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[mrklaw]

Sony have recently stated that GT4 has been delayed until early next year in Europe. They trot out their usual spurious argument about 'localising into 13 languages takes a very long time, hence the delay'.

Unfortunately, SCEE have also just announced that their first party titles (GT4 included) will now be shipping across Europe in single language SKUs (instead of the usual multi-language DVD with localised box and docs).This is to deter grey imports, and can be acheived due to the large installed base in the main EU countries.

So Sony have no excuse not to release games in the UK at or near the US launch time.

 

[Deg]

Its Sony. Doesnt matter.

 

[Ghost]

Sony have recently stated that GT4 has been delayed until early next year in Europe. They trot out their usual spurious argument about 'localising into 13 languages takes a very long time, hence the delay'.

Unfortunately, SCEE have also just announced that their first party titles (GT4 included) will now be shipping across Europe in single language SKUs (instead of the usual multi-language DVD with localised box and docs).This is to deter grey imports, and can be acheived due to the large installed base in the main EU countries.

So Sony have no excuse not to release games in the UK at or near the US launch time.

I think releasing it in part of europe but not making it available to the rest would break EU law. In fact i know it would.

 

[iapetus]

Sony have recently stated that any Europeans in their right minds will be importing GT4 from the US.

True.

 

[Megat0n]

because you touch yourself at night


j/k was watching an ep of family guy. Don't know why sony did that.

 

[mrklaw]

I think releasing it in part of europe but not making it available to the rest would break EU law. In fact i know it would.

Bullshit. Surely? Wouldnt that be restraint of trade?

So why can't I buy walkers crisps in Germany?

surely the major countries are getting big enough to treat separately? They are already big enough for separate duplication runs, marketing and sales operations. Why not launch dates? UK consumers have no idea whats going on in France (or care). The game is already out in the US anyway, so internet/press would have info so no problem there.

 

[Ghost]

Bullshit. Surely? Wouldnt that be restraint of trade?

So why can't I buy walkers crisps in Germany?

surely the major countries are getting big enough to treat separately? They are already big enough for separate duplication runs, marketing and sales operations. Why not launch dates? UK consumers have no idea whats going on in France (or care). The game is already out in the US anyway, so internet/press would have info so no problem there.

Its part of the free trade agreement i believe.

Its not illegal for different items to be available in different parts of europe, but it is illegal (well against EU law anyway) to not make that item available to the rest of europe at the same price, so sony could do it, but they'd have to provide it to every european store that thought they could sell the english version, which wouldnt exactly help their anti-grey import push.

 

[Deg]

Unfortunately, SCEE have also just announced that their first party titles (GT4 included) will now be shipping across Europe in single language SKUs (instead of the usual multi-language DVD with localised box and docs).

You sure about that because thats pretty pathetic.

 

[Dagon]

I would imagine it has more to do with other Europeans importing it from the UK if its released on PAL here before anywhere else.

 

[Folder]

I think releasing it in part of europe but not making it available to the rest would break EU law. In fact i know it would.

Funniest "I know it would" ever.
Any company can release any product into any country within the EU at any time with no obligation to release it anywhere else.

 

[Ghost]

no they cant.

read up.

 

[Mrbob]

It sounds like GT4 won't make it out this year in NA either.

 

[iapetus]

no they cant.

read up.

But the stuff posted above is patently untrue, since there have been problems with game companies preventing imports within the EU because games are typically cheaper on mainland Europe than in the UK since the dawn of time.

 

[Ghost]

The prices only differ in mainland europe because memeber states still control their own taxes (like VAT).

every Member State is obliged to accept on its territory products which are legally produced and marketed in another Community Member State.

Its called Free Movement of Goods, established in the EC treaty (Treaty of rome i believe) point is if sony released GT4 in the UK, european retailers/customers, whoever would be totally within their rights to buy them. And stopping people buying the UK version so that they buy their countries own version is a breach of that treaty and they could get taken to the european court of justice.

 

[mrklaw]

thats not what was said earlier though.

There is a big difference between a state having to allow for sale goods available elsewhere, and a manufacturer being forced to sell across all 25 states if they sell in any (which was the gist of your original post)

Still, the points about grey importing are valid. I guess Sony wouldn't ship until all the main states can be sold to simultaneously. If only they did the same globally :/


Still, does that edict mean that the UK is legally obliged to allow me to buy porn if its produced and sold in another EU country ;P