difference between computers in europe and us/canada

[philip]

All my games have the text 'European version, won't install on computers in US and Canada.' What's the difference between them and why is there a difference ? isn't it much easier to all have similar computers

[Vaskez]

I've never been to America so I've never used a "US" computer but I can't see how there would be any difference. They use the same processors, memory, peripherals, devices, operating systems and applications. It would be pointless and time and money consuming to create seperate versions of things. The whole "US/European" thing on software is bollocks IMO - I think they just make some slight alterations to the exe or something to make two incompatible versions to reduce piracy etc.

[philip]

Wouldn't it be cost more money and time like they do now. Piracy of games is, as I have experienced it so far (I only have legal cds and games, if it's worth to play/listen to it's also worth to give the creator chance to make something cool again), only between friends. You could have friends in US/Canada but it would be easier to get your copy in Europe.

Though it'd definitely fit the company's 'things we try against piracy but we know it doesn't work anyway' If they want more sales they'd better stop this kind of actions and instead of putting their money in developping copy protections and the like use it to make their products cheaper

[ 06-01-2003, 03:48 PM: Message edited by: philip ]

[Vaskez]

Yeah it does seem pointless- but I think it is because games often have different release dates on different continents and so they want different versions as well. It's only a slight difference in the EXE as I said: all the music, sound, graphics, gameplay etc. will be the same obviously.

[Faceman]

there is actually no difference between US and European computers. However there are different versions because of different content regulations.
In Germany for example (where the regulations have always been extremely strict but have been further increased just recently) certain games are banned for people under 18 because they are too violent (includes most FPS from Doom to Unreal and other games like the C&C series).

Some German publishers react by modifying the game.
For example:
The German version of the first C&C had no more red pixels for blood but black pixels for oil and the story told that these skirmishes were fought by robots in battle zones away from the public.
The German version of Counterstrike has no dying animations. Instead a player that has been killed sits down (NO KIDDING) as he would in a kindergarden catching game.

But there are still English versions from the UK that can be obtained by anyone (online ordering for example). So these versions check where your computer is and won't run if it's Germany. To do that they ask Windows for things like Country Code, Keyboard settings, ...
So if I turned back my keyboard to German I would not be able to play GTA3 English version (even though I live in Austria where this is perfectly legal for people under 18 - and even though I'm 21 and can do pretty much everything I want by the laws of most countries).

That's all I know about US/UK versions not working in Germany/Austria/Switzerland. I have never heard of the opposite problem.

[WillowIX]

The only difference I can think of is the language and regional settings. I know one game that didn't work on non-English computers due to the language settings. I can't remember which though... (I think it is Arx Fatalis) However Windows 2000 (and I'm guessing XP too) comes with multiple language settings. I have both English and French installed and am able to switch between them.

[ 06-01-2003, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: WillowIX ]

[Stratos]

I wasn´t aware that there are several versions in Europe. The games we get up here in the cold North are most likely the English one.

Edit: Yep, I´ve checked...it´s the UK versions.

[ 06-01-2003, 05:45 PM: Message edited by: Stratos ]