Xbox 360 buying help...

[J0e Musashi]

Yes I know, I know. Insert Lol,360 comment etc here.

Anyway, do I get a JPN unit or a PAL one? I'm not interested in the likes of multi-platform Tomb Raider 47 or Super generic 3-D Doom-clone 72, (and if I was I could buy it for PS3 as that's all regions). It's all of these shooters that are grabbing me. This new R-Type for instance, and the Cave stuff. Are these sorts of titles likely to come out over here? Is Raiden 4 out here yet for instance?

Ta v'ry much.

[Daragon]

You can get plenty of those R-type style shooters on the live marketplace from any region - some of the retail releases however I think are regionless, but if on the whole that's all you're concerned about you do get more of them with a JPN version console.

Of course if the system goes tits up (which is a distinct possibility) it's a case of hit and miss as to whether or not MS Europe will do anything for you.

[Brad]

Scary stuff Joe. You're the only person here I know who is more anti-360 than me. I caved in a few weeks ago but I bought it from a high street shop.

On a positive note 360s are practically given away in Japan are they not?

[belmondo]

As has been said, the downloadable games will all be available whatever region you get, the problem is with the retail games. All the Japanese shooters so far have been region locked, and only Senko no Ronde has made it to the west. There is talk of the 5PB Cave ports getting a western release, but I don't think that's been officially confirmed yet. I think a Japanese machine is the way forward, as long as you can stomach the price (probably 2x the UK price all in) and the lack of warranty on the notoriously unreliable hardware.

[J0e Musashi]

the notoriously unreliable hardware.

You're the only person here I know who is more anti-360 than me.

These two reasons alone have kept my house a Sony-only abode thus far...

[sj33]

You want a Japanese unit mate. All the decent Japanese games and shumps either stay in Japan, or take flippin' ages to come out over here. And Japanese games are region locked 98% of the time. Any time you feel an urge to play a western game, you can always pick up the English Language Asian release.

The biggest issue you'll have is the external power brick is not multivoltage, so you'll need either a stepdown, or preferably a UK power brick (and these differ depending on your console revision).

[J0e Musashi]

I have a UK 203W PSU indoors. If I buy a new JPN unit this should suffice I gather. I'm seriously only going to use it for the shmups. PS3 is deffo my main current-gen gaming device.

I'm thinking that I'd perhaps be better off just sticking with my PS2 and the wealth of shooters that I already own though?

Decisions, decisions...

[Pavey]

I'm thinking that I'd perhaps be better off just sticking with my PS2 and the wealth of shooters that I already own though?

That's what i'm doing, sensible head on, though a Jpn unit is tempting.

If you get an import and it ****'s up i can fix t for you D.

[Pavey]

I have a UK 203W PSU indoors.

May not work depending on the version 360 you get. I have a 500w stepdown i need to offload though

Or get the correct psu, go for around ?25 on av forums.

[J0e Musashi]

Nice one Nick.

It's just that I've been reading that 360 Cave thread and I got a bit excited, then the R-Type one. I don't understand why these JPN devs are not siding with Sony, but hey.

I'm just toying with the idea really, but I wanted to see what you lot had to say about it. I'm not up on 360 at all, so my research is starting here.

BTW, what games are available to me right now?

[Brad]

I suspect the Microsoft Money Hat is what's making Japanese devs make 360 stuff right now.

[C']

Yeah, I'm sure that Micrsoft are sending pots of money to ensure Cave games are ported to the 360.

In all likelihood, the high costs of dev units for the PS3 for what is a niche genre is what has led to games like this being ported to the Wii and 360 only.

[tom-nook]

May not work depending on the version 360 you get. I have a 500w stepdown i need to offload though

Or get the correct psu, go for around ?25 on av forums.

A 203w psu should work fine with any 360 (unless things have changed in the last month or two?).

I've been using a 203w PAL PSU w/ a 175W falcon US 360. It only draws what it needs.

The only prob I'm aware of is that it won't work the other way round (175w psu on an older 360).

[Brad]

I detect a hint of sarcasm...

I was referring to Japan only retail releases. They'd need some incentive to make a game for such a small market surely? PS3 dev kits are about $8k in Japan. I dunno if that's considered high or not though.

[Link83]

I read that Japser 360's are trickling through in the US, so at this point wouldn't it be best to hold out until the Jasper hardware is available everywhere?