Off the Grid: Out of country

Every other week Scott Jon Siegel contributes Off the Grid, a column normally about gaming away from the television screen or monitor.

I'm breaking from tradition to answer a nagging question: What happens to a gamer when he moves to another country?

And I'm not talking about board and card games here. I'm talking about the console and portable gamers. In the face of voltage conversions, video signals, and region-locking, how does an invested gamer stay on the grid?

I ask the question because I went through this same problem very recently. Two weeks ago, I made the move from the east coast of the United States to the south of France. Being invested in games not only casually, but professionally, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to bring along my consoles, and therefore be out of the gaming loop for the entirety of my European residency.

Luckily, however, I was able to devise a feasible solution, and my American-born consoles have been operating overseas without any problems. So, waving a temporary bye-bye to the non-digital gaming focus of this column, I'd like to share my recipe for international gaming success.

Before we get into the technical side of it, let's discuss just what the problems were. As I was preparing to make the move to France, I saw three large issues with playing my American consoles abroad: Region encoding, the difference in standard voltages between the two countries, and the difference in NTSC and PAL video signals. I had hoped to bring along the Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2, and Nintendo DS to France, and each of these systems required slightly different fixes for each problem.

1) Region-encoding: Consoles have region-locking in place to prevent customers from playing imported titles. For the sake of simplicity, I did not bother hacking or attempting any workarounds for the region-locking on the Wii and PS2. Instead, I brought a number of US titles with me, and I plan on importing future releases from the United States (though the idea of importing from the US still tickles me). The DS, like all portable systems, is happily free of region-encoding, meaning I can pop in any old French DS or GBA game and play away.
2) Voltage-conversion: Still not a show-stopping problem, but definitely a deterrent. Voltages for outlets differ from country to country. It's not just the shape of the plug that's the problem. American outlets give out 120V of electricity, while French outlets (like most of Europe) operate at between 230V and 250V. Though some American electronic devices work within a wide range of voltages, others are only intended for up to 120V, and plugging these devices into a European wall socket can short out the device, start a small fire, or electrocute someone.

Step-up and step-down power transformers exist to solve this exact problem, but these devices are bulky and often expensive. What's more, there's an easier solution.

The voltage conversions always occur in the AC Adapter, which for many systems is outside of the system housing. Checking the power brick or charger plug of a game system will usually give some indication of its range. The US Nintendo DS, for example, comes with a charger that can only take up to 120V. The European version of this charger, however, covers a range of at least 120 - 240, and purchasing one at a local game shop while abroad will allow you to charge your DS without fear of hurting the portable. These adapters can also easily be found on eBay prior to a trip, though make sure that the adapter has the right range, and the right type of plug for the country you're headed to.
For the slim PS2, the external power brick lists a range from 100V to 240V, meaning that all I needed was an adapter to convert the American-style plug into a European-style. These can be often be found in electronics stores like Radio Shack, or in the travel sections of larger stores for under five dollars USD.

Like the DS, the Wii's power adapter was only suitable for 120V. I was able to find a European power brick for the Wii on eBay, however, that accepted a range from 120V all the way to 240V. It cost $10 USD, and plugs into the Wii the same way as the American power brick. Simple fix, and it works brilliantly.

3) The television: With games to play, and a way to safely plug in my consoles, the final and most challenging hurdle was hooking the systems up to a European television. This proved difficult, partly due to the difference between the American NTSC video signal, and the European PAL video signal. American consoles are formatted for NTSC, meaning that the frequency and framerate of the video and audio signals sent aren't compatible with French televisions.

Of course this is all unimportant, because problem number one is that I don't have a television in France. Unwilling to fork out over 200 euros on a French TV, I needed a different solution. And it just so happens that I found it.

Next week, I'll discuss my crazy plan to play video games without a television. And it works, too.

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Scott Jon Siegel is a fledgling game designer, a professional blogger, and a mediocre cook. His words and games can be found at numberless, but he makes it a point not to post his recipes. It's for the best.