these days compared to then and how much more accessable it is now you can order direct from Japan, America and Hong Kong yourself without going through your local import dealer.

What i think is an interesting question was raised, that being 'knowing what you know now and having bought for the prices that we are used to paying, would you go back to paying ?70 - ?100 + for import software if you had no other way of getting it? Or would you choose to buy and play PAL software at todays prices?

Personally, i'm of the opinion that i've done it before and therefore i would do it again and have never really minded paying a premium for the version of software that i want along with accompanying artwork etc. But i can fully understand anyone who would faced with the huge prices that imported videogames sometimes demanded in the past decide that the game is the important thing and would just has happy with the cheaper option.

This is in no way an attempt to start a 'i'm more hardcore than you' type thread, but more of a way of discovering how peoples opinions have changed over the years and if there is any divide in outlook between people who have paid the price of importing and those of whom who have taken up importing since its become as easy and cheap as it is today.

[marcus]

If there was NO other way then yes I would go back to the way things were pre-internet when I had to rely on high street retailers like CEX and so on to purchase games. I have and always will buy NTSC games, I enjoy the benefits that come with imported games. Call me stuck in my ways but after buying only imports for well over a decade I could never go back to purchasing PAL titles like I used to pre-SNES. I simply dont have any love for the domestic games market, and also the principal of handing hard earned cash to companies who have mistreated domestic gamers for years isnt something I would do in a hurry. Im not elitest nor do I look down on anyone who buys PAL games, but the simple fact is I dont like them and therefore would not hesitate to pay the premiums to get something I was satisfied with.

[Shimmyhill]

Im with you id pay the prices again.

?120 for mario kart 64 back in the day, price didnt even come into it - i wanted the game so bad (i even bunked collegue after finding it was waiting at home)

The only difference now, for me, is i have more games accross more consoles due to the lower cost of importing these days. Back then i had a Snes over a Megadrive, A psx + N64 but no Saturn. Now i have all the consoles so its defi better having lower prices.

35.99 for F-xero GX at launch, its funny how cheap it was - i paid ?90 for F-zero x, no regrets !

[xtremeboat]

I've only recently started importing with the Gamecube and Freeloader. Not very hardcore I know but it's the first time importing has been really accessible to me. If Nintendo won't release Animal Crossing and Winning Eleven in PAL-land then I have to take action.
Playing NTSC games makes poor PAL coversions more obvious though, so in the future I can't see me buying much PAL stuff unless the release dates are in line with USA dates, and a 60hz mode is included.

[replicant]

Like Marcus importing is the way for me. There is no appeal in buying PAL games, nor do I ever intend to fall into that trap of substandard releases, and tired release schedules.

Importing covers my bases. I get games when I want them on release, I'm guaranteed that everything will run at full screen/speed, plus I get the variety of software that I want.

Importing sometimes has a premium price tag. This isn't a concern for me as you get what you pay for. To me spending an extra 200 quid on a console to get it at Japanese launch is value for money as I get the enjoyment, and excitement of it months ahead of the PAL scene. Today with the advent of the net these premiums are dropping which makes it even kinder on the bank balance But would I return to paying 100 quid for a new release import game? Definately if I really wanted it.

Its a shame that Marcus feels the need to defend his attitude with the "im not elitest comment". Sad days that you need to do that on an import forum! However, I don't care. As I said to MJ on irc, i'd rather be called an elitest and play Game X on my new JPN PS3 at launch, than have to wait X months for a PAL one

[Ish]

Thanks to the wonderful world of the Internet I can't really see this ever becoming an issue but no I wouldn't pay 70 to 100 quid for import software.

I'd probably still buy the PAL games released over here that were decent conversions but, and oooo shame on me, I'd probably start digging around on the file share programs and look to, basically, acquire pirate copies of games not released over here and NTSC versions of the shoddy PAL games I wanted.

Note I say that as someone without a single copied game in there collection but frankly if this was to happen and the games companies continued to treat Europe with the same contempt as happens now then **** 'em. If they can't respect me, why should I respect them?

Now that would make me laugh - if Nintendo's clamping down on import shops selling import games resulted in a large pirate import scene.

[Adam Stone]

Importing is a massive thing for me now. I hate waiting. Always have, but I never really did anything about it until the US Gamecube release. I didn't know enough about importing before. I paid over ?500 for my cube and wave race and at the time, the money was worth every single penny. At that time, I wasn't aware of how cheap i could have actually got my console from the web. I paid ?50-?70 for my games from London Import stores.

NTSC-uk broadened my understanding considerably and now i only buy games I MUST have on release new (but usually no more then ?45) Most games I can happily get for ?30 or less.

However, if Ntsc-uk were to suddenly seize to exist? and places like Dvdboxoffice were shut down, then no, I still wouldn't return to PAL and I would pay out those horrendous prices.

Obviously the number of games I brought would decrease considerably, but I would return to how I used to purchase games: only buying my Must-haves. Not bother with games I ?might? enjoy. Therefore, places like ntsc-uk and other Internet Import sites are a god-sent as it allows me to explore a much larger game base due to me being able to afford more.

But the main factor for me is. I HATE waiting. Therefore PAL is a nono. No matter the cost.

[Burai]

I don't think I could go back to PAL, although I don't think my collection would be as diverse as it is now. I've just taken delivery of a game called Kerokeroking DX for GameCube and I got it for a decent price off ebay. There's no way I'd have paid ?60+ for it if that was the only option and it would be a fun piece of software I'd never have experienced.

[YOUWIN]

i only started importing since the US launch of the Xbox, and shortly after on the cube, my PS2 is Pal (although i can play imports on it), before these consoles i always bought and played Pal, mainly because i knew no better.
Only started my import education after reading the wireplay boards as they were in the day... i remember this real flash bastid braggin about getting the Ps2 just after the JPN release, Disco summit or other, was his name
Anyway to answer ya question, if things went back to ?100 or other "silly" prices for import games, then no ****ing way would i buy them, i'd just make do with Pal. As it is, most of my gaming is on the xbox, and Pal releases seem pretty good across the board neway, PS2 not so clever, and the thought of boardered games with no 60hz would raise its ugly head again - as for the cube, the Pal scene is a ****ing joke, so i guess it'd get dusty awful quick.
I just could not justify to myself paying ?100 per game no matter how desperate i was to play it, and even more so after buying import games over the last 18 months for no more than a maximum of ?40.

What a bloody awful thought actually.....

[Wools]

Im not that bothered either way.

Look at the newest titles from Japan: F Zero and Initial D. Im looking forward to both titles and cant wait to get my hands on them. But I feel no need to import.

The 1st ever title I imported was Ferrai F355 challange on the Dreamcast and more recent purchases were Animal Crossing and Viewtifull Joe on GameCube.

The only non-english consoles I have is a Jap Neo-Geo and a modded SEGA Saturn. I have about 15 - 20 imported games and everything else is PAL. There's simply not enough reason for me to shell out for imported consoles and (If imported from Japan, not America) play them in a laungage I dont understand.

The PAL conversions are getting better and better (Apart from the occasional hic up of course) and if a title is not going to be released in this country or I fancy picking it up as im too damn excited then i'll import it.

It's a nice luxlary to have but not essiential. Although I would not like the oppertunity to import taken away from me.

[Vaipon]

I would probably go back to paying the large sums if left with no other choice.

Can anyone tell me btw, why it is that Another World can still make a living selling new PS2 games for ?75? I went in the other day and I **** you not, that is the going rate for a "new" (I use the term loosely in their case) game. Madness.

[Burai]

Indie shops always garner a faithful following. Plus you'll also have those who either a) Don't want to/can't use the net or b) want the game to take home today.

It seems silly, especially considering some of the things that AW and its owner have done over the years but I can understand why people do it.

I personally will never stop shopping at Tronix for my US games, simply because they've never done me wrong. Other shops are cheaper, but I have been burned by them - Tronix have never let me down and I'll happily pay the extra ?5 over DVDBoxoffice or wait 4 days longer for it to arrive than I would from Goblin because they've earned my respect time and time again with their great customer service.

[Fuddle]

if imports went back to being hugely expensive i would still get them.
but i would definately be a lot more selective. i wouldnt get games at release without seeing a few impressions, whereas now its not such a big risk.
i'd also probably buy more pal games than now.


(although i dont know where you guys were buying imports from in the past...i've been importing since the snes and i dont recall ever paying more than ?70 for a new game....mario kart 64, ?120...cube + game, ?500 )

[Shimmyhill]

Mario @ ?120 on launch was cheap ! This was the Big box version with the extra pad. Belive me i tried every import shop in the country and it was ?150 at a lot of them !!

Another point to be made is that PAL games are generally cheaper now, im sure my m8 paid ?70 for streetfighter 2 on launch ?? so my ?85 wasnt that much dearer in comparrison.

[Fire]

Yep, back in the PAL SNES days ?50-?70 wasn't uncommon for the big name games