Bad news about import X-Box controllers (1 Viewer)

[Eric Alderson]

It seems like Microsoft doesn't want anyone to be able to use the smaller (IMO better) X-Box controller. I wasn't going to get an X-box anytime soon, but this news makes me to not want one at all.
This was taken from www.ncsx.com
Sources from Microsoft's X-Box division and independent developers sent a number of e-mails to NCS yesterday after we posted our little FAQ. Unfortunately, Microsoft appears to have mandated that all USA X-Box software titles not recognize any controllers from other territories. Japanese controllers won't work with USA X-Box software.
This policy apparently extends from joypads to future joysticks from the usual suspects such as ASCII and Hori. When and if ASCII manufactures a Fighting Type pad/stick for the Japanese X-Box market, USA gamers won't be able to share in the love. There you have it. The first console to ever completely lock out import controllers. Bravo...

 

[BrianB]

I've been chatting about this over email with some friends (including some Xbox developers).

None of them had heard this. In fact, one just was told their game /had/ to support JPN joypads for the Western releases.

Either policy on this has *just* changed, or it's bogus.

 

[Kelley_B]

i agree with BrianB its probably bogus...MS knows people want the smaller controller, they'd be foolish to block them from that.

 

[Eric Alderson]

www.ncsx.com just updated their site with some good news. Seems like they might work after all.
* Addendum at 02:28PM EST * A lot of e-mails have poured in from other sources and developers these past few hours. A call from an Microsoft employee also came in. The Japanese X-Box joypad should work on USA consoles. We'll confirm this tonight once our suppliers test the joypad with some USA games we shipped them earlier this week. If all is well, then our shipments of Japanese X-Box joypads won't go to waste after all.

 

[Frederick]

*whew* ... that was a close one. So would you guys know where I can order/preorder one of the Japanese controllers? When are they due out? What are the chances that we won't have to import them and Microsoft will actually release a US version of the controller?

Freddy C.

 

[Dan B]

When are they due out?

Friday in Japan! I'll wait until I hear for certain that they work before ordering one, personally, but I probably will be ordering one.

-Dan

 

[Ike]

Does this mean there's a chance (crosses finger) that Japan and England's DVD Controller would make the X-Box into a region free player, as previously speculated?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Ike, it's quite possible, but it's also quite possible that they built some kind of check into the controller box

 

[Ike]

Can someone whose going to grab one of these confirm or deny if the DVD dongle can actually change the region that the player can play? I'd so love to grab an uncut copy of Eyes Wide Shut and Malena...

 

[Ryan Peter]

There's different ideas floating around on the whole dongle thing. I guess we should hear pretty soon what the real deal is.

 

[Eric Alderson]

Here is something I found out on the DVD issue

From gaming-age

Impress Game Watch investigated what happens when you plug in an American Xbox DVD Remote kit on a Japanese system, and the result isn't pretty. It turns out that the DVD region on the Xbox unit is not factory set, and is only set when you plug in a DVD remote kit of a specific territory. When Game Watch plugged in the American DVD Remote kit on the Japanese Xbox model, the DVD region code was permanently set to Region 1 and could not be reconfigured. The only way to reconfigure the region code setting is to send the unit in for repair, which costs a reported 8,900 yen.

If this scenario holds up in different territories it could mean that consumers could set their DVD region with a specific Xbox territory remote, i.e. purchase a Japanese Xbox DVD Remote kit to watch Region 2 Japanese DVDs. Thanks to Game Watch.