Canadian version of the game cannot use these rosters

[baggio_1982]

Hi all,

I've tried using the various rosters on this site, and it does not work for my Canadian version of the game. I manage to put it on the memory card, and in the PS2 browser, it is recognised as the ESPN 2k5 College Hoops roster data, but when I try loading in-game, it says the file is damaged.

Which led me to do some research online. There may be regional encoding (yes, regional encoding) for memory card saves. Because I bought the game from Canada, the game will not recognise game saves from the US. While this is a theory, there is a tool here http://www.ps2savetools.com/ps2sidc.php that can transform a different region memory card save into your domestic region save. They seem to have a US product code for the memory card save that is BASLUS - 20922. For me to use the Canadian version, I need to know the Canadian product code for the memory card save... but I have no way of figuring that out.

But this brings me to my next point - I thought the US/Canadian market for PS2 (and also, DVDs and videos, etc.) games was perfectly integrated, and products bought either side of the border could be used on PS2 machines bought in North America?

So, does anyone from Canada have the Canadian version of the game that has the rosters translated? And I don't mean a save from a pirated/warez version - because those versions are ALWAYS American.

Thanks.

[BGarrett7]

Looks like the US/Canada code may be BESLES-xxxxx or BASCUS-xxxxx.

[tenth]

I doubt that's the case. There's been no problems with any other ESPN game out there. I have the CDN versions of ESPN NHL, NBA, and NFL, and am using US rosters for at least NBA and NFL. Plus, I've yet to see any complaint from Americans regarding NHL rosters.

Plus, I highly doubt they press a seperate copy of the game for the Canadian market, it wouldn't be worth it for the minimal amount of sales they get, especially considering the "American" version of the game works 100% without problem on our "Canadian" PS2s. I'd bet my money on the copies being identical.

[baggio_1982]

Quote: Originally Posted by tenth

Plus, I highly doubt they press a seperate copy of the game for the Canadian market, it wouldn't be worth it for the minimal amount of sales they get, especially considering the "American" version of the game works 100% without problem on our "Canadian" PS2s. I'd bet my money on the copies being identical.

That's the thing. It's not a separate copy of the game - the only item they changed is the ID tag encoded at the beginning of the memory card save. I'm sure that there isn't much problem with that.

Furthermore, don't forget that until recently, NCAA videogame products were not allowed to be sold on Canadian soil. All the big retailers in Toronto did not manage to get a copy of the game -- it was only small name sellers, like Gamecentre on Yonge & Bloor and Gameshack at the Atrium on Bay had it. It wouldn't surprise me if the game had different coding for the saves.

In fact, to test the theory out, I got versions of the American game for 2K4 and College Hoops from last year. They sync together fine, but to load the College Hoops data (American version) to the Canadian version of the 2K4, it didn't work. It exhibits the same problem - "damaged file".

I also know for a fact that some video game stores get supplies from the US. In fact, most do - I was just unlucky enough to get this game from a company that has the production depot in Canada.

Thanks for the replies though, guys

[tenth]

I'm still skeptical. It doesn't make much sense to me they'd do a seperate run for a practically non-existant market (very, very few buy this up here), and alter the coding of the game in the process for that tiny market, especially considering no other ESPN game has the problem and the US version works completely fine on our machines.

But hey, you've got the hands-on experience and I don't. Good luck figuring it all out.