NTSC-C is a regional lockout created in 2003 by Sony Computer Entertainment for the official launch of its PlayStation 2 gaming system into the mainland Chinese market.[1]
The system's original model, then called PlayStation 2, was launched throughout 2000, 2001 and 2002 in Japan, North America, Europe, Oceania and Southeast Asia, but it was not introduced in mainland China because of rampant piracy. In November 2003, Sony China Chairman Hiroshi Soda explained the situation:
Sony was previously reluctant to introduce PlayStation 2 into the Chinese market due to the piracy problem. But we changed our minds as we think that the piracy situation cannot be controlled 100 percent, not only in China but also in many other countries and regions in the world. We have to be courageous, to face the reality.[2]
However the situation changed in November 2003 as Sony China announced the PlayStation 2 (SCPH-50009 "Satin Silver" type) was planned to be launched in mainland China for Christmas, official release date December 20, 2003. Sales would be first limited to five large industrialized cities Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu, then distribution would start in the whole country. However, on the eve of Christmas, arguing an "unfavorable environment,"[3][4] Sony China delayed the mainland release to next year with the system's new "slimline" type PS2 and sales limited to Shanghai and Guangzhou.[5] Meanwhile, Kenichi Fukunaga, a Sony Japan spokesman in Tokyo, reportedly declared "the company simply had not prepared in time for the China launch."[6]
The "NTSC/C" regional lockout for mainland China was specially created as the system is also a home NTSC DVD player with its specific Zone 6 regional code which is not compatible with the bordering countries (Japan is Zone 2; South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are all Zone 3, etc.)
The first batch of NTSC/C games was released in December 2005. Along with Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, third-party publishers included local branches of Bandai and Namco among others. The model types of NTSC-C PS2 for mainland China were SCPH-70006 CB, SCPH-75006 CB, SCPH-77006 CB, and SCPH-90006 CB.
"C" stands for China. However Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are part of the NTSC-J region which was initially created for Japan.
The term NTSC-C is used to distinguish regions in console video games, which use televisions of NTSCorPAL display standards. NTSC-C is used as the name of the video gaming region of continental China, despite the country's historical use of PAL as the official TV standard instead of NTSC.
Games designated as part of this region will not run on hardware designated as part of the NTSC-J (that include Traditional Chinese 中文版 version for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, instead of Simplified Chinese for China), NTSC-US and PAL (or PAL-E, "E" stands for Europe) mostly due to the regional differences of the PAL (SECAM was also used in the early 1990s) and NTSC TV standards, but there is also a concern of copyright protection through regional lockout built into the video game systems and games themselves, as the same product can be released by different publishers on different continents.
