Plenty of major retailers have sold parallel imports in-store: GameTraders did it to get a headstart on local release dates, EB have sold imported games, and troubled retailer GAME has also sold imported games as ‘pre-owned’. Now JB Hi-Fi is getting involved, but its scheme is a little different…
Not only is JB Hi-Fi selling imported games in-store, unlike other retailers, it’s selling them at reduced cost, and advertising them as “import games” at “great prices”. Other retailers selling parallel imports have tended to be a little more discreet about the practice, and have used imports to increase the profit margin on stock, JB Hi-Fi is doing it in — arguably — a far more honest way.
According to in-store staff, this is a ‘nationwide initiative’, and that’s made clear by the fact that JB Hi-Fi has created specifically branded ‘JB Hi-Fi Special Import’ stickers to put on the games themselves. As far as we know JB Hi-Fi is only stocking games that can be played on Australian consoles, so there is no need to worry about the games not working on local machines.
We’re currently trying to get in contact with JB Hi-Fi for comment on this, more news as we get it.
Thanks to Steven Janjic for the pic!
'tis all good and all, but there is still the problem of online passes and DLC extra codes that will be region specific and can't be redeemed through Australian accounts.
"’tis all good and all, but there is still the problem of online passes and DLC extra codes that will be region specific and can’t be redeemed through Australian accounts."
Not really, if you want to save the $$$ be prepared to have to create another account for the region the game comes from, same goes for PSN, XBOX Live credit
@The Captain
Dude, its common knowledge that PS3 games are region free. Seriously, google it How can you not know this? Alot of 360 games are region free too.
FF13-2 is an example of this, wanted Japanese subs so I've imported, now can't get the DLCs to work on my main Au account. It works if I make a region specific alternate account tho.
How long til Namco kick up a stink? Their the pricks who made it so Witcher 2 went from $45 to $90 in Australia went it was first released on PC. They also stopped online stores selling the digital version to us at "real" price.
What about nintendo club points on import games?
Some work, some don't. (UK scratchie points cards)
There aint no air in space, There's an air n space museum
So, this is what they did with all of those trade-in games that they accepted, that weren't from Australian distributors ... but asian/hong kong / chinese/european/us/russian/indian releases that weren't region locked or localised.
this should be interesting to see what other retailers, and distributors try to do to maintain the advantage on their back shelf items, games older than 4 months, etc.
My house of the Dead Overkill Bang Bang Box i Purchased from EB Games is rated MA15+ but the game case that is inside the box was Rated with the 18 in a Circle.
That's been happening for a while. I don't think it means anything. My Max Payne 3 is MA15 on the box and 18 on the disc. What that means is we have a broken rating system :p
i'm guessing a whole lot of people are going to be pissed because of incompatible dlc