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"So, UMD movies actually region free???"

It arrived today. Even though I had a US PSP serial number the yourpsp website let me register for a free Region 2 UMD of Spiderman 2 on the launch day of the PSP in the UK. It arrived this morning, so to satisfy my curiosity and suspicion that Sony were blowing hot air about region coding on the PSP I put it in to see what error message I got about the region formatting and I didn't get one.

So, are the Spidermand 2 UMDs a special region free version to save sony time, or are the European PSPs even more of a rip-off since they are over-priced and massively delayed units which turned out to be absolutely identical to the US PSPs in every single way even down to the software and movies which they will play?

I smell a conspiracy, but as I'm not silly enough to buy a UK UMD movie at the price retaillers here are charging for them, and have no wish to watch a movie on that small a screen unless I have a long loney journey coming up, I'm not likely to find out. It just interested me.

I see you asked 'over there' then!

You might get an official reply if you're lucky.

Vergil wrote:
> Besides, the movies are cheaper in america if you really want them.

The point isn't about the movies, mor about if the thing is completely region free, then the European models are identical to the US models but cost Sony less to produce and cost Europeans more to buy.

Bad Sony :-).

Well I wondered this when I received mine on saturday, and it played straight away like my american film. I know bonus managed it though, and that was how I was explaining it. They didn't have the US code on yourpsp.com, so I just changed it to the english code and got sent mine. I'm surprised they don't occasionally check before they send the umd's out though. Anyway, they might be region free, or at least some might be, but I wouldn't completely hold my breath.

Besides, the movies are cheaper in america if you really want them.

It is quite interesting. Why not ask the question on the official forums at uk.playstation.com?

When I registered I used the 1004 or 1003 uk PSP number seeing as the 1001 version I have wasn't listed.

I then used the serial number from my US PSP and as it is actually a valid PSP serial number the website accepted it.

I got the Spiderman UMD this morning and it says on it that it's a Region 2 and 4 compatable disc.

Despite this, it works in my Region 1 PSP.

So, the question is, did the Europeans really get ripped off with the PSP as it's a completely region free product and those buying UK models had to wait much longer to pay more for a device which, due to the economy of scale internationally, will be costing Sony much less to manufacture?

Like I said I'm not going to fork out money on UMDs I don't actually want, it's just interesting to know how badly Sony have treated this market. Something lie this would influence my decision to buy a PS3 seeing as Microsoft are quite considerately releasing the 360 internationally within a couple of weeks and therefore not taking advantage of economies of scale to sell something to us at a higher profit margin.

Well, Bonus managed it!

Nope, because I did the same, and you have to put an english code in for it to allow you to sign up....the US codes aren't on there as an option.

Could it be that, as you registered a US serial number, they sent you a US disc?

The box of the free Spiderman 2 UMD says its region 2 and 4 so I have no idea why it’s working on a US one.

I got mine on saturday, using the crafty method Bonus so happily shared :)

Haven't even opened it yet, as I'm planning on sticking it on eBay for a bt of extra dollah, seeing as I already have the US version that came with my PSP.

Don't know anyone with a UK PSP, so can't try the standard UK UMDs. I'm not too fussed anyway - I don't plan on buying any UMD Movies, not even US ones.