Xbox Originals are region-locked, workaround doesn't work
by Christopher Grant 
{ Dec 4th 2007 at 6:55PM }
By now, you all know the 'ol Make a Japanese Xbox Live Silver Account to Download the Foreign Goodies trick, right? For the past two years, you've been downloading Japanese demos (Eternal Sonata anyone?) and nobody's said a thing about your reckless blurring of international copyright boundaries. ... until now. Microsoft has seemingly disabled this clever workaround in their new Xbox Originals program. Siliconera tried using a Japanese Live account to download either Puyo Pop Fever or Magatama – two original Xbox titles available on Japanese Xbox 360s – and were greeted with an error "explaining the download was not available in [their] region." So, your money's no good anymore, is that it? The free stuff, they'll turn a blind eye, but as soon as you're waving around those Billy Bucks, everything's different, eh?
Well, not really. This is similar to Microsoft's existing policy on other Xbox Live Marketplace content (think movies or TV shows), where they've enabled region locking by considering the user's IP, not simply the nationality associated with a Gamertag. Are we shocked? No ... but that doesn't make the pain go away.
_thumbnail.jpg "Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce (Ryu)")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gonk @ Dec 4th 2007 7:04PM
well...snap
Alucard @ Dec 4th 2007 7:07PM
My 360 just broke because of the new update and if you look in the xbox.com forums a lot of people have the same problem WTF!!!!!!!
gonk @ Dec 4th 2007 7:12PM
broke...how?
mine turned the screen black and white, but i just turned my tv off/on and it was fixed
Poisoned Al @ Dec 4th 2007 7:15PM
Mine just bitched that it couldn't find the update server for a while. Once it got the update, it was fine.
umm....hello??? @ Dec 4th 2007 7:22PM
...and the #1 reason not to download an XBL update right away...and although the forums are alive with discussion, it's not everyone having the same problem. and just about anything internet/server related is going to encounter some hiccups when they post a huge update.
and by "broke" do you mean RROD or just "not working properly/as expected?" don't over-exaggerate the situation. because "server-related problems" and RROD are extremely different.
Nick the Hero of Canton @ Dec 4th 2007 7:26PM
Some people are apparently red ringing but the main issue, which is happening to me as well, is that the system works like a piece of shit. This, however, is probably because its like...4:30 PST so people are getting out of school and home from work, downloading the updating, and killing the servers.
Mr.ESC @ Dec 4th 2007 8:25PM
Off topic but somehow related:
My XB360 just stop working,I was playing the orange box and it started to freeze,each time I played Half-life 2 or Team fortress 2 bam it freezed after a while,then it just stop working and scratched my disc.
The worst is that this happened before I could play Bioshock again and that simply sucks.
Poisoned Al @ Dec 5th 2007 3:33AM
Sounds like your DVD drive gave out. Even on my Elite, the drive looks cheap and nasty, but earlier ones are even worse.
rv @ Dec 5th 2007 11:46AM
Mine was having extreme difficulty playing COD4 yesterday. It couldn't find a match and nearly every time i clicked on find a match it froze up for 20 seconds then continued. No noticeable problems with mass effect (AN AMAZING FUCKING GAME) though
fuzzy @ Dec 4th 2007 7:22PM
It's actually the developers who can choose to keep the region lock or not, or even implement it in the first place.
Just in case people are going to mis-direct their anger.
Alucard @ Dec 4th 2007 7:32PM
Broke=RROD
Nick the Hero of Canton @ Dec 4th 2007 7:39PM
Or, you know, not working.
Rususeruru @ Dec 4th 2007 8:41PM
Or a broken optical drive
Or a broken hard drive
Or well damn pretty much ANYTHING that can go wrong.
usagizero @ Dec 4th 2007 7:27PM
So if you have a Japanese 360 do they play or is it solely by IP? I have a Japanese 360 and can play the 360 games on my regular gamertag, and download Japanese Marketplace stuff just fine, but i'm curious if anyone has checked this out on a Japanese 360.
Mr Khan @ Dec 4th 2007 7:41PM
My guess is that the only way would be to directly connect to a remote server in Japan, and have that server connect you to Japanese LIVE
A lot of work, but i've seen people do crazier things
Shape @ Dec 4th 2007 7:29PM
The original games are region locked. Why shouldn't the downloadable ones be?
Slinks @ Dec 5th 2007 6:54AM
That doesn't make it right you know.
Alucard @ Dec 4th 2007 7:33PM
Other people say this happens after you turn it off and turn it back on
kokuryukai @ Dec 4th 2007 7:42PM
Microsoft evils ways are at it again ;( I suggest everyone mod their 360!!
Alucard @ Dec 4th 2007 7:40PM
For me it happened when i was connecting to Xbox Live and then the screen froze and the RROD started flashing
Necki @ Dec 5th 2007 10:23AM
that could be coindence
ScottyGEE32 @ Dec 4th 2007 7:43PM
They stayed region locked in order to preserve the integrity of the original gaming experience. Just like with achievements and online.
=p
Rususeruru @ Dec 4th 2007 8:42PM
Sweet avatar
Alucard @ Dec 4th 2007 7:51PM
modding rules but voids the guaranty
Alucard @ Dec 4th 2007 7:56PM
I'll just wait the two weeks instead Halo3 can wait
dsub @ Dec 4th 2007 8:09PM
If these damn things were a rip-off at 1200 MS points I would care, but so long as Crimson Skies is $2.99 for an actual disc copy at Gamestop and 1200 MS points ($15.00) on XBOX Live! it doesn't make any difference to me.
mattydread @ Dec 4th 2007 10:59PM
Word.
SmokestormX @ Dec 5th 2007 6:30AM
and a +1 for the sane person
gonk @ Dec 4th 2007 8:13PM
cod4's matchmaking seems to be broken now too, though it worked a few hours ago
Mr.ESC @ Dec 4th 2007 8:28PM
TF2 also have issues.Last night was a lag fest.
gonk @ Dec 4th 2007 8:36PM
i'm talking about stuff after the new patch :)
valthun @ Dec 4th 2007 8:40PM
Is it locked based on IP or hardware? Wouldn't a JP 360 in America with a JP Live Account be able to purchase JP Live software?
mrlogical @ Dec 4th 2007 8:46PM
Anyone know if saved games from using an old xbox disc on the 360 will work if with these downloads? I got about halfway through Psychonauts a while back using my 360, but never finished. The saves should still be on my 360's hard drive, if I download the game will I be able to access them?
AoE @ Dec 4th 2007 9:06PM
It's using the same emulation software to play these titles in their downloaded form. From the emulator's perspective I'm sure it's getting served up what it thinks is the same disk either way. Either way, the save game location will most defiantly be the same.
AoE @ Dec 4th 2007 9:08PM
yeah... whoops. When I wrote defiantly I really meant definitely. >_
Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Dec 4th 2007 9:56PM
sigh, that happens to me all the time too.
Zorink @ Dec 4th 2007 9:56PM
Region locking sucks.
Tamyu @ Dec 4th 2007 11:24PM
It has been true in the opposite direction for quite a while. Most things can`t be downloaded from the US site on a JP 360. Used to work but went belly up about 3 months ago.
But it`s a moot point for me now as our third 360 just gave us the RROD. No wonder nobody buys it in Japan. It freaking dies every couple months.
gonk @ Dec 5th 2007 12:28AM
it's just bad luck
i've had my 360 for 2 years
Tamyu @ Dec 5th 2007 7:04AM
Maybe they send all the crappy ones to Japan or something, because I don`t know anyone here whose 360 has lasted more than 6 months. Service is prompt and all, but it is still irritating.
Hoping that this time they give us one with the new board.
thomas logic @ Dec 5th 2007 7:07AM
And now live reminds users to upgrade to the gamer tax model, gold? link: http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-90232.aspx
Two tiered gaming, that's what lives' about. lame.
Matt B @ Dec 5th 2007 9:20AM
Thank Jah that I don't have to go through this crap. The trials and tribulations of the hardcore gamer... A new series coming this spring to the Oxygen network.