Gears of War is region free

By Tom Bramwell Published 10 November, 2006

And has been patched.

The US release of Gears of War is indeed region free as reported.

Our copy of the game turned up this morning (well, mine - he says, guarding it jealously) and works fine on the PAL Xbox 360.

Loading it up on a retail unit also demonstrated that the game has already received a small auto-update, which apparently fixes a few minor bugs.

For more on the game, be sure to check out our review, and look forward to an expanded take on the multiplayer soon.

(And seriously, don't pay too much attention to that EA bloke - Gears may call to mind games like kill.switch and other things we've experienced before, but there's no denying that the composition is in many respects excellent, which was the point we made when we reviewed it.)

Anyway, look forward to the game's UK release next Friday, 17th November.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (61) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Tonka #1 6 years ago

    Good news for the brave

  • iter #2 6 years ago

    awesome (and not first)
    Edit: ass
    Edited by iter at 10/11/06 @ 13:02

  • Rich72 #3 6 years ago

    where would you import a copy from? anyone know any reliable company's

  • sharky_ob #4 6 years ago

    Play Asia are great.

  • dog2_99 #5 6 years ago

    but why bother its out here in a wk, which is about the time to import it!

  • bivith #6 6 years ago

    cheaper

  • Skooch #7 6 years ago

    Eurogamer backtracks shocker!!! :D

  • Rich72 #8 6 years ago

    errr about £15

  • Skooch #9 6 years ago

    Maybe it will get the 9 it deserves sometime soon. It really is great, grizzly, glorious fun.

  • [maven] #10 6 years ago

    They're talking specifically about the US version, though.

  • jack_klugman #11 6 years ago

    Don't back down, Bramwell! Only mongs post in the comments anyway. See!

  • dog2_99 #12 6 years ago

    does this mean the Asia copy as well or just the US?
    Edited by dog2_99 at 10/11/06 @ 13:12

  • Nige #13 6 years ago

    Nice touch dude...

  • Skooch #14 6 years ago

    @Jack Klugman

    No need to back down, the article on EA and 'innovation' was a transparent attempt to somehow justify a score completely out of sink with the rest of the web. The damage has been done...

  • fiery_jackass #15 6 years ago

    GRISLY

    unless you meant it was grey

  • Nostromo13 #16 6 years ago

    thank goodness, my copy has already shipped from canada. So i suppose i will get like two days to play it before most people in England. Impatience is a virtue indeed...

  • FooAtari #17 6 years ago

    @Nostromo13 - Do the rest of the UK not get at the same time as England or something?...

  • Roamer #18 6 years ago

    And thus the patches are becoming commonplace in console games...

  • Nostromo13 #19 6 years ago

    i actually don't give a toss about the rest of the UK

  • Machiavel #20 6 years ago

    ASIAN VERSION NOT REGION FREE!!!!!

    Sorry for the caps folks, but that's the whole bone of confusion with this. US version PAL friendly, Asian version a no-no.

  • Rusta #21 6 years ago

    If I take my Xbox to Asia will the asian games work on it there?

    I'm going to France next week and taking my 360 with me, will the games work still, and also will the text turn to French?

    Thanks

  • moggsy #22 6 years ago

    And thus the patches are becoming commonplace in console games...

    For multiplayer yes...

  • peterfll #23 6 years ago

    Tom, clearly you should have reviewed GoW as I can clearly read into your comment and tell that what you really want to say is "this game should have got an 11".

  • Veldaban #24 6 years ago

    "And thus the patches are becoming commonplace in console games..."

    And a good thing that is too. Don't kid yourself in thinking that if they couldn't patch it they would've held the game back longer to make it "perfect".

  • Feanor #25 6 years ago

    "No need to back down, the article on EA and 'innovation' was a transparent attempt to somehow justify a score completely out of sink with the rest of the web. The damage has been done..."

    Cause 8/10 on EuroGamer is soooo far away from a 9/10 on some other websites? Get a grip, mate.

  • groovychainsaw #26 6 years ago

    Still £31 from play-asia for the US version. Will probably just hang on for uk one, not much of a saving over uk prices this time (if only the asia version was region-free!)

  • MARKIV #27 6 years ago

    I wish someone could actually confirm the Asian version of GOW is not region free. I'd of thought Play-Asia would of actually made a statement that is was or it wasn't instead of just referring it to NTSC-J. Now they've gone home for the weekend too..

    It doesn't make much sense that US version would be region free and the Asian one not. I think Play-Asia may be just playing it low key, as they don't want to attact attention, after all I'm sure MS and Co, could say they are breaking the law, aka Lik Sang..

    Anyway please someone clear it up, with real proof!

  • Yossarian #28 6 years ago

    I HERD THIS GAME IZNT NETHING NEW

  • Yossarian #29 6 years ago

    SAME OLD SAME OLD AMIRITE HI FIVE

    WHO WANTS 2 PLAY RESISSTENCE

  • Yossarian #30 6 years ago

    I GOT A HOMIN PURPLE LASER THAT SHOOTS THRU WALLZ

    WHAT U GOT GEARS? NOTHIN

  • septimus #31 6 years ago

    ^ Wow, you're a douche ^

    Unless you are being sarcastic.

  • Baz_Dude #32 6 years ago

    Resistance, that game looks bad compared to GoW. Maybe put you glasses on....

  • coojam #33 6 years ago

    Gears of War is like WW2 with aliens

  • moggsy #34 6 years ago

    I'd of thought Play-Asia would of actually made a statement that is was or it wasn't instead of just referring it to NTSC-J.

    Well if you drill down to the item pages you'll see that there's a 'further compatibility' box. On the Japanese version there's a big 'no entry' sign for the PAL version whereas for the US version there's a '?'.

    So I assume that means that they know for a fact that the Japanese version isn't PAL compatible but aren't sure about the US version.

    Hope that helps...

  • killyourtv #35 6 years ago

    when a game gets patched, does the patch get written to the disc (the dvd), or does it go to the hard drive?

  • moggsy #36 6 years ago

    Dont import-you won't be able to trade it in.

    You could however sell it on Ebay for mucho more bucks.

  • Skooch #37 6 years ago

    "Cause 8/10 on EuroGamer is soooo far away from a 9/10 on some other websites? Get a grip, mate"

    No, 9 was my opinion. Most other reviews on the web gave it 9.5 or 10. I consider a 15-20% difference to be be quite significant.

  • Darren #38 6 years ago

    I presume this patch is to fix online issues because I think it's sad that games get released and then are patched on the same day, Rockstar's Table Tennis and Call of Duty 3 being two other examples of Day One patches.

  • moggsy #39 6 years ago

    when a game gets patched, does the patch get written to the disc (the dvd), or does it go to the hard drive?

    No games console can write to a DVD - the patches sit on a reserved part of the hard drive.

  • sharky_ob #40 6 years ago

    @killyourtv

    It goes to the hard drive. I hope you were being sarcastic or something. How the hell is it supposed to write to the disc?

    Good grief

  • Inflatable #41 6 years ago

    That is good news.. But I probably get my Collector's Edition on Thuesday overhere in the Netherlands, so I won't bother with importing it..

  • jack_klugman #42 6 years ago

    Gears' is no Red Faction though is it.

  • rauper Verified Managing Director, Eurogamer Network #43 6 years ago

    "No, 9 was my opinion. Most other reviews on the web gave it 9.5 or 10. I consider a 15-20% difference to be be quite significant."

    But if all review scores were the same why would you need more than one review in the world on anything?

    On average EG review scores are below IGN and co. across the board (we don't use the same review score scale/criterea, for a start!), so being 1.5 different on this one doesn't seem like a big deal.

    But consider this: Reservoir Dogs got 3/10 from IGN USA and 7.5/10 from IGN UK. How do you explain that?

  • LightSleeper #44 6 years ago

    The patch apparently deducts a point from the 1UP/Play/Games Radar/Gamespy/G4 TV copies of the game whilst auto-updating Eurogamers version to 9/10. A Microsoft spokesman confirmed that it was the most viable solution all round after complaints, by brave UK-based journalists, of imminent server meltdown on their websites due to flame traffic.

  • El_MUERkO #45 6 years ago

    why explain rauper, it falls on the deaf ears of the whinging masses, just wind them up for kicks

    that ea comments thread has me in a good mood despit my bank card being eaten

    i would pay you to give it 7/10 after MP just to watch the riot

  • pinkio #46 6 years ago

    Well done 'LightSleeper'. Thats just about the most sensible and yet delightfully ironic comment on the whole of the GOW thread(s)!!!

  • AcidSnake #47 6 years ago

    @moggsy:
    My memory isn't what it used to be, and I could very easily be wrong, but didn't the japan-only PSX have a DVD writer integrated?
    PSX being the silver coloured PS2...
    Not that it could write to gamediscs obviously, but it did have writing abilities...
    Or does my brain need a check-up?

  • Xerx3s #48 6 years ago

    patch-shmatch

  • LightSleeper #49 6 years ago

    @pinkio : Thank you sir! Now I'm just waiting for the Resistance review, and if it doesn't score at least 11 then this whole site's a fix! And then there'll be trouble...
    Edited by LightSleeper at 10/11/06 @ 15:08

  • rauper Verified Managing Director, Eurogamer Network #50 6 years ago

    Wii coverage: Very soon

  • Carpathian #51 6 years ago

    There's such a sweet irony to this.

    People are buying the US copy from Asia to play in the UK.

    When they do, and put a US copy into a UK 360 on a UK XBL account, the system will patch it before it's even actually out in this region.

    Priceless. Oh, and makes the region locked Asian one all the more pointless to have that way.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #52 6 years ago

    @AcidSnake: The PSX was indeed a DVR based on the PS2, with a built-in hard disc and DVD writing capabilities - and it came with a price of a PS3 (20GB model) and very poor sales. It also was never released outside of Japan due to the underwhelming sales.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #53 6 years ago

    @Carpathian: As far as I remember compatible versions differ in no way and are indistinguishable because the data on the disc is exactly the same. I could be wrong though - but it would not make much sense. Producing from single gold master is cheaper and if Microsoft really wanted to render the US version unplayable in Europe they would not be compatible in the first place if there were two different copies.
    Edited by Der_tolle_Emil at 10/11/06 @ 15:21

  • Rusta #54 6 years ago

    What format is Gears of War on?

  • Martin #55 6 years ago

    GoW is like Resistance without WW2...

  • AcidSnake #56 6 years ago

    @Der_tolle_emil:
    I did remember correctly...
    No need for that neurosurgeon then...

    @rusta:
    Although it now comes on dvd9 for the x360, the definitive GoW will ofcourse come on a DataCrystal for the Atari Powersphere at launch...

  • Salvia #57 6 years ago

    "Eurogamer backtracks shocker!!! "

    Backtrack? Didn't they make it clear that the 8 was for the single player only?

  • darkbhudda #58 6 years ago

    but why bother its out here in a wk, which is about the time to import it!

    Because other parts of the world aren't getting it in a week. Who knows when India gets it.

    The Aussies have 23 November release date. It's bad enough I have to live amongst the decendants of inbred convicts, but now I have to wait until the 23rd to get the game.

  • Aurifex. #59 6 years ago

    So it's patched already, maybe to fix a bug that stopps you seeing the screen that's been reported.

  • samk #60 6 years ago

    Darren: "I think it's sad that games get released and then are patched on the same day"

    Who cares. Patches on the 360 are automatic and usually take less than a minute. Big deal.

    Since most publishers don't continue to pay devs to fix issues post-release, props to those that do.

  • Monkey_Chops #61 6 years ago

    I didn't think anyone actually cares what EA think. I pre-ordered Gears months ago.