PS3 regional lockout

[dvd_beetle]

I've been researching the technical side of the PS3, and I've come across several versions of their "user guide" on their website:

PDF:
http://www.playstation.com/manual/pdf/PS3-01-1.0_1.pdf
http://www.playstation.com/manual/pdf/PS3-02_03-1.5_1.pdf
http://mt.eu.playstation.com/PS3_SS_GB_Web.pdf

Plain HTML:
http://www.us.playstation.com/SCEARegionalOnlineManual/safety_support/additional_info.html

PDF see pages 22 (first one) and pages 19 (second and third).

There are a couple of interesting things, first although Sony has deliberately marketed their PS3 as being region-free, they've fully incorporated it into their PS3 game disc. All current games for the PS3 may be region free, but publishers can choose to use it.

Second, as you can see the region diagram for the US release looks like this:

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4092/usgz6.png

The Japanese one looks like this:

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/2630/japanop2.png

The 3rd PDF above looks like this:

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/8749/regionxi8.png

and the 2nd PDF looks like this:

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6906/ps3manual16np6.png
I think they're explaining that R2 countries have R2 and R4 countries have R4... althrough it could be interperated as offering dual-region in the PS3 (I don't think that's what they're doing).

Question: what does the Australian diagram look like? Is it R4 DVD and R4 Playstation 3 game disc?

[BradleyConnor]

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6906/ps3manual16np6.png




That is the diagram used for Australian systems as well

I'm not sure im following what you or the diagram is suggesting... its not infact region free?

[dvd_beetle]

OK now I am confused.

The Playstation 3 is NOT region-free, but it is optional (like on DVD), and apparantly few, if any PS3 games have used it yet.

It seems to me that the "PS3 regions" follow the six "DVD regions". What is confusing, though, is their statement "Models sold in Playstation 3 BD Region 4 countries only"; because I'm not aware of Sony explaining which regions they are using for their PS3 console - in fact there's no information about it at all; people simply say "The PS3 is region free"; and either they're misunderstanding Sony - or (more likley) Sony has been misleading them, despite such a clear diagram.

Oh wait a second, it isn't a very clear diagram for the average Joe, who may read it and scratch his head and wonder "Am I region 2 or region 4"? After all, you'd expect there to be clear information to be displayed, not erroneous information.

[Tsargrad]

The average Joe won't care. he's still paying his PS2