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AtomCross region Xbox 360 downloads still working?
One of the concerns about the spring update was Microsoft enforcing restrictions on Xbox Live Marketplace downloads from other regions. Once I updated my Xbox 360 with the spring dashboard update I logged on with my Japanese gamertag. To my surprise I still have access to content in that region. I was able to download a game trailer and the demo of Double Dragon without any problems. Since Japan doesn’t have a video marketplace I couldn’t test that out, but in the music section songs from Robbie Williams were readily available to purchase. It looks like video game related content has not been affected by the update (for now?), but what about the video marketplace? If you’re in Europe, Canada, or anywhere else that isn’t the US do you still have access to US Video Marketplace content?
7 Responses to “Cross region Xbox 360 downloads still working?”
May 9th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
They are actually legally bound to restrict downloads of such content.
Rights to publish/distribute movies, TV shows, etc. are negotiated/owned on a region by region basis.
That is the same reason why importing games is technically “gray market.” The owner of the rights to the content (or some of the content) in region A may not own rights to publish/distribute that content in region B, thus the importer (not in my opinion, this is just the way it works) is technically infringing on the current or future owner of the rights to the said content for region B.
Something like this happened with Marvel VS SF, where a company that is especially excessive and vicious (in my opinion) in this regard , owned what is basically a joke character in the game. Thus Capcom was pushed to try to stop exportation of the game.
This is also why the legit US Z Gundam DVDs have the music removed. A different country owned the rights to the music and refused to negotiate to sell them to have the rights in the US.
That said, in this case Microsoft has legitimate liability concerns, as irritating as it may be.
May 9th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Im from sweden, i have a U.S account and a japanese one, right after i downloaded the update i logged in to the U.S one and was able to download pac man series that was free on video marketplace, im guessing it still works, thank god for that 
May 9th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Just updated mine and I can still d/l Jpn contents fine, whew. Zeta Gundam w/o the Jpn opening song, right.. reminds me why I never got the US DVDs..
May 24th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
I have a US Based account but am currently living in Honduras Central America. Before the update I could purchase videos and series lice CSI (which I get on cable legally) but wanted to see the eposides I missed. After the update… no more downloading or even previewing videos on Live marketplace.
I tried downloading the Area 51 demo and could not do that. Got a message that said not available in that region. But could download other demos.
So hell no more video… maybe some games.
Gaming Map
May 9th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Hi, I am from Mexico, and I have a US account, I still have access to everything except the video marketplace downloads, so it looks like that was the only thing they locked.