As with DVD movies, videogames released in North America and Japan cannot be played in European gaming consoles, and vice versa. Each console is region-coded, which specifies what games are able to be played in that system. This can typically be bypassed via a modification to the console, but such a move can be costly and will definitely void your warranty. The only exception to this is with handheld systems. For whatever reason, portable videogame systems have largely never been region-coded, and that extends to the latest generation of handhelds, including the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS.
The European gaming market uses the PAL, or phase-alternating line system. This system determines the way that an input signal is processed, with the PAL system displaying sharper colors than the NTSC (National Television System Committee) signal that North America and Japan both use. The major drawback, however, deals with the displayed frame rate. While one would typically never notice a frame rate issue while watching network television, the difference becomes much more obvious when playing videogames, which often run at a speed of sixty frames per second. The PAL system runs 17.5% slower than NTSC, so even if the games were compatible, American and Japanese ones would run poorly on a European television.
The PAL gaming market is comprised of much of Europe, Australia, and Asia. Because of the wide amount of participating countries, any game purchased with the PAL markings can be played in any PAL system. Typically, a single version of a game will be produced for all PAL countries, often with several selectable languages built-in to the game. As such, the European market tends to receive games much later than in North America, as the additional time needed to translate the game into multiple languages delays the average release date.
Italy recently caught onto the "Big Hurt" pinball phenomenon.
# posted by Andrew Hayward : 11:01 AM
