Skip to main content

Not this again: ROCK BAND 2 is REGION-LOCKED for US Xbox 360s.

Photobucket


Not this again.

Disclaimer: I actually own a US Xbox 360, but I also am not happy about this news. I'm not pleased to hear that ROCK BAND 2 will be Region-Locked for US Xbox 360s only.

A lot of the players in the Pinoyxbox community have Asian Xbox 360s and for good reason....they want to support what is officially the Xbox 360 for Asia, and they're benefitting from the lower-priced games. A lot of them have expressed interest in getting ROCK BAND; unfortunately, the first game was region-locked. Not everyone can afford to (EXPENSIVELY) import a second system just to play one game.

And now, I've received word that Rock Band 2 is NOT going to be region-free. I can't believe this. Rock Band on the Playstation 3 is region-free....anyone with a Playstation 3 in any part of the world can play that game. Any kind of Playstation 3 can play it (whether you bought it from Japan, the UK or the US). If you travel around the world, you don't have to deal with the hassle of knowing about region coding, let alone understanding the reasoning behind it.

So why do Xbox 360 owners around the world have to deal with this crap?

Don't give me that 'licensing for music is per-country' bullshit. If Sony can do it, why not Microsoft? Why isn't anyone attacking Sony for their region-free policy with Rock Band or every other game? How can Sony get away with it? Simply put, it doesn't make any sense that they can do it and Microsoft can't.

This region-coding thing doesn't help gamers at all. I think it isn't good for Microsoft, too. Rock Band 2 is going to be one of those games that can help win the casual gaming market for Microsoft. It's a very important game; losing an entire market of an obviously immensely profitable demographic because of some lousy region-coding issue is a horrible oversight and an absolutely incompetent business decision.

Because Rock Band 2 is region-locked on the Xbox 360: Rock Band 2 is now officially an exclusive Playstation 3 game for markets outside of the United States.

There goes another opportunity for Microsoft to gain ground in the Asian marketplace. Way to go....

Popular posts from this blog

More on PS3 Hardware Failures: AICN's Moriarty Hit By BDL

Earlier I posted about how the PS3 is no less susceptible to hardware problems. The issue was dubbed the 'BDL' (Blu-Ray Disc Laser problem) over on Pinoyxbox by the multi-console users in the community. You'd find a lot more information about this by searching for error 80010514 and 80029906. That said, I saw this post on AICN from Moriarty ....apparently he also got hit by the BDL problem. He had the console repaired by Sony, and when he got his replacement, he was hit by another problem: he encountered an issue while updating his PS3, causing his system to get bricked. So now he's had two broken PS3s in a row, and the system has lost his recommendation as a blu-ray player system of choice for consumers: "Regarding Moriarty’s Awesome Non-Stop Blu-Ray Coverage... Or Lack Thereof! Dear Sony... Y’know, some days it doesn’t pay to be a movie fan. I’ve done tons of DVD coverage over the years here at AICN, and it’s funny... I’ve heard some people actually say, “But yo...

Lost Odyssey Theme Song - "What You Are" by Sheena Easton

I've uploaded the theme song for Lost Odyssey in YouTube. Check out the video below: At first, I wasn't so into the song but when I heard it in full it grows on you. The song is actually quite beautiful. It was sung by Sheena Easton. With the lyrics from Hironobu Sakaguchi and the composition by Nobuo Uematsu. Very moving song, specially once you understand the lyrics. Below are the lyrics for the song "What You Are" by Sheena Easton When you touch me It feels just like a dream With the warmth that's in your eyes When you look at me I hear your voice beside me It whispers to me I can't hide how it makes me feel The shyness you see I may never Understand how deep it goes But I know how I feel What I hold deep in my heart There's just no way to stop this It's hopeless but true I feel this love More than anything So what more can I do You know I thought I would be much stronger than I am But then I feel the boldness that's inside my heart Just melt aw...

Gamers based in the Philippines: How to get in Xbox Live

NOTE: This article has recently been updated (as of August 12, 2006). Singapore no longer lets you input '00000' as your zip code. Please see below for alternate zip codes. So you're a Filipino living in the Philippines with a brand-spanking new Xbox 360. You've heard about all the wonderful stories on Xbox Live. You happen to have a pretty good broadband connection. One day, you try out the Xbox Live sign-up options on your 360, and you find out to your dismay that your country is NOT listed. What do you do? Now, you can probably enjoy your 360 without live at all, but I have to tell you: YOU ARE MISSING OUT. As Peter Moore said in the recent MS Press Conference: "Having your 360 connected to Xbox Live is as vital as having your computer connected to the Internet". He is so damned right. I've been playing on Xbox Live for almost a year now (both on my original Xbox and the Xbox 360). Essentially I found out all of this with a little bit of research, a lit...