Hacking Why in 2010 we still have Pal & Ntsc?

[raptor5001]

Why do we still speak in different languages?

+1 on that. That's a very good comparison.

That's not a good comparison at all. The technology is there. As evident with just switching 'Force NTSC/PAL' under your loader. The hardware, at least on the Wii, doesn't give a shit either way. The same hardware can output in PAL OR NTSC with only a software switch.

The analogy is like saying a bunch of linguists are in the same room and each will only speak his native language even though they all have 9 in common.

So is this thread about why we have PAL and NTSC or why do we have region locking? Because I'm starting to think it's the latter.

But to answer the former, we have PAL and NTSC simply because televisions exist that can only display one standard. PAL on my television displays as a severely cropped black and white flickering image. You're right, the Wii hardware doesn't care; it can output the video data in both formats. Keep in mind that VC games and regular games are not themselves specifically encoded for PAL or NTSC; they just contain raw image data. The Wii hardware takes the data, converts it to PAL or NTSC, and sends it down the cable to your TV so it can be displayed. These games also contain region locking and, I'm guessing, specify a default video standard, hence the reason you have to remove region protections and then force NTSC or PAL.

So I guess the question is, why have region locking? Especially when some games are shipping with multiple languages on them, etc.

 

[Wiisel]

Why is this in Wii hacking?

 

[OncleJulien]

Why is this in Wii hacking?

Keep your logical bullshit out of here. There are so many things out there that prove the wii hacking is fictional. The pal vs ntsc vs region locking is the biggest example of the falseness and story telling that gbatemp has in it.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Why is this in Wii hacking?

Keep your logical bullshit out of here. There are so many things out there that prove the wii hacking is fictional. The pal vs ntsc vs region locking is the biggest example of the falseness and story telling that gbatemp has in it.

He was talking about why this is in the Wii hacking section. It should be moved, logically, to General Off-Topic or General Console Discussions. We are talking about why there is still PAL and NTSC regions, not about hacking Wii's.

Calm down, laddie.

Anyway, we can't just switch out of the whole NTSC and PAL regions now. It's like cars and gasoline. We can't just all switch suddenly to running them on corn or potatoes or whatever. It takes time. Odds are they'd need to market products that support both PAL and NTSC, slowly shrink PAL products, and go to NTSC. Or visa versa if we all switched to PAL. Odds are people were just too lazy early on to consider making a universal input system for everywhere.

 

[linuxares]

I think we all should speak Klingon!

Well I agree about the TVs, but can they come up with a common standard that can be "added" to new TVs where it eventually a new standard. But I guess its all about the money.

Btw, region locks are great way for the companies to earn money.

 

[linuxares]

I think we all should speak Klingon!

Speaking of which;

What does StarTrek and toilet paper have in common?

Spoiler

They both wipe out Klingons near Uranus.

LOL! I couldn't agree more xD

 

[ddetkowski]

I think its ALL a lie!!!
Lies! Lies! Lies! Yeah!..........(Thompson Twins?)

 

[vashgs]

Content control.

That's the real answer to this question. Certain regions need certain versions of games. L4D2 in Australia? Yeah. Perfect example.

 

[electrico]

Region locking is more a matter of copyright and market control than technical issues. By locking a game to a specific region, game developers are safe to release the game on different dates in different areas without the risk of someone importing them from another region and cutting into the regional market sales.

But that's not good for the company.iIt's oxymoron.Companies want to sell to more people but with that method they don't.I came with that question because Excitebots ,i had the ntsc playing in my pal wii till i made the final update in which nintendo change something to the way that wii recognize the regions and since then no other region game play in my pal wii, and Excitebots pal (and other games)never released in pal .Why? (sorry about my english)

 

[Georgeman]

But that's not good for the company.iIt's oxymoron.Companies want to sell to more people but with that method they don't.I came with that question because Excitebots ,i had the ntsc playing in my pal wii till i made the final update in which nintendo change something to the way that wii recognize the regions and since then no other region game play in my pal wii, and Excitebots pal (and other games)never released in pal .Why? (sorry about my english)

While I can't help you as to the intricacies surrounding region locks, I can however tell you why Excitebots never made it out of America. Excitebots sold only 100k. Not enough for Nintendo to consider bringing it to PAL territories. Add the fact that Nintendo of America actually stopped shipping Excitebots and any chances of the game being released outside America are just nonexistent.

 

[electrico]

But that's not good for the company.iIt's oxymoron.Companies want to sell to more people but with that method they don't.I came with that question because Excitebots ,i had the ntsc playing in my pal wii till i made the final update in which nintendo change something to the way that wii recognize the regions and since then no other region game play in my pal wii, and Excitebots pal (and other games)never released in pal .Why? (sorry about my english)

While I can't help you as to the intricacies surrounding region locks, I can however tell you why Excitebots never made it out of America. Excitebots sold only 100k. Not enough for Nintendo to consider bringing it to PAL territories. Add the fact that Nintendo of America actually stopped shipping Excitebots and any chances of the game being released outside America are just nonexistent.

Oxymoron 2 .100k in America, 100k in Europe/Australia = 200k total....Is this really expensive to N to convert Ntsc to Pal? i just only used regionfrii and made this work.
Odd policy of company.Plus when a product get delayed to other regions consumers lost the hype and they don't buy it.
I cannot find anything good for a company in this Ntsc/Pal thing.It's an enemy against their profits but they still have it..Oddworld

 

[Slimmmmmm]

The reason we have the different formats is for a method of control, power is nothing without control.

 

[Bladexdsl]

it is fucking stupid this is the future damnit just make a universal format and get it over with. they did it with USB in pc's!

 

[Jacobeian]

why do less intelligent people always think their lame logic is right and that others are stupid ?

you should probably first read some documentation about PAL/NTSC video formats to understand that it's way much than a simple region lock issue

 

[vashgs]

why do less intelligent people always think their lame logic is right and that others are stupid ?

you should probably first read some documentation about PAL/NTSC video formats to understand that it's way much than a simple region lock issue

In most areas around the world, digital television is now the "forced" standard. Digital televisions, in combination with hardware (such as the Wii itself), can force a certain video output from any game and have it work perfectly fine (crazy how that works).

The only real reason to have region locks today is for content control. Different countries have different standards, and you can't release the same game everywhere.

 

[Elritha]

It takes time. Odds are they'd need to market products that support both PAL and NTSC, slowly shrink PAL products, and go to NTSC. Or visa versa if we all switched to PAL. Odds are people were just too lazy early on to consider making a universal input system for everywhere.

I'd say they should go PAL60 and get the best of both from NTSC and PAL. So glad pcs don't have region locking like this, or different standards like tvs.

 

[smf]

Why companies who produce games and movies still have this old system in their products and they don't have one so the consumers around the world can enjoy the product.?

PAL and NTSC have nothing to do with region coding at all. I don't know why you think they do.

Wii's in PAL countries can be set to run in 50 or 60hz, I run mine in 480p & it's exactly the same timing as if someone in USA runs in 480p
The only reason for 50hz is so they can sell to people with 50hz tv's. PS3/360 on the other hand all run 60hz, so you're screwed if your tv doesn't support it.

The Wii video output is a backwards step from the PS2, because it's cheap.

 

[Jacobeian]

In most areas around the world, digital television is now the "forced" standard. Digital televisions, in combination with hardware (such as the Wii itself), can force a certain video output from any game and have it work perfectly fine (crazy how that works).

The only real reason to have region locks today is for content control. Different countries have different standards, and you can't release the same game everywhere.

"most" areas is not "all" areas
as said by smf, as long as there will be people having analog TVs and using 50hz, there will be PAL & NTSC consoles
people who have limited logic & knowledge only see this as a region lockout issue but it isn't

region lockout obviously exists for a reason, it gives a company the ability to have control n the different markets around the world, people would be very naive to believe it will be dropped one day because, you know, "it's 2010 now"

 

[electrico]

In globalization some things like pal/ntsc must change.A system that was born in 1963 must change in 2010.