Japan Bans R4

February 27, 2009

Bowing to a request from Nintendo, the government of Japan has outlawed sales of the R4 flash cart, reports PocketGamer:

Among other uses - some of which are legitimate - the R4 allows the playing of pirated games on the Nintendo DS handheld:

To be fair to Nintendo, one of the most prominent uses of DS flash carts is indeed piracy, though such a ham-fisted pursuit of a device that's also used to unlock the console's potential won't do it any favours in the technophile arena.

And right now, cutting off a passionate hardware customer base (on the dawn of a new system release) isn't a particularly wise move for a games system that, it has to be said, is wilting in the sun of a changing industry.

We'll have to wait and see how this Japanese ruling affects the rest of the world, but for the time being Japanese DS gamers are going to have to look elsewhere for their homebrew DS apps.

Comments

Re: Japan Bans R4

Submitted by SounDemon on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 19:26.

Well, apparently you like EULAs, or are a developer horny for excessive control; in that you don't have any opposition to liking EULAs.


Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?" Pinky: "I think so, Brain, but we're already naked."

Re: Japan Bans R4

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 15:54.

I am having trouble finding an actual "Terms of Service" or "Terms of Use" for the DS. I downloaded the manual from the Nintendo of US website and all it had in there was a Warranty clause that stated that the warranty is invalid if the product is used with any hardware not licensed by Nintendo.

Nothing in there stating that it is illegal to mod the DS.

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/manuals/index.jsp

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower

Re: Japan Bans R4

Submitted by GTCv Deimos on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 13:51.

I've gotta say... It's kind of hard to picture Nintendo as a victem, when they're sitting on a mt fuji sized pile of MONIES!!!

Re: Japan Bans R4

Submitted by Zerodash on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 15:36.

*sarchasm*

Yes, because by having money, Nintendo DESERVES to have their software pirated.

Re: Japan Bans R4

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 15:47.

well, they are suffering. Instead of being able to buy all the execs a Gold plated Ferrari, they can only get them gold plated Corvettes.

But I agree. Just because they are not suffering financially, that does not mean they should not be able to stop piracy of their products.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower

Re: Japan Bans R4

Submitted by GTCv Deimos on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 16:52.

I'm not condoning pirating...

But still... when you're that successful, trying to crack down on those who are slipping through the cracks just seems needlessly greedy.

 

Also, thanks for labeling your post as "sarcasm." I totally never would have figured that out had you left it blank...

/sarcasm... or was it!?!? :D

Re: Japan Bans R4

Submitted by sheppy on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 14:31.

That is the hilarious part.  The consumer base for Nintendo Consoles barely know they can hook up to the internet, let alone functions like a R4.  This has to be hitting a very small percentage of their base and yet they are the most actively vocal about it.  Then again they've been fighting importing games for as long as I can remember.

Wall of Text Simulation- Insert coin to continue.

Wall of Text Simulation- Insert coin to continue.

Re: Japan Bans R4

Submitted by insanejedi on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 14:56.

Not for Wii's. But I have seen PLENTY and I mean PLENTY of people with R4's and bootlegged games. Remember that British Woman who called the DS the "nintendo"? She got the DS with 150 something games, there was no conformation on whether she did have an R4 or not, but I can gaurentee you they were not 150 regular cartrage games.

 
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