radioheadrule83 said:
Really dyou get the Euro/UK version early then?
*envy*
Well, I'm in New Zealand. We have a distributor for Nintendo who have contacts with Nintendo of Australia. All packaging is printed and code numbers have ***AUS on them. This differes by ***EUR, ***US, and ***JAP. We normally get UK VERSIONS of the games (seeing as they normally link fine, I assume, and have the multiple language options), just with Australia packaging. OCCASIONALLY, we get UK imports of certain games, and even MORE OCCASIONALLY, we get US games, complete with their respective codes. The latter has only happened during DS launch (example Zoo Keeper and Sprung - they even went as far as having teh "only to be sold in US and Mexico" crossed out with marker pen - and yes, I think it was all official). Only DS, because GC games differ in that the TV system is different - we cannot run NTSC games without some kind of hack.
So, I assume our Mario Kart DS is simply a US version with Australia packaging (and labels), and I'm curious as to which scenario this is:
a) Trying to get the smaller markets away and launched first, and doing so by getting US copies over.
b) Getting us early and over done with as above, but using the standard Europe verison, which just so happens to be the same as US, so that a simultaneous release is possible.
c) Getting Euro version, but all versions are identical for the reason of compatibility the world over - ie. no more versions between regions.
If c) is the case, I wonder what would happen to multilanguage options for Europe - but as I understand - all languages are programmed in before release, and the setting of your DS decides what lanugage it will be in. That would be great - all versions are the same!
And if THAT is the case, I wonder what they have in mind for Revolution - will PAL/NTSC be done at the same time, and all machines are essentially the same? ie. also optimised for PAL regions, or maybe they will say it is NTSC only (The bonus disc for Zelda released here, as well as Metroid Echoes, I beleive, were both NTSC only) - thus allowing simultaneous worlwide releases.
As far as I can figure, the delays that Europe gets between releases has nothing to do with Nintendo having little respect for other regions (as popular belief dictates), and everything to do with distribution - they want to make sure there is enough inventory for launch. Consequently, there is NEVER any shortage of titles on release day here. Of course, simultaneous releases worldwide will mean that games will be delayed overall to allow inventory for everywhere - but since this will be universal, it will be a transparent delay, and everyone will praise Nintendo for delaying release to the US, just to make inventory for Europe - because noone will know it's happening. So basically, teh way I see it current releases aren't DELAYED for Europe, so much as US get them EARLY.
