thetruth4 Wrote:
Us Australians get it between the 19th and 21st of November and we get our games the same time as u UK people becuase we are PAL too.
This is not strictly true.
PAL & NTSC are not nationalities, countries or regions - they're just television display standards. PAL and NTSC operate at different frequencies, they display images in different ways and operate on different video signals. There is no reason why the UK couldn't just switch to NTSC some time in the future (since most new TV sets can work in this mode), but if and when it happens does not mean that suddenly we'll get games the same day as the US, though this is possible the delay is likely to be much less than it is now for reasons I'll explain:
As any PAL user can verify, if you try to play an NTSC DVD (without region encoding) using the standard PAL systems and setup, the film is usually shown in black & white. If your PAL TV is completely incompatible with NTSC, the image may well roll or appear corrupt. If you use the correct cables (eg. SCART instead of just AV) and your TV is compatible, the picture will display perfectly.
In PAL dominated countries, while NTSC can be used all media produced for use in the region must be compatible with the display standard that most people have (all TVs for the UK market display PAL, some but not all display in NTSC, so we get PAL versions of everything).
When a game is made, it is usually written (initially) to accomodate the local standard display system - games made in Japan or US are designed for 60hz NTSC, games made in Europe & Australia are designed for 50hz PAL. Local markets are therefore catered for first.
Games need to be modified (sections of the code need to be replaced) two accomodate two region specific things:
50hz games need to be converted to 60hz (or vise-versa)
Different Languave games need to be translated
Therefore, games made in the US need to be modified before they are usable almost anywhere (because of NTSC). So do Japanese games (they're in Japanese!). That's one main reason for the delay. The other is the purpose of Release Dates.
Release Dates are not meant to be evil trolls stopping you from buying your favourite game, they were designed in the name of fairness! When the games are shipped out, they will invariably arrive at some stores way ahead of others. If stores sold games the moment they got them, highly anticipated titles would be snapped up instantly from the first shop that got it, and the shop getting it last would have no customers!
For example, in a city center where you have about 6 shops that sell games, perhaps the biggest one would recieve a shipment first and the smaller independant shops would get it much later. You can't wait for the game, and find out that (for example) only HMV has it - who would you buy it from? HMV now, or 'Little Joe's Shop of Games' a week or so later? The smaller shops would have to shut down, the larger shops could then increase prices and we'd have to pay more for our games!!
This behaviour is becoming apparent with the huge imort market that exists, since it is 'possible' to play foreign games, people just get their games now from a the local importer who gets them from America or Japan - why wait another few weeks to get it locally? In many cases there is NO reason not to import, since many are not online, many are English and so many people have modified (or import) consoles and compatible TV sets. What you have to understand is that it takes time to Localise the game, then to Ship it.
In most cases, PAL games attempt a 'standard' release date, but some countries still get their games earlier or later than others. Some localised games need to be specifically altered from the standard PAL stock (eg. MKD is becoming MK:Mystification in France - the name has to be changed throughout the game, packaging and manual - printed on a different run.
When a game has been completely distributed within a wide enough region (or country) the release date is normally reached or close by, then the shops sell their stock. If it happens particularly early then there's always the chance an internal memo may be passed around allowing the shops to release the game early.
After all, just because all branches of GAME in the UK are selling the game does not mean that all the shops in Australia are losing out! Nobody I know travels THAT far to buy a game. Usually, even though the release dates may be staggered, PAL countries USUALLY get the game pretty close together (within weeks) making importing practically useless. It takes time to import a game and imports cost more for the consumer to buy, so how many people would be willing to pay £70 for Australian MKD when they can get UK MKD for £40 in 3 days... if the import copy isn't sold within the 3 day gap (for example) then it practically never will...
However, I remember times when I bought Australian imports - on RARE occasions, and usually for GBA (no country locking!)
Therefore (if I haven't tired you out or bored you to death) I can see how BOTH release dates (5th & 19th) may be real, and so might your date for the Australians. I'm just putting to rest the posts that I see that go something like:
I live is 'country A', you live in 'country B'. We both use PAL tv sets so we'll get out games the exact same day. And my day is later than yours but it's the right one even though nobody else so!
Let's all just agree to disagree, there may be staggered release dates, there may be hundreds of PAL users boasting about getting the game before another country has it...
Just relax, there are worse things in life than having someone you've never met get the game you're looking forward to 7 more days than you! And there are better things in life than boasting about getting it first!
Everybody, just try to get along now... MKD isn't far away now for ANY of us!
Peace!
KINTARO LIVES! 
should i get fable, if mk's out on the 5th i will only get like a week to play but if its out on the 19th it will keep me occupied, should i just wait?
