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Confessions of a Ninja Modder
The ability to play import games either means purchasing a Japanese console or modding, and in most cases, modding is a pain in the ass unless you are comfortable giving the task to someone who might as well be a jawa. I never understood why developers have fought against region-free joy throughout the ages, as it could have very well prevented an army of pirate loving fan boys. In some cases, I would have bought the import game months before the domestic release so I didn't have to wait regardless of issues with translation (with fighting games that has never been an issue), and then picked it up again when it hit US shores, especially if the US version had even one extra bell and or whistle (and I have). Unfortunately with a modded console, one also gains the ability to play "back-up" games which is a worse habit than frosting covered, gravy flavored crack, and unless your care for the game industry's well being is up there with the concern for your favorite grandma's life span, then you are just quickening the same cancer that killed the Dreamcast years before its time. 
But the day has finally come when my shadowy days of modding, being they soft or hard (ninja chortle), might be at an end. More and more Japanese games that are worth their wasabi are enjoying exposure on this new generation of consoles, and the tasks needed to keep a console modded and online beyond the watchful eyes who are itching to cast a fresh patch that will either disable your shenanigans, brick your system or ban you from online play is becoming increasingly tedious. When I found myself wrestling with my Wii just to play Crazy Climber (shut-up), knowing good and well that the "Big N" had and will bring my fun to an abrupt halt one way or another, I decided to throw in the towel. If you are spending more time modding than playing, then it's simply not worth it. Unless we are blessed with a simple solution that avoids whatever could come in between me and my cheap Japanese thrills, you will find me playing some Tobal 2.
The ability to play import games either means purchasing a Japanese console or modding, and in most cases, modding is a pain in the ass unless you are comfortable giving the task to someone who might as well be a jawa. I never understood why developers have fought against region-free joy throughout the ages, as it could have very well prevented an army of pirate loving fan boys. In some cases, I would have bought the import game months before the domestic release so I didn't have to wait regardless of issues with translation (with fighting games that has never been an issue), and then picked it up again when it hit US shores, especially if the US version had even one extra bell and or whistle (and I have). Unfortunately with a modded console, one also gains the ability to play "back-up" games which is a worse habit than frosting covered, gravy flavored crack, and unless your care for the game industry's well being is up there with the concern for your favorite grandma's life span, then you are just quickening the same cancer that killed the Dreamcast years before its time. 
