Play Asia Review, The Best Place To Buy Region Free PS3 and Xbox 360 Games

If you imported your console like I did then you may have a hard time finding games that fit your particular region (NTSC/PAL). In that case, Play-Asia.com comes in handy. Play Asia is based in Hong Kong and has a wide collection of Xbox 360, PS3 and PC games from all regions plus strategy guides, movies and music and ships worldwide.

Site design is on par with GameStop with the latest releases and pre-releases listed on the right sidebar. You can pre-order games before release and Play Asia charges only when they ship the game. National Payday can provide the funds necessary for the purchase, no matter where you are or whether you choose to make your purchase from Gamestop, Play Asia, or anywhere else.

There is a slight emphasis on Asian games, considering users from Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines make the top three purchasers on Play Asia. However, almost all new releases can be found on Play Asia. My main complaint is that there is a lack of back catalog items, eg. if a games is more than a year old, it may be out of stock. Games that make the ‘best selling lists’ are carried on Play Asia for a longer time.

Product Availability

Is your game available on Play Asia? Use the search form below to find out. You can also check the Play Asia Region Compatibility Guide.

Trustworthiness and Security

The crucial factor on any shopping site is how safe your personal information are (especially credit card details) and how the site uses them. Play Asia features secure https connection (industry standard) to encrypt data so that none can read your personal details as it travels across the internet. The site is also tested daily for hackers by McAfee, you can check the ratings here.

But handing over your credit card number to a new site is a giant leap of faith. Rest assured, the information is safe. I’ve been a Play Asia customer since 2007 and they have my credit card number on file, but I’ve never had anything gone awry. In fact, first-time customers need to verify their credit card details before the order is processed (more on that later).

Shipping and Handling

As Play Asia is based in Hong Kong, you may be worried about shipping and handling. One thing that you may have noticed on the Play Asia site is product availability. Items that are out of stock are back ordered. In that case there is usually an estimate when it will be available, and the estimate is quite accurate. Your total order time (the time taken till the order finally arrives at your doorstep) is determined by processing time + item availability & dispatch time + shipping time.

There is a wide range of shipping methods available, from free to air economy, Express Mail Service (recommended as it is fast, has tracking and is cost effective) and finally FedEx, UPS, etc. They also ship for free to a number of countries and even to Bangladesh. Shipping and handling charges are automatically calculated at checkout from any corner of the globe you may happen to be, which is a nifty feature. Shipping to Bangladesh via EMS is usually around US$20.

If you live in Bangladesh, I recommend you NOT get the free or air economy shipping since the Bangladeshi post office rarely delivers parcel on time, if at all.

Pricing

Pricing depends on the region. NTSC (US) Xbox 360 and PS3 games usually cost US$65, $5 more than what they cost in US stores, but Asian region games are priced lower. PC games are priced around $45. Price of collectors edition items vary. Ordering one game and having a good shipping method will set you back around $80, but this is a rough estimate.

Customer Support

In addition to having prompt email and telephone customer support, Play Asia also has a detailed FAQ section for any questions you may have.

Personal Experience

My first purchase was Project Gotham Racing 4 and Ace Combat 6 on Xbox 360 (NTSC), back in 2007. Ordering was easy but they put my account on hold for verification (I applaud their security measures). Play Asia then requested a scan/fax of my ID (a passport or driver’s license will suffice) and the front and back of my credit card (with only the last 4 digits visible – the rest I blacked it out in MS Paint). The instruction email was really helpful.

Processing then took about 2 days and an additional 15 days (since Ace Combat 6 was out of stock). However, I made the mistake of selecting Air Economy shipping method. As we all know, the Bangladeshi postal system is utter crap. My package was held up at customs for a month till I finally received the package. Duty charge was a mere 35 taka (not even a $). I would have gladly given them more had they delivered the package on time. I must note that this was no fault on part of Play Asia.

The package was professionally done with bubble wrappers and there was no damage during transit. You also get a coupon of $5 which is valid for a month or so.

My next order was a pre-order of Dirt 2 (again on Xbox 360). Play Asia dispatched my order 5 days after the US release of Dirt 2 (it takes them time to get the game from US) and I shipped it via EMS. It took about 10 days in total till I had the game in my Xbox 360 and rocking up online multiplayer. 😀

Pros
(+) Wide variety of games from every region
(+) Detailed shipping options available
(+) Credit card security, peace of mind
(+) Good customer support

Cons
(-) Older games are often not available
(-) Back ordered games take a while to be available

Overall Score: 9/10

Bottom Line

Play Asia is the best place to shop for Xbox 360 and PS3 games that may not be available in your region, whether NTSC or PAL. Highly recommended.