If I have buy a Nintendo Wii Console from France, will I still be able to use it in Hong Kong (France has PAL TV system)? Can I use games in English or must I use only French games.
Alternatively, is it easier / cheaper to just buy the Wii Console US version in Hong Kong together with an adapter? Where can I buy it from as I'm going mad in the shops and they only sell the Japanese version which will not accept the games in English or so I'm told.
Please help!
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France actually does not use PAL. It uses SECAM. But for practical purposes it doesn't matter since pretty much any modern equipment that takes PAL can take SECAM and vice versa. So your Wii will work with a TV you buy in HK. (In any case the majority of modern TVs apart from the very cheapest can take any signal worldwide.)
You will need to buy a plug adapter for the power cable (Euro prongs->UK plug used in HK). That's about 20 Honkies.
The important question is region coding. A non-modded Wii has one of five regions (if I recall correctly): USA, Europe, Japan, Australia and China (non-HK I think). With your "French" Wii you will be able to use any game for the Europe region. However, you will not be able to play games from another region. Language in game is irrelevant.
To get hold of European games, I would recommend using a web retailer that ships them. www.play.com is good.
Or you can have your Wii modded so you can use any game. This will, of course, void your warranty.
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Thanks so much for your advice.
In that case, would you recommend buying the Wii in France or should I go for the US version in HK? The price difference is quite a lot (The Wii in France with 5 Wii sport and accessories comes to around HK$2700 whereas the US version together with the adaptor and one game comes to around $3400). The language doesn't bother us as we all read and speak French.
Alternatively, I have heard that 188 Wanchai computer centre also sell them and modify them to play all games. Is that a viable option?
Thanks for replying to this as you seem to be much more knowledgeable about this than I could ever be.
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Certainly if I got a Wii, I would get a modded one from 188 Centre (not "Wan Chai Computer Centre", which is a different place) so I can play any game and so forth. But I am a total geek. ;) There are issues with warranty (which is voided). The modding place may give their own warranty but it's not really the same thing. Finally you may have issues in the future if/when the game publishers and Nintendo update region protection. So it may have to be re-modded, or not work with new games.
I am surprised at the big price difference. In any case If you are staying in HK for longer than a year, I would get one here for warranty purposes. If it breaks you can just go to your retailer or Nintendo in HK and get it fixed. Otherwise you may have to take it to France for warranty repairs. The hassle factor is very important in these things. If you are staying a year or less, and for sure going back to Europe, get the one in France.
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Thanks for your reply.
We live in HK and are not planning to leave anytime soon. The Wii is basically for the kids to play here in HK.
If you don't mind, could you answer the following questions for me so that I can come to an informed decision before buying one in France or the US version or the Japanese version modded by 188 Centre?
1. If I buy the Japanese version, say through Fortress or Broadway since I can use my credit card points, and then get it modded from 188 Centre as you suggested, will it still be under warranty in Hong Kong?
2. Are there risks involved with modding the console and will all the other games, from other regions and the illegal ones, play on the modded console?
3. Will the accessories like Wii Fit and the wheel still be able to function on the modded console?
Thanks so much for answering these basic questions!
Punam
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1. No. Manufacturer warranty is voided by modding. The shop doing the mod may offer its own warranty. Get a clear answer from the shop before you start.
2. Yes there are risks. It may stop working, and then you have no manufacturer warranty. Then again modding is pretty common stuff. I would compare it to buying a new car and changing the engine and electronics with aftermarket parts. Voids the warranty but if the job is done right it's not a problem. Heck, I mod wireless routers new out of the box. No warranty but there's not a whole lot that can break. As for compatibility with games, it depends on the mod. Typically the goal is to remove region locking and allow illegally copied games to be played. Ask the modder for details.
3. I would assume so. None of the stuff should be touched. Again, ask the modder.
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