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General discussion (archive)Importing a PS3(16 posts)solved(16 posts)solved
(16 posts)solved
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This is my favourite topic
Posted September 02, 2009
Okay, I'm thinking it might be time for a PS3 but unless there's no other option, I'm sure as hell not paying the Australian price for it ($500 when the americans pay $360? No thanks). I need to know a few things before I really start planning it though, ideally from people who've imported them to Australia from america
1) Power: Would I need a specific transformer or can the power supply handle the variable voltages and it's just a matter plugging in the right type of cable? My guess is I wouldn't need anything fancy since it'd cost more to engineer them for specific voltages
2) PSN Store: I'm likely to want to buy stuff on the PSN store, handful of PS1 games on there that could be a bit of fun even if they'll likely look fugly on a big fancy TV. Am I likely to run into any issues in either accessing or paying for things? I'm working on the assumption at the moment that you get allocated access to the specific marketplace when you create your PSN ID and specify your country
3) Games: The games are definitely region free aren't they? I seem to recall that being the main fanboy retort in xbox vs ps3 "debates". Personally I've never enncountered a region locked xbox game either but I want to make sure that I can buy games here and be able to play them. Region locks on Bluray video isn't an issue at all, the odds of my buying a bluray DVD is slightly lower than my chances of scoring with Freema Agyeman
4) Shop: Can anyone recommend a decent US webshop that sells the PS3s, accepts paypal and ships internationally for a shipping fee that doesn't negate the cost effectiveness of importing in the first place?
5) PSP: Am I correct in thinking that if all the issues above are a non event for the PS3 that they'd apply equally for the PSP? Vaguely contemplating a Go sometime down the track
Post edited September 02, 2009 by Aliasalpha
This question / problem has been solved by bansamaimage
Posted September 02, 2009
$360? We only pay $300 now... unless you mean US $300 equals AU $360...
Posted September 02, 2009
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cogadh: $360? We only pay $300 now... unless you mean US $300 equals AU $360...

Yeah, its au$500 vs au$360
Posted September 03, 2009
2) PSN Store: I'm likely to want to buy stuff on the PSN store, handful of PS1 games on there that could be a bit of fun even if they'll likely look fugly on a big fancy TV. Am I likely to run into any issues in either accessing or paying for things? I'm working on the assumption at the moment that you get allocated access to the specific marketplace when you create your PSN ID and specify your country
Yup, this is online account based, not hardware based (for the majority at least). I have 3 accounts for PSN, my main JPN one, a UK one and a US one. I can obviously, purchase stuff for the JPN one and can download demos (and run most of them) from the other two. If you have PSN cards for other regions (or can get money onto those accounts via other methods) you should be able to purchase from those stores.
DLC may be region restricted (restricted to the account purchased on at least) and some games maybe too. I've had only one or two demos downloaded from the UK/US store fail to run, but whether that was a region problem, hardware problem, or a TV problem (see below) is unkown to me.
3) Games: The games are definitely region free aren't they? I seem to recall that being the main fanboy retort in xbox vs ps3 "debates". Personally I've never enncountered a region locked xbox game either but I want to make sure that I can buy games here and be able to play them. Region locks on Bluray video isn't an issue at all, the odds of my buying a bluray DVD is slightly lower than my chances of scoring with Freema Agyeman
Games are region free. However, some can be "restricted" simply because your TV signal is incorrect. I'm not sure if you're PAL or NTSC based, but I'll go by examples in my case. I can purchase and play US PS3 games with no problems on my NTSC standard def. TV. I cannot play UK PS3 games on that TV -- if I were to purchase UK PS3 games, I'd need a hi-def or PAL capable TV. As for region locks on Bluray discs, they're possible, but I've never heard of it being used.
5) PSP: Am I correct in thinking that if all the issues above are a non event for the PS3 that they'd apply equally for the PSP? Vaguely contemplating a Go sometime down the track
You may be better off geting a PSP. They are going to be cheaper than the Go (almost certainly) and will also support UMD media, whereas the Go appears to be download only and priced higher than that PSP. Not sure whether the hardware of the Go is significantly different to that of the PSP to prevent games running on the PSP though, but (at least in their early life) that'd be a stupid move as people are less likely to buy just the Go and lose access to the PSP games. Plus there's a existing PSP base to help sell the downloadable games.
However, games for the PSP are region restricted (in the account based way) meaning that if you want to use a demo/full game from the US, any downloaded demos/full games from other regions will no longer be playable.
Posted September 03, 2009
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bansama: Games are region free. However, some can be "restricted" simply because your TV signal is incorrect. I'm not sure if you're PAL or NTSC based, but I'll go by examples in my case. I can purchase and play US PS3 games with no problems on my NTSC standard def. TV. I cannot play UK PS3 games on that TV -- if I were to purchase UK PS3 games, I'd need a hi-def or PAL capable TV. As for region locks on Bluray discs, they're possible, but I've never heard of it being used.

TVs still exist that don't do both? How quaint. We're a civilised country so we have PAL, never had an issue with the copy of GTA4 a mate ordered from canada and I have DVDs in NTSC that have no issues playing
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bansama: You may be better off geting a PSP. They are going to be cheaper than the Go (almost certainly) and will also support UMD media, whereas the Go appears to be download only and priced higher than that PSP

The UMD media is one thing I wanted to avoid, portable device with small easy to damage / lose discs isn't my idea of a good plan. Can the usual PSPs run downloadable games? LEGALLY downloadable games that is
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bansama: However, games for the PSP are region restricted (in the account based way) meaning that if you want to use a demo/full game from the US, any downloaded demos/full games from other regions will no longer be playable.

Can you do multiple accounts on the PSP? I'm unlikely to be buying things from other playstation stores anyway, as long as it works here, everything's shiny
Post edited September 03, 2009 by Aliasalpha
Posted September 03, 2009
TVs still exist that don't do both? How quaint. We're a civilised country so we have PAL, never had an issue with the copy of GTA4 a mate ordered from canada and I have DVDs in NTSC that have no issues playing
Sadly, most TVs in Japan (standard def.) don't. And the Hi def. ones are way too expensive. I'm not forking out half a years salary for a decent sized Hi def. TV. Fuck that. I'm already having to pay the equivalent of $600 (USD) each for mandatory school bags!
Can the usual PSPs run downloadable games? LEGALLY downloadable games that is.
Yes. Going by the Japanses PSN store they now do downloadable versions of several PSP only games originally sold on the UMD media. And PS1 games so far all appear to be compatible with both PS3 and PSP (and I have several I play on both).
Can you do multiple accounts on the PSP?
No. And trying to copy something over from a different account will lock you out of content belonging to a pre-existing account (until you copy over content from that account again). It's strictly one account at a time. Which is why I don't bother with PSP demos from the UK/US anymore. The actual UMD based games, however, do not have this problem and are region free. (UMD movies are regionally restricted though).
Posted September 03, 2009
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bansama: TVs still exist that don't do both? How quaint. We're a civilised country so we have PAL, never had an issue with the copy of GTA4 a mate ordered from canada and I have DVDs in NTSC that have no issues playing
Sadly, most TVs in Japan (standard def.) don't. And the Hi def. ones are way too expensive. I'm not forking out half a years salary for a decent sized Hi def. TV. Fuck that. I'm already having to pay the equivalent of $600 (USD) each for mandatory school bags!
Err school bags? What the hell are they made of? Probably the same thing as your HDTVs by the sound, a decent 80cm one here costs like au$800, not full HD but pretty damn good anyway
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bansama: Going by the Japanses PSN store they now do downloadable versions of several PSP only games originally sold on the UMD media. And PS1 games so far all appear to be compatible with both PS3 and PSP (and I have several I play on both).

Well so far I'm only interested in a few games, the new GTA, that archer mcclean's puzzle thing (flow?) and Warhammer 40K Squad Command. if PS1 games can play on it then I'm a lot more interested
Posted September 03, 2009
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Aliasalpha: ...that archer mcclean's puzzle thing (flow?)...

I think you are getting to different games mixed up there, Archer Maclean's Mercury and which originally started out as a flash game and was ported to the PS3. It can be played [url=http://intihuatani.usc.edu/cloud/flowing/]here.
Post edited September 03, 2009 by MaverickRazor
Posted September 03, 2009
1) Power adapting transformers are a given, espcially since you're going to import it.
2) PSN lets you sign up for multiple accounts for different countries, which is how people have been playing demos of games before local release. But to buy things, you need a credit card with an address in that particular locale.
3) Nope, no region restrictions for games. Sony implies that there are, but I've never seen one.
4) Play-Asia is nice.
5) Probably, but I don't know why you'd want a Go over the 3000s.
Posted September 03, 2009
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Aliasalpha: ...that archer mcclean's puzzle thing (flow?)...
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MaverickRazor: I think you are getting to different games mixed up there, Archer Maclean's Mercury and which originally started out as a flash game and was ported to the PS3. It can be played [url=http://intihuatani.usc.edu/cloud/flowing/]here.

Mercury! Thats the one. I knew it was archer mcclean, I didn't know he was still around
Posted September 04, 2009
Well there's a deal on at the moment in town where its $500 and comes with a copy of Batman which I want. When deducting the price of the game that I was planning to buy anyway from the equation, I'm only paying about $40 more than importing and thats probably about what postage would cost anyway. Figure I'll layby that on monday.
I think Bansama gave the most information though so a bit shiny 5 rep points for you mate
Posted September 04, 2009
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michaelleung: 1) Power adapting transformers are a given, espcially since you're going to import it.

Not necessarily. Modern devices that use switching power supplies will often accept a wide range of input voltages - typically 100-240 V. I googled this for the PS3, and it appears that the PS3 is indeed voltage ambiguous, in which case you only need a plug adapter or a new power cord to use a US model in Australia.
Posted September 04, 2009
I think Bansama gave the most information though so a bit shiny 5 rep points for you mate
Thank you.
I keep hearing about this new Batman game, perhaps I should give the demo on Steam a try. Although the $49.99 price tag sort of turns me off =/ (I'm not a huge Batman fan).
Posted September 04, 2009
Well the demo managed to sell me and it'll be on special sometime down the track. If nothing else you know the website to go to for information about game prices...
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michaelleung: 1) Power adapting transformers are a given, espcially since you're going to import it.
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tor: Not necessarily. Modern devices that use switching power supplies will often accept a wide range of input voltages - typically 100-240 V. I googled this for the PS3, and it appears that the PS3 is indeed voltage ambiguous, in which case you only need a plug adapter or a new power cord to use a US model in Australia.

Yeah from the third hand info I've been told, a mate of a mate of a mate imported one from japan and only needed a new cable but then this info isn't exacltly reliable... A local one should do the trick and since its now retail therapy rather than a reward, I prefer the instant (or at least "in 2 weeks") gratification of it being bought locally
Post edited September 04, 2009 by Aliasalpha
Posted September 04, 2009
If nothing else you know the website to go to for information about game prices...
hmm, I wonder which one that would be =p
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General discussion (archive)Importing a PS3(16 posts)solved(16 posts)solved
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