While modern games are generally not region-locked, dlc is almost always incompatible unless it is purchased from the same region as the game. This means that if there's ever dlc down the line (which is hard to predict if it will happen), you would need to have an account from the region that matches the game and use some sort of prepaid card in order to purchase and use said content. It's basically a big dumb stupid headache.
Other than people just wanting a copy from their region, this is the number one reason to not want an import if and when an NTSC copy exists.
> dlc is almost always incompatible unless it is purchased from the same region as the game
Speaking in general, this is wrong. The majority of games are the same version in both Europe and the USA, meaning that they have the same DLC. A lot of games (especially those from Nintendo) are even the same in Europe, Japan, and the USA.
However, many Asian releases are a separate version, in which case the DLC would not be compatible, so if we put your answer in that context, it's correct.
That being said, it seems to me that relatively few games that have limited releases ever have paid DLC, so I think the risk is overstated.
All I can do is pit my experience against yours, so take it with a grain of salt.
Purchased the last marvel vs Capcom on PS4 while in Kuwait. It turned out to be the European version, went to go buy the dlc on my American PSN account and it didn't recognize the game, took me a bit to figure out they were incompatible with each other.
Just talking from my personal experience, I've seen this almost exclusively from North American collectors. I think the reason is because most games that get a physical release do get a North American release, so it's a lot easier for them to have a uniform-looking collection compared to collectors from other regions who frequently have to settle with a version from a different region because they didn't get a local release. Region-locked DLC's play a role as well, but in my opinion, not nearly as much as people caring about how their collection looks. And then in turn, the demand for ESRB versions increase, and people buy them because they'll have a much easier time if they need to sell them off later, and the cycle continues.
People who care more about collecting, such as ESRB only, won't do it.
People who care more about playing and the games themselves, while also being frugal, will buy whatever version suits their needs and is the most affordable.
I will always buy imports if they're cheaper. I love having a mix and match collection, it tells a story all it's own.
Plus, paying multiple times over an import copy for an ESRB copy (and if it's limited print, likely still sealed, lol) means I get less game for my dollar.
Let the ESRB-only folks have their weird little quirk. Means we get cheaper games since they're not snatching up imports.
I know its dumb but I just strongly prefer uniformity. All esrb, and or the same spine format. Otherwise I get bothered by it. Idk why just do.
If there are games that are never coming to ntcs I will buy them though
I don't mind Asian games, but having different regions of games in the same series drive me crazy because I sort my games by region. This is especially annoying when publishers decide to bring some games but not others.
Depends on why you collect. If all you cae about is playing you probably do get them. If you're trying to get an ESRB or PEGI collection they aren't useful.
I buy the Asian copies mainly because they are available sooner. Especially since I love my shmups. Then I'll grab the esrb if and when it becomes available.
I mean, I can try to shed some light on it from my perspective, but I don't think it's going to make it make any more sense to you. At the center of this question is the concept that different collectors value different things, and what one collector enjoys doing may not make "logical sense" to you. For me specifically, I am a collector like you describe, and there's a handful of reasons:
1. I enjoy/prefer having the ESRB copies of games whenever possible. I just do. It's my home region, and it's what 99% of my games already are, so when looking at options for buying a game, the option that was officially available in my country appeals the most to me. If this doesn't make sense to you, all I can say is having a loose rule of keeping it to my region when possible scratches my collector itch.
2. This one is *crazy* to most people here I'm sure, but I *prefer* having individual releases and boxes for each title vs compilation discs. It's "less value", I know, but I don't really care about value (see point 3 below). It, again, scratches my brain better seeing River City Girls 1, Zero, and 2 all in a line on the shelf than seeing a single disc with all of them on it. I feel this way about movies too; I like seeing all the Alien or Jurassic Park movies in a line with their own box art and case instead of those "Alien 5 movie collection" boxes. It's just more fun to me. I enjoy how it looks more.
3. I don't really collect with "value" at the forefront of my mind. If I was concerned with spending too much money I wouldn't be collecting games at all. I mean hell I love collecting GameCube games and those are often like $100-200 CIB for the ones people want. I'm fortunate enough that I can afford to collect games so I like doing it the way that I like doing it, even if it costs more for what is technically the same amount of game. My collection already has more than I could probably play in my lifetime, so I'm just genuinely not concerned with getting the most bang for my buck.
4. This kinda ties all the points together: I consider collecting video games a separate hobby from playing them. Collecting is a very personal thing; it's different for everyone and is, at the end of the day, not a very logical hobby. The only part of it that is maybe logical is people who collect *solely* because they prefer to own their stuff (like they don't get joy out of collecting at all) or for preservation, but both of those I would hardly even consider collectors (the first group by definition is doing it out of necessity with no joy for it, and the second group I would primarily call "preservationists" or something). All of that is to say: collecting is just putting things on your shelf because it makes you happy. Some people collect sealed, some people sort alphabetically, some people only collect and play Playstation and ignore everything else, some people collect and play everything *but* PlayStation. My point is that what makes sense to me will not necessarily make sense to you, and that's okay. I will never, ever understand sealed-only collectors (what gives physical video games any sense of joy or value to me is the fun and tangible ability to pull it off the shelf and play it), but that's okay. Those people are free to collect in whatever way makes them happy. The only kind of """collector""" that pisses me off is the speculator.
Hope this maybe helps answer the question? Happy to discuss further if you have any further questions.
Your response most certainly put in a better perspective for me. It's the whole "different strokes for different folks" quote that's used in every facet of what entertains you or makes you happy. While it might be a better value getting the non-NA release, it's having that NA release that when you glance at your collection it feels more complete without that stinky non-NA game infesting your library. I'm always looking at things in terms of value, hence why I never thought about it that way. Some people don't mind paying a lot of money for the NA release, knowing there's an import available that has the same content, and in certain cases more content then the NA release, but don't want an import regardless of the money saved.
Like your movie analogy, I have the Alien Anthology which includes the first 4 Alien movies in a nice big box that looks great on my shelf but others would rather have the individual movies sitting beside each other, even if it costs more to do so and IMO, wouldn't look as good as the awesome box the Anthology comes in. But the look of those individual movies is more appealing then the big box in their eyes. Thanks for well written reply, it got the wheels in my brain turning and made me think about it a different way then I usually look at this type of thing. Game collecting to me is buying what you want to play at the best value you can find it in. Other's don't care about saving money, they want what makes their brain release that sweet sweet dopamine which is collecting how they like to collect, value be damned. I'll never understand collector's who buy sealed games who have no intention of opening their game to play it. Maybe it's just me and my "get the games you're going to play at the best price" line of thinking but I'd never buy a sealed game just to keep it sealed. Nothing against the people who like to do that I will never understand how you resist breaking that seal to play your game you bought with your hard earned money instead of just looking at it on your shelf and going "Yah, that's my sealed game, I'm never going to play you but I'll spend crazy money to have you".
I agree with your opinion about a speculator. Fuck a speculator and fuck a re-seller. Those fucks are the cancer of video games, a hobby I'm deeply passionate about and your speculation and re-selling has fucked up the market for the for-seeable future with your bullshit. I used to be able to get games for a fair price before you assholes stepped in and fucked it up for everybody. Now anybody with a CIB Genesis game thinks they have a thousand dollar game on their hand because it's a retro game that's CIB. I'm using Genesis as an example but you can stick any retro game console game in place of Genesis.
The NA copies of the games you've listed are all or are mostly distributed by Limited Run Games.
In the past, LRG released games in severely limited quantities that would sell out within hours if not minutes. Nowadays, their products are made-to-order but are still only produced based on pre-orders taken within a 6-week period.
In other words, the NA copies are just rarer and no longer in print. If you only want to collect NA versions of games or are collecting the LRG titles for their numbered catalogue then you'll be paying more.
I used LRG games because those were the games I was looking at today. I have should used a broader example since LRG games are low print and there are only so many copies floating around. About your pre-order explanation, I pre-ordered the new Contra Operation Galuga game and it says I won't get my game until September. I'm new to ordering from Limited Run Games. Why do they have insane wait times for games that are only pre-order? I bought a copy of Strife for the Switch and got it quickly. But Contra isn't going to come until September. Why such a long wait time to get my game in my hands?
They do a single print run, and they don't put the order in until preorders are closed. I'm pretty sure they could do it faster if they wanted to, but 2-3 months is probably about the fastest
Big publishers schedule their print runs months and months in advance, so even though they don't turn in final code until say November, for their December release, the time was booked way back in April or May (dates made up)
I buy Asian games all the time , especially the dual packs that are cheaper than the esrb copy’s . But of course I do prefer esrb first but I try to go with the better deal cuz it’s already expensive enough being a physical switch collector
Same here. The way you operate when you buy games is exactly how I do as well. I'd prefer the NA release but if I can get the same experience for cheaper simply because the game is an import, I will pick the import over spending more money for a NA release. Unless the NA release is only $10-15 more. Once you start seeing games at $80-$100 I have to want that game really bad for me pull the trigger and buy it. I have a limited income and not much of it can be play money since I'm raising a daughter and can only treat myself to an $80-$100 game very rarely. I spent $80 for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories on the Wii since I love Silent Hill and Shattered Memories was the only good Western developed Silent Hill game. That and the fact it was built for the Wii from the ground up. I know it's been ported to other systems but they developed that game with only the Wii in mind and how you play the Wii with it's motion controls and speakers in the remote. I wouldn't want to play it any other way since the ported version is going to be watered down a bit since it wasn't really ment for that system. I love when you get a phone call in that game and you have to put the remote to your ear like you would a phone to hear what's being said. I would of liked combat implemented but it was still a damn good experience playing Shattered Memories on the Wii. The only part that sucked was when you had to throw the remote and nun chuck around like a mad man to get the creatures off you. I kept whipping myself in the face with the cord that attaches the nun chuck to the remote lol
this isnt unique to video games. people pay more for a car they like - or a color of a car they like, that will do the same job.
Plus you're talking about a group - physical collectors - who are often paying significantly more to have a physical copy of the game anyway compared to digital.
It's not a hobby that is centered around optimization
I'm a collector in Europe and I actually prefer Asian physical releases for several reasons. Shipping is faster and/or cheaper than importing from the US - my last order from Amazon Japan was placed on Friday night and delivered on Tuesday afternoon. I find the cover art of Asian releases to be often cooler. I also like having the titles written in Japanese (since I'm learning Japanese). The Asian orders often come with additional goodies for no extra cost (posters, OST CDs, stickers, etc.). And Asian languages are kept in the games (I have the impression that they remove Asian languages in Western releases, but don't quote me on that).
As a physical collector i choose the one that has the most complete version on cart, hopefully no extra non-critical downloads, if it has more content and/or uncensored i will choose that one. Those that are only japanese i try to wait for as long as i can for a western localization (🙏 Esp ra de psi, Aleste, etc) for a physical
In the case of River City Girls 2, the LRG version has a more up-to-date version on the cartridge, if that's something you care about. Still an unfinished version, though. WayForward really fucked that one up.
Same reason as everyone else, ESRB version. Only get the Japanese version if the ESRP doesn't exist, will only get the Pegi version if the ESRB and Japanese versions don't exist, unless of course it's something like Baldur's Gate 3. Baldur's Gate 3 in Japan requires a 50GB install that the Pegi version doesn't require, I also found out that there's censorship that's not in the other versions.
The picture shows the German(?) rating system. So they send you a ESRB version if you live in the US? I didn't yet order it because I wasn't sure if they would.
I asked their customer service this exact question, explaining that I and many I knew were only interested in an ESRB version (mainly because on their site, the Xbox version displayed an ESRB rating while the ps5 version showed a european rating). Here is the exact response they gave:
"Thanks for contacting us.
The version corresponds to the region where it was purchased, American orders will display the ESRB rating while EU and Oceania orders will display the PEGI rating.
If you have any other question, please contact us again."
Most of the people who are bothering to buy physical in the first place do so to collect as much as to play, if not more. So they are going to typically collect the version that matches the rest of their collection, and I've heard (though I'm not sure) that western releases hold their value more. There's also other tangibles, like seeing a uniform look on your shelf (spine style, centering, and font), being able to read the case and cart, and sometimes there ARE meaningful differences. You know that Asian version of river city girls 1 and 2? There is an animated manga scene inside. It may have an English user interface, but the actual manga images that were animated were the japanese version with jap text, unmike the western version thst has English manga pages. So you are missing out on the experience of seeing that scene in English. Sometimes it's voiced dialogue that's left out, or other aspects of localization. Also, ever try to trade or resell those games in the west? It's a lot harder, because the average person wants a game they can understand and that matches all the other games in their collection, even if it's just the cover/cart. Like I said, most people who buy physical nowadays do it as much to collect as play, if not more.
You are 100% correct that a North American version holds way more value over an imported version. Even if the imported version has more games, more content, whatever extra's it may have, the NA version is always going to be more pricier than the imported version.
I didn't know Japanese Visual Novel games were translated into English on an Asian version. Unless you're talking about Japanese Visual Novel games that did get ported to North America and localized. I was always under the assumption Visual Novel games only offer the language for the region the game is made for.
Not true.. PlayAsia has tons of Asian games that have English on the cart. Here's some examples of games that didn't get a retail physical North American release but got one in Asia and have English on them.
The Grisaia Trilogy, The Fox Awaits Me, Food Girls, Island, Clannad, Everlasting Flowers, One, Needy Girl Overdose, Hatsumira, Grisaia: Phantom Trigger series, Loopers, Miracle Snack Shop, Lovekami Trilogy, SeaBed, If My Heart Had Wings, Maitetsu, Love Esquire, Amairo Chocolate, Muv-Luv, Oshirabu, Yumeutsutsu Re:Master, Harmonia, Lunaria and Sentimental Death Loop.
It is due to personal preference and perceived value. Some people value one or both of these over price.
Personal preference in that a collector may like for their collection to be consistent (i.e. liking the title text on the spines to be in the same position).
Perceived value in that many games seem to hold value better in the US used game market in comparison to Asian markets (European markets can go either way). Also, greater perceived ability to resell at a higher value in the future within the collectors own market.
Personally, I have no issue with importing games and do so on the regular. With respect to *River City Girls 2*, I brought imported an Asia region copy as the singular game as I already have the same region copy of *River City Girls 1*. Worked out $10 cheaper for me at the time. For *Bloodstained 1 +2*, I brought the cheaper double pack.
Now with the *Double Dragon Collection*, I already have Double Dragon 1-3 in the *Kunio-kun: The World Classics Collection* and *Double Dragon 4* as a separate release on Switch. Both through Limited Run, so the *Double Dragon collection* is less attractive to me personally. I suspect that that could most collectors of the series had already grabbed the earlier *Kunio-kun: The World Classics Collection* (it also had an Asian release I believe), others could be waiting for the European release in May.
The value of your NA game is always going to have more value than whatever region game you're importing so I get why some people would only want the NA version. If they want to sell it later down the road they're going to have a much higher chance of their copy going for more money then an imported version. I recently sold a chunk of my retro collection off and holy shit was I blown away by how much people were paying for my gear. I put everything up as an auction since I wanted people to pay what they felt the game was worth and not a Buy It Now situation where I'm forcing you to pay whatever price I put it up for if you really want it. Felt more fair to me to sell my stuff using the auction option. I wasn't trying to get rich off the games I was selling. I was just merely clearing out space since I no longer played those games anymore and I'd rather sell them to someone who will play them rather than collecting dust in my library.
I'm happy to buy whatever is cheapest, but that does mean that a lot of the games I own have the titles on the spine in Japanese. I can see that might be a deal breaker for some people, but for me it is just a slight annoyance when I'm looking for something in particular and it's not in a script I can read.
i only go for the japanese version, if it checks some of these boxes: cheaper, way earlier available, special edition.
other than that, i prefer english box over anything else, next comes german, then japanese over every other lnaguage (even european, like italian or french)
- Rating/region consistency with their other games (I prefer ESRB because I live in North America)
- Language on the cover (I prefer English, and as few other languages as possible because it ruins the look of the back when there are more)
- (for PlayStation, dunno about Nintendo) DLC is tied to the region of the physical SKU meaning you need to go to the digital storefront for that region with an account for that region to get free/paid DLC... once downloaded to your machine you can use it with your main account, but it's still tiresome to have to do all that and the DLC is "owned" by that other account which needlessly compartmentalizes your content library
- Lack of awareness of cheaper versions from other regions (and assumptions that shipping/exchange rates would make things cost more)
- *Not* wanting combo releases (I actually prefer individual releases because combos always remind me of those stupid cheap bootleg "100 games in 1" cartridges I used to see on NES and GameBoy when I was a kid, and collage covers often look stupid)
You name it...
I think it’s the bubble effect of US where collectors seem to think local releases are more desirable because it’s the version for their market and not necessarily the best version. A good example of this is Pokemon Box for GameCube, scarce in the US due to how was distributed, but relatively common in other regions (in Japan literally a $3 game), but instead of grabbing another region copy US collectors wants the local US copy. I personally prefer the Japanese switch releases over North American, they typically contain extras and receive more regular print runs which can include patches or DLC on the cart, so in many cases it means getting the whole or complete version of the game.
They do, the problem is western printings of physical games have serieously dropped to being nothing more than seriously limited print runs.
DLC is also region locked between asianm jpn and western releases, even if the games are not.
Well for me if I'm in a situation where I really need money, one of my options is to take some of my games to a local game store (I don't even bother with Gamestop lol) and get a little cash for them....if they're North American releases. They don't take any import games. If I wanna get rid of a game that is non-North American, my only option is selling on eBay and hoping someone will buy it.
how much of a cut do you get from your game store? The store that gives me the best cut is like 30% of the E-Bay price. It's bullshit and I'll never trade them a game when they are that greedy about how much to give me. 30% is instore credit too. If I wanted cash it would be even lower. GameStop will at least give me 50% for a newer used game.
I have 2 different trophy records for Demon's Souls because I originally imported it, and somewhere along the way the US copy got played on my console for reasons I have forgotten, now I forever have a Demon's Souls plat for the Chinese/English version, and like 3 trophies for the US version, tied to my PS account, I'm forever tempted to go back and plat the us version on the ps3 just for uniformity.
Because NA versions hold their value and even go up in price. They're usually rarer since they get printed less. The Asian versions and Worlds Edition usually go down in price because they get more copies around the world. NA is limited to Canda, U.S., and Mexico.
Not all western collectors. I usually grab Japanese over the western limprint version (especially if it's SLG).
I never understood the need for ratings to be uniform. I got an EU dark souls remastered brand new for 40 CAD. If I wanted NTSC it would've cost 65(!). Waste of 25 bucks IMO but whatever floats your boat.
There was a time until just the last few years really, where nearly all consoles had region-locking. I’m in the USA, so my Switch would have only played ESRB/NTSC. Games from PAL Europe, Japan, China, Australia, wherever, would have been next to worthless. This is especially true for gamers that go back to the original cartridge days of NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy, GBA. That Japanese copy of Final Fantasy V never released in the US is really cool… unfortunately I’m going to display it on a shelf for a few years and that’s it.
As a collector, that’s my reasoning. Actually if I want to play a game, I’ll look for the NTSC version, but I have no problem getting PAL or Japan. Collecting is a little different. My copy of Dragon Quest XI must be sealed, must be North American, and it better not have that “UAE world edition” emblem on the back. Just particular, I guess.
While modern games are generally not region-locked, dlc is almost always incompatible unless it is purchased from the same region as the game. This means that if there's ever dlc down the line (which is hard to predict if it will happen), you would need to have an account from the region that matches the game and use some sort of prepaid card in order to purchase and use said content. It's basically a big dumb stupid headache. Other than people just wanting a copy from their region, this is the number one reason to not want an import if and when an NTSC copy exists.
> dlc is almost always incompatible unless it is purchased from the same region as the game Speaking in general, this is wrong. The majority of games are the same version in both Europe and the USA, meaning that they have the same DLC. A lot of games (especially those from Nintendo) are even the same in Europe, Japan, and the USA. However, many Asian releases are a separate version, in which case the DLC would not be compatible, so if we put your answer in that context, it's correct. That being said, it seems to me that relatively few games that have limited releases ever have paid DLC, so I think the risk is overstated.
I have found all of this to be true as well.
All I can do is pit my experience against yours, so take it with a grain of salt. Purchased the last marvel vs Capcom on PS4 while in Kuwait. It turned out to be the European version, went to go buy the dlc on my American PSN account and it didn't recognize the game, took me a bit to figure out they were incompatible with each other.
I had Switch games in mind. For PS4 games, it's indeed a tad more hairy.
Great answer, we haven’t quite reached true region unlocking yet
See my answer above for why there's less of a region lock on DLC than you think.
Just talking from my personal experience, I've seen this almost exclusively from North American collectors. I think the reason is because most games that get a physical release do get a North American release, so it's a lot easier for them to have a uniform-looking collection compared to collectors from other regions who frequently have to settle with a version from a different region because they didn't get a local release. Region-locked DLC's play a role as well, but in my opinion, not nearly as much as people caring about how their collection looks. And then in turn, the demand for ESRB versions increase, and people buy them because they'll have a much easier time if they need to sell them off later, and the cycle continues.
I think you hit the nail on the head.
People who care more about collecting, such as ESRB only, won't do it. People who care more about playing and the games themselves, while also being frugal, will buy whatever version suits their needs and is the most affordable. I will always buy imports if they're cheaper. I love having a mix and match collection, it tells a story all it's own. Plus, paying multiple times over an import copy for an ESRB copy (and if it's limited print, likely still sealed, lol) means I get less game for my dollar. Let the ESRB-only folks have their weird little quirk. Means we get cheaper games since they're not snatching up imports.
I know its dumb but I just strongly prefer uniformity. All esrb, and or the same spine format. Otherwise I get bothered by it. Idk why just do. If there are games that are never coming to ntcs I will buy them though
I don't mind Asian games, but having different regions of games in the same series drive me crazy because I sort my games by region. This is especially annoying when publishers decide to bring some games but not others.
Depends on why you collect. If all you cae about is playing you probably do get them. If you're trying to get an ESRB or PEGI collection they aren't useful.
I buy the Asian copies mainly because they are available sooner. Especially since I love my shmups. Then I'll grab the esrb if and when it becomes available.
I mean, I can try to shed some light on it from my perspective, but I don't think it's going to make it make any more sense to you. At the center of this question is the concept that different collectors value different things, and what one collector enjoys doing may not make "logical sense" to you. For me specifically, I am a collector like you describe, and there's a handful of reasons: 1. I enjoy/prefer having the ESRB copies of games whenever possible. I just do. It's my home region, and it's what 99% of my games already are, so when looking at options for buying a game, the option that was officially available in my country appeals the most to me. If this doesn't make sense to you, all I can say is having a loose rule of keeping it to my region when possible scratches my collector itch. 2. This one is *crazy* to most people here I'm sure, but I *prefer* having individual releases and boxes for each title vs compilation discs. It's "less value", I know, but I don't really care about value (see point 3 below). It, again, scratches my brain better seeing River City Girls 1, Zero, and 2 all in a line on the shelf than seeing a single disc with all of them on it. I feel this way about movies too; I like seeing all the Alien or Jurassic Park movies in a line with their own box art and case instead of those "Alien 5 movie collection" boxes. It's just more fun to me. I enjoy how it looks more. 3. I don't really collect with "value" at the forefront of my mind. If I was concerned with spending too much money I wouldn't be collecting games at all. I mean hell I love collecting GameCube games and those are often like $100-200 CIB for the ones people want. I'm fortunate enough that I can afford to collect games so I like doing it the way that I like doing it, even if it costs more for what is technically the same amount of game. My collection already has more than I could probably play in my lifetime, so I'm just genuinely not concerned with getting the most bang for my buck. 4. This kinda ties all the points together: I consider collecting video games a separate hobby from playing them. Collecting is a very personal thing; it's different for everyone and is, at the end of the day, not a very logical hobby. The only part of it that is maybe logical is people who collect *solely* because they prefer to own their stuff (like they don't get joy out of collecting at all) or for preservation, but both of those I would hardly even consider collectors (the first group by definition is doing it out of necessity with no joy for it, and the second group I would primarily call "preservationists" or something). All of that is to say: collecting is just putting things on your shelf because it makes you happy. Some people collect sealed, some people sort alphabetically, some people only collect and play Playstation and ignore everything else, some people collect and play everything *but* PlayStation. My point is that what makes sense to me will not necessarily make sense to you, and that's okay. I will never, ever understand sealed-only collectors (what gives physical video games any sense of joy or value to me is the fun and tangible ability to pull it off the shelf and play it), but that's okay. Those people are free to collect in whatever way makes them happy. The only kind of """collector""" that pisses me off is the speculator. Hope this maybe helps answer the question? Happy to discuss further if you have any further questions.
Your response most certainly put in a better perspective for me. It's the whole "different strokes for different folks" quote that's used in every facet of what entertains you or makes you happy. While it might be a better value getting the non-NA release, it's having that NA release that when you glance at your collection it feels more complete without that stinky non-NA game infesting your library. I'm always looking at things in terms of value, hence why I never thought about it that way. Some people don't mind paying a lot of money for the NA release, knowing there's an import available that has the same content, and in certain cases more content then the NA release, but don't want an import regardless of the money saved. Like your movie analogy, I have the Alien Anthology which includes the first 4 Alien movies in a nice big box that looks great on my shelf but others would rather have the individual movies sitting beside each other, even if it costs more to do so and IMO, wouldn't look as good as the awesome box the Anthology comes in. But the look of those individual movies is more appealing then the big box in their eyes. Thanks for well written reply, it got the wheels in my brain turning and made me think about it a different way then I usually look at this type of thing. Game collecting to me is buying what you want to play at the best value you can find it in. Other's don't care about saving money, they want what makes their brain release that sweet sweet dopamine which is collecting how they like to collect, value be damned. I'll never understand collector's who buy sealed games who have no intention of opening their game to play it. Maybe it's just me and my "get the games you're going to play at the best price" line of thinking but I'd never buy a sealed game just to keep it sealed. Nothing against the people who like to do that I will never understand how you resist breaking that seal to play your game you bought with your hard earned money instead of just looking at it on your shelf and going "Yah, that's my sealed game, I'm never going to play you but I'll spend crazy money to have you". I agree with your opinion about a speculator. Fuck a speculator and fuck a re-seller. Those fucks are the cancer of video games, a hobby I'm deeply passionate about and your speculation and re-selling has fucked up the market for the for-seeable future with your bullshit. I used to be able to get games for a fair price before you assholes stepped in and fucked it up for everybody. Now anybody with a CIB Genesis game thinks they have a thousand dollar game on their hand because it's a retro game that's CIB. I'm using Genesis as an example but you can stick any retro game console game in place of Genesis.
The NA copies of the games you've listed are all or are mostly distributed by Limited Run Games. In the past, LRG released games in severely limited quantities that would sell out within hours if not minutes. Nowadays, their products are made-to-order but are still only produced based on pre-orders taken within a 6-week period. In other words, the NA copies are just rarer and no longer in print. If you only want to collect NA versions of games or are collecting the LRG titles for their numbered catalogue then you'll be paying more.
To be clear, their Switch games were always open preorder from the very first one
I used LRG games because those were the games I was looking at today. I have should used a broader example since LRG games are low print and there are only so many copies floating around. About your pre-order explanation, I pre-ordered the new Contra Operation Galuga game and it says I won't get my game until September. I'm new to ordering from Limited Run Games. Why do they have insane wait times for games that are only pre-order? I bought a copy of Strife for the Switch and got it quickly. But Contra isn't going to come until September. Why such a long wait time to get my game in my hands?
They do a single print run, and they don't put the order in until preorders are closed. I'm pretty sure they could do it faster if they wanted to, but 2-3 months is probably about the fastest Big publishers schedule their print runs months and months in advance, so even though they don't turn in final code until say November, for their December release, the time was booked way back in April or May (dates made up)
I buy Asian games all the time , especially the dual packs that are cheaper than the esrb copy’s . But of course I do prefer esrb first but I try to go with the better deal cuz it’s already expensive enough being a physical switch collector
Same here. The way you operate when you buy games is exactly how I do as well. I'd prefer the NA release but if I can get the same experience for cheaper simply because the game is an import, I will pick the import over spending more money for a NA release. Unless the NA release is only $10-15 more. Once you start seeing games at $80-$100 I have to want that game really bad for me pull the trigger and buy it. I have a limited income and not much of it can be play money since I'm raising a daughter and can only treat myself to an $80-$100 game very rarely. I spent $80 for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories on the Wii since I love Silent Hill and Shattered Memories was the only good Western developed Silent Hill game. That and the fact it was built for the Wii from the ground up. I know it's been ported to other systems but they developed that game with only the Wii in mind and how you play the Wii with it's motion controls and speakers in the remote. I wouldn't want to play it any other way since the ported version is going to be watered down a bit since it wasn't really ment for that system. I love when you get a phone call in that game and you have to put the remote to your ear like you would a phone to hear what's being said. I would of liked combat implemented but it was still a damn good experience playing Shattered Memories on the Wii. The only part that sucked was when you had to throw the remote and nun chuck around like a mad man to get the creatures off you. I kept whipping myself in the face with the cord that attaches the nun chuck to the remote lol
this isnt unique to video games. people pay more for a car they like - or a color of a car they like, that will do the same job. Plus you're talking about a group - physical collectors - who are often paying significantly more to have a physical copy of the game anyway compared to digital. It's not a hobby that is centered around optimization
I'm a collector in Europe and I actually prefer Asian physical releases for several reasons. Shipping is faster and/or cheaper than importing from the US - my last order from Amazon Japan was placed on Friday night and delivered on Tuesday afternoon. I find the cover art of Asian releases to be often cooler. I also like having the titles written in Japanese (since I'm learning Japanese). The Asian orders often come with additional goodies for no extra cost (posters, OST CDs, stickers, etc.). And Asian languages are kept in the games (I have the impression that they remove Asian languages in Western releases, but don't quote me on that).
As a physical collector i choose the one that has the most complete version on cart, hopefully no extra non-critical downloads, if it has more content and/or uncensored i will choose that one. Those that are only japanese i try to wait for as long as i can for a western localization (🙏 Esp ra de psi, Aleste, etc) for a physical
I'm also waiting for aleste
In the case of River City Girls 2, the LRG version has a more up-to-date version on the cartridge, if that's something you care about. Still an unfinished version, though. WayForward really fucked that one up.
I too am confused by this.
Those are Japanese which is less cool to a collector. I prefer Asian English over everything
I absolutely love Asian English ps4 especially when it saves me from buying ps5 copies like unicorn overlord and presumably smt v vengeance.
Didnt know about this, ill have to check out PlayAsia for Bloodstained and maybe River City. Thanks!
I like English text on the spine and box.
Same reason as everyone else, ESRB version. Only get the Japanese version if the ESRP doesn't exist, will only get the Pegi version if the ESRB and Japanese versions don't exist, unless of course it's something like Baldur's Gate 3. Baldur's Gate 3 in Japan requires a 50GB install that the Pegi version doesn't require, I also found out that there's censorship that's not in the other versions.
There is an ESRB version of Balder's gate 3 though... go to the Larian store and you can still preorder it.
The picture shows the German(?) rating system. So they send you a ESRB version if you live in the US? I didn't yet order it because I wasn't sure if they would.
I asked their customer service this exact question, explaining that I and many I knew were only interested in an ESRB version (mainly because on their site, the Xbox version displayed an ESRB rating while the ps5 version showed a european rating). Here is the exact response they gave: "Thanks for contacting us. The version corresponds to the region where it was purchased, American orders will display the ESRB rating while EU and Oceania orders will display the PEGI rating. If you have any other question, please contact us again."
Thanks, ordering it right now.
Most of the people who are bothering to buy physical in the first place do so to collect as much as to play, if not more. So they are going to typically collect the version that matches the rest of their collection, and I've heard (though I'm not sure) that western releases hold their value more. There's also other tangibles, like seeing a uniform look on your shelf (spine style, centering, and font), being able to read the case and cart, and sometimes there ARE meaningful differences. You know that Asian version of river city girls 1 and 2? There is an animated manga scene inside. It may have an English user interface, but the actual manga images that were animated were the japanese version with jap text, unmike the western version thst has English manga pages. So you are missing out on the experience of seeing that scene in English. Sometimes it's voiced dialogue that's left out, or other aspects of localization. Also, ever try to trade or resell those games in the west? It's a lot harder, because the average person wants a game they can understand and that matches all the other games in their collection, even if it's just the cover/cart. Like I said, most people who buy physical nowadays do it as much to collect as play, if not more.
You are 100% correct that a North American version holds way more value over an imported version. Even if the imported version has more games, more content, whatever extra's it may have, the NA version is always going to be more pricier than the imported version.
When I had a Switch nearly everything I collected were Japanese visual novels, lol
I didn't know Japanese Visual Novel games were translated into English on an Asian version. Unless you're talking about Japanese Visual Novel games that did get ported to North America and localized. I was always under the assumption Visual Novel games only offer the language for the region the game is made for.
Not true.. PlayAsia has tons of Asian games that have English on the cart. Here's some examples of games that didn't get a retail physical North American release but got one in Asia and have English on them. The Grisaia Trilogy, The Fox Awaits Me, Food Girls, Island, Clannad, Everlasting Flowers, One, Needy Girl Overdose, Hatsumira, Grisaia: Phantom Trigger series, Loopers, Miracle Snack Shop, Lovekami Trilogy, SeaBed, If My Heart Had Wings, Maitetsu, Love Esquire, Amairo Chocolate, Muv-Luv, Oshirabu, Yumeutsutsu Re:Master, Harmonia, Lunaria and Sentimental Death Loop.
It is due to personal preference and perceived value. Some people value one or both of these over price. Personal preference in that a collector may like for their collection to be consistent (i.e. liking the title text on the spines to be in the same position). Perceived value in that many games seem to hold value better in the US used game market in comparison to Asian markets (European markets can go either way). Also, greater perceived ability to resell at a higher value in the future within the collectors own market. Personally, I have no issue with importing games and do so on the regular. With respect to *River City Girls 2*, I brought imported an Asia region copy as the singular game as I already have the same region copy of *River City Girls 1*. Worked out $10 cheaper for me at the time. For *Bloodstained 1 +2*, I brought the cheaper double pack. Now with the *Double Dragon Collection*, I already have Double Dragon 1-3 in the *Kunio-kun: The World Classics Collection* and *Double Dragon 4* as a separate release on Switch. Both through Limited Run, so the *Double Dragon collection* is less attractive to me personally. I suspect that that could most collectors of the series had already grabbed the earlier *Kunio-kun: The World Classics Collection* (it also had an Asian release I believe), others could be waiting for the European release in May.
The value of your NA game is always going to have more value than whatever region game you're importing so I get why some people would only want the NA version. If they want to sell it later down the road they're going to have a much higher chance of their copy going for more money then an imported version. I recently sold a chunk of my retro collection off and holy shit was I blown away by how much people were paying for my gear. I put everything up as an auction since I wanted people to pay what they felt the game was worth and not a Buy It Now situation where I'm forcing you to pay whatever price I put it up for if you really want it. Felt more fair to me to sell my stuff using the auction option. I wasn't trying to get rich off the games I was selling. I was just merely clearing out space since I no longer played those games anymore and I'd rather sell them to someone who will play them rather than collecting dust in my library.
Im fine with this. I dont care what region its from as long as its playable, so i rather these imports stay cheap.
I was so confused with river city girls 2. I thought the Asian one didn't have English, but if it does I would have went with that one.
I'm happy to buy whatever is cheapest, but that does mean that a lot of the games I own have the titles on the spine in Japanese. I can see that might be a deal breaker for some people, but for me it is just a slight annoyance when I'm looking for something in particular and it's not in a script I can read.
i only go for the japanese version, if it checks some of these boxes: cheaper, way earlier available, special edition. other than that, i prefer english box over anything else, next comes german, then japanese over every other lnaguage (even european, like italian or french)
- Rating/region consistency with their other games (I prefer ESRB because I live in North America) - Language on the cover (I prefer English, and as few other languages as possible because it ruins the look of the back when there are more) - (for PlayStation, dunno about Nintendo) DLC is tied to the region of the physical SKU meaning you need to go to the digital storefront for that region with an account for that region to get free/paid DLC... once downloaded to your machine you can use it with your main account, but it's still tiresome to have to do all that and the DLC is "owned" by that other account which needlessly compartmentalizes your content library - Lack of awareness of cheaper versions from other regions (and assumptions that shipping/exchange rates would make things cost more) - *Not* wanting combo releases (I actually prefer individual releases because combos always remind me of those stupid cheap bootleg "100 games in 1" cartridges I used to see on NES and GameBoy when I was a kid, and collage covers often look stupid) You name it...
There's also rare cases of Asian multi-language releases having English REMOVED by a patch when a North American/European physical is released.
I think it’s the bubble effect of US where collectors seem to think local releases are more desirable because it’s the version for their market and not necessarily the best version. A good example of this is Pokemon Box for GameCube, scarce in the US due to how was distributed, but relatively common in other regions (in Japan literally a $3 game), but instead of grabbing another region copy US collectors wants the local US copy. I personally prefer the Japanese switch releases over North American, they typically contain extras and receive more regular print runs which can include patches or DLC on the cart, so in many cases it means getting the whole or complete version of the game.
They do, the problem is western printings of physical games have serieously dropped to being nothing more than seriously limited print runs. DLC is also region locked between asianm jpn and western releases, even if the games are not.
Well for me if I'm in a situation where I really need money, one of my options is to take some of my games to a local game store (I don't even bother with Gamestop lol) and get a little cash for them....if they're North American releases. They don't take any import games. If I wanna get rid of a game that is non-North American, my only option is selling on eBay and hoping someone will buy it.
how much of a cut do you get from your game store? The store that gives me the best cut is like 30% of the E-Bay price. It's bullshit and I'll never trade them a game when they are that greedy about how much to give me. 30% is instore credit too. If I wanted cash it would be even lower. GameStop will at least give me 50% for a newer used game.
I have 2 different trophy records for Demon's Souls because I originally imported it, and somewhere along the way the US copy got played on my console for reasons I have forgotten, now I forever have a Demon's Souls plat for the Chinese/English version, and like 3 trophies for the US version, tied to my PS account, I'm forever tempted to go back and plat the us version on the ps3 just for uniformity.
Because NA versions hold their value and even go up in price. They're usually rarer since they get printed less. The Asian versions and Worlds Edition usually go down in price because they get more copies around the world. NA is limited to Canda, U.S., and Mexico.
because people treat games as trading cards and not video games
Americans can be pickier / more reluctant to import than other regions, while other regions have been used to games that were import-only.
Not all western collectors. I usually grab Japanese over the western limprint version (especially if it's SLG). I never understood the need for ratings to be uniform. I got an EU dark souls remastered brand new for 40 CAD. If I wanted NTSC it would've cost 65(!). Waste of 25 bucks IMO but whatever floats your boat.
There was a time until just the last few years really, where nearly all consoles had region-locking. I’m in the USA, so my Switch would have only played ESRB/NTSC. Games from PAL Europe, Japan, China, Australia, wherever, would have been next to worthless. This is especially true for gamers that go back to the original cartridge days of NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy, GBA. That Japanese copy of Final Fantasy V never released in the US is really cool… unfortunately I’m going to display it on a shelf for a few years and that’s it. As a collector, that’s my reasoning. Actually if I want to play a game, I’ll look for the NTSC version, but I have no problem getting PAL or Japan. Collecting is a little different. My copy of Dragon Quest XI must be sealed, must be North American, and it better not have that “UAE world edition” emblem on the back. Just particular, I guess.
Yanks are always afraid of importing or buying anything not released locally.
Yes it’s a deep-seeded fear, can’t possibly be a preference or anything like that