Legacy Accounts Region Free? Stormblood

So I was wondering I've had a legacy account since 2011 but my question just like the Amazon codes they worked regardless if they were from the EU or NA due to me having a legacy account.

Do you think this will be the same for Stormblood e.g. Even though the pound is in a constant state of fluctuation due to Brexit could I buy a copy of Stormblood from the USA and use the code?

Huh? Legacy accounts are region bound too, just like any other account.
That's why the maid outfit promotion only worked with EU codes even on legacy accounts.

I don't think the software itsself is region-bound though? Isn't that just a console thing?

No. You can't use a NA edition with the EU edition.

Yes you are still region locked. The region is set on your Square Enix account. Your Final Fantasy XIV account(s) are service accounts underneath that account so bound to the region of the actual account. It doesn't matter if you're legacy or not.

To check your region you can log into http://account.square-enix.com/ and then at the top left select Account and Account information. It'll ask for your date of birth and then it'll show your region.

This is Strange as I used NA code my account states Europe & Other Regions soo hmmm thanks for the response though as back in 2011 when i brought the game it was not region based we all played with each other like 1 big happy family god I miss them days seeing jp players with NA and EU

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Originally Posted by Atoli

Huh? Legacy accounts are region bound too, just like any other account.
That's why the maid outfit promotion only worked with EU codes even on legacy accounts.

I don't think the software itsself is region-bound though? Isn't that just a console thing?

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PS4 is region free :) same as the ps3 but still how will this factor in to i dont know

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Originally Posted by Lujan

when i brought the game it was not region based we all played with each other like 1 big happy family god I miss them days seeing jp players with NA and EU

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I think you're confusing two things when you make this comment.

Yes, an account can play any region, but that isn't the same thing as the game product itself being region-free .. my Legacy accounts, one V1 pre-order the other post-release, clearly indicate they're EU region but of course I can play any data centre

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Originally Posted by Lujan

This is Strange as I used NA code my account states Europe & Other Regions soo hmmm thanks for the response though as back in 2011 when i brought the game it was not region based we all played with each other like 1 big happy family god I miss them days seeing jp players with NA and EU

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You talking about 1.0? Othewise you can still pick which ever server you want to be on regardless of your region.

Nope that's what I'm saying mine states EU and other Regions A mate from NA gave me my codes and they worked on my account that's what I'm asking yeah I know we can still pick any server.

So other EU account state Europe and Other Regions also?

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Originally Posted by Lujan

Nope that's what I'm saying mine states EU and other Regions A mate from NA gave me my codes and they worked on my account that's what I'm asking yeah I know we can still pick any server.

So other EU account state Europe and Other Regions also?

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Idk about 1.0 or even the start of ARR but when HW was released it was all region locked, even saw threads here on the forum talking about people that bought the wrong region and wasn't able to use it. So I would assume that SB will be the same and you will have to buy the region your account is in.

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Originally Posted by Lujan

This is Strange as I used NA code my account states Europe & Other Regions soo hmmm thanks for the response though as back in 2011 when i brought the game it was not region based we all played with each other like 1 big happy family god I miss them days seeing jp players with NA and EU

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They were still region locked. Not the game itself, but the account and game codes. An EU game code dont' work on a NA account.

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Originally Posted by Lujan

...could I buy a copy of Stormblood from the USA and use the code?

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As happened to Heavensward, you most likely need to buy a code of same region you used to activate the main account.

About server selection, the limitation has been lift ages ago and you can choose the datacenter you want, regardless the account's region.

About promotional codes, so far they works only on the specific region they were made for.

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Originally Posted by LalaRu

About server selection, the limitation has been lift ages ago and you can choose the datacenter you want, regardless the account's region.

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There was never a limitation for the datacentre.

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Originally Posted by Lujan

So other EU account state Europe and Other Regions also?

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There are 3 region options for FFXIV: 1. JP, 2. NA, and 3. Europe and other regions. Other regions refers to regions outside of Japan, North America and Europe. It doesn't mean you can use European game key on Japanese account, for example.

It still baffles me how SE thinks Australia and NZ is in Europe.

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Originally Posted by Felis

There was never a limitation for the datacentre.

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Yep, I were thinking at the time we didn't had the option of a (real) EU one and got it later, but it is another different thing and done the mishap about it. My bad :p

If what you are saying is, your game was an EU region base game and somehow you managed to add a game code from NA (HeavensWard NA?) and it worked then maybe you need to talk to support as it may be a bug or something. If you are referring to a bonus codes from a JP soundtrack/NA minion or any bonus item codes, those are not region locked. But the game itself, base game + expansions or even time-cards are LOCKED.

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Originally Posted by Rieze_Xeero

If you are referring to a bonus codes from a JP soundtrack/NA minion or any bonus item codes, those are not region locked.

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Except sometimes, when those might also be locked, like with the various promotions that provided maid/butler outfits for people in their respective regions (or were supposed to provide them if the whole project didn't turn into such a mess when they got to the EU ones).

But yes, game region has to match the region of your Square-Enix account.

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Originally Posted by Lujan

Do you think this will be the same for Stormblood e.g. Even though the pound is in a constant state of fluctuation due to Brexit could I buy a copy of Stormblood from the USA and use the code?

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With the weaker pound that means stuff you buy with Sterling will be more expensive. Due to tax treaties digital stuff from the USA is treated at the tax rate from your country of origin so for the UK that's 20% VAT too. This could potentially be more expensive if you are buying from the UK with Sterling. I'm not sure if they sell from Canada and what their tax arrangements are with the UK.

If it's a physical product then you also have import duties, if you get caught. SE being a responsible company would likely tell the truth on the customs form.

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Originally Posted by Atoli

I don't think the software itsself is region-bound though? Isn't that just a console thing?

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The region dictates the billing currency I think.

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Originally Posted by Altena

It still baffles me how SE thinks Australia and NZ is in Europe.

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Australia is a western style English speaking country in a region that is not. Since population wise it's a relatively small country it makes sense to lump it in with Europe and North America.

Amazon allows you to make the purchase on a different region as long as you got an address registered in that country and you buy a digital copy of the game. I was able to buy the american version of the game while being in Switzerland because I registered my billing address at our house in the US.

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Originally Posted by Saccharin

Australia is a western style English speaking country in a region that is not. Since population wise it's a relatively small country it makes sense to lump it in with Europe and North America.

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Would be fine with being put in the NA region, but EU is quite literally on the opposite side of the world. Also from a currency standpoint, I would rather pay in USD than EUR (as the prices are the same according to SE but the value through currency exchange is vastly different).

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Originally Posted by Niwashi

Except sometimes, when those might also be locked, like with the various promotions that provided maid/butler outfits for people in their respective regions (or were supposed to provide them if the whole project didn't turn into such a mess when they got to the EU ones).

But yes, game region has to match the region of your Square-Enix account.

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Yeah sometimes some promotions are region locked but in general in game bonus items from merchendise, fan fest etc. are region free. I agree, the EU maid/butler outfit was a mess, I feel bad for my friends who was not able to get them.

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Originally Posted by Altena

It still baffles me how SE thinks Australia and NZ is in Europe.

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It's because of the gaming/entertainment industry in general - Australia and NZ adopted the 'PAL' colour standard system for analog TVs back in the 1970s that was used in the UK, European countries (which didn't use the the similar SECAM system) and many other countries, which is not compatible with the NTSC standard used in Japan and the US, Canada and Mexico. Because game consoles are connected to a TV, they had to be programmed to use the relevant TV colour system used by that area. Hence it was just easier to include all PAL using countries under the one region as 'Europe' (often you'll see or hear the term 'PAL Territories' used in this context).

Of course most countries have abandoned the old analog PAL/NTSC colour systems in the changeover to digital TV transmissions which use a standardized resolution, accordingly most game consoles these days are now 'region free', they share a similar colour system. But some traditions die hard and for distribution/marketing purposes, it's easier for SE to keep to these old traditions of "Japan Region", "North American Region", and "United Kingdom/Europe/Australia/NZ/Rest of World" - which they kept for the SE Account system, even though the original reasons for doing so are long since moot. But I've gone off on a tangent here.

A lot of the region locks are also license/laws related to avoid online gambling for example. Even so, companies like Nintendo with their switch are moving away from region locks to a worldwide approach (Sony did it since PS3 and Microsoft since Xbox One. Not sure the 360 was region free). SE should move in that direction too. The tools to do so are there. Even from a legal point of view.