News: 54 Companies Join Nintendo Against R4 Piracy Page 1

54 Companies Join Nintendo Against R4 Piracy

29.07.2008

Nintendo have stepped up their crusade against DS piracy by gaining support from 54 companies in court.

The Japanese software giant has filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court using the "Unfair Competition Prevention" laws against companies that import or "R4 Revolution" or similar cartridges. The device has made both piracy and homebrew on the portable platform incredibly easy. Retailing for approximately �30 or under in most regions, the DS-sized cart allows files, software and, most importantly to Nintendo, copied DS games to run.

"It is causing severe damage to our company and software makers, and this is something that we cannot possibly overlook."

According to Kotaku, companies include Sega, Capcom, Square Enix, Tomy, Taito, Koei, Bandai Namco, Hudson, The Pok�mon Company and Level Five.

What are your views on R4/M3 DS cartridges? Do you own an R4 cartridge? Be sure to have your say in our discussion forums below.

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knighty 29.07.2008#1

�30 for DS games is a joke. I'm not really a handheld gamer though....but yes I have an R4 but mainly use it for musics.

D_prOdigy 29.07.2008#2

I'm sure there are many people who use their R4s/M3s for pefectly legal purposes, but there are still a large number who exploit, exploit, exploit. Can anything good be said of these people?

JoshSL 29.07.2008#3

I think �30 for DS games is alright, especially since GBA games were also �30, and a lot of DS games have a lot more work put into them than GBA games.

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knighty 29.07.2008#4

I have a lot of pirated DS games....I\'m a bad person *sob* [/sarcasm]

edit: I think GBA games were a rip off too.

( Edited 29.07.2008 11:39 by knighty )

JoshSL 29.07.2008#5

Perhaps.... although for the most part (except for particularly amazing home games) I get just as much enjoyment out of a handheld as I do from a home console. The actual value does play a part, but carts are meant to be more expensive to make than discs anyway (I might be mistaken on that so don\'t quote me Smilie ). I\'d be willing to pay up to �35/40 for a couple of the best DS games simply because they give me as much enjoyment as a home game.

( Edited 29.07.2008 11:47 by SuperLink )

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Phoenom 29.07.2008#6

And yet if all those who pirate DS titles had to get them legitimately, there is every chance that with increased sales that that �30 price point would drop. Smilie

I don't agree with piracy at all anyway. Most great games are made by dedicated creators that put their heart and soul into making that game, and some arsehole just comes along and rips them off with a free download and little thought for their hard work. It's revolting.

...I suppose thinking along those lines I'd have to agree with Sony's previous stance on the second hand games market, but at least that one keeps the shops going. Pirate-ers give nothing and don't give a shit.

knighty 29.07.2008#7

Second hand games are NO DIFFERENT to piracy whatsoever. Except you paying to do so.

JoshSL 29.07.2008#8

knighty said:
Second hand games are NO DIFFERENT to piracy whatsoever. Except you paying to do so.

Never thought of it that way. I wonder why companies never stomped down on second hand games? Maybe if they did they would lose favour from retailers who make a good business out of it. Also it would just increase other kinda of piracy.

( Edited 29.07.2008 12:23 by SuperLink )

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erv 29.07.2008#9

Some games are a ripoff, but the piracy can literally kill them and the developers.

I gladly pay a decent amount of money for something of pure quality entertainment. And there is quite some of that on the DS. And the crappy games? I don't buy them, and don't play them illegally either.

RudyC3 29.07.2008#10

knighty said:
Second hand games are NO DIFFERENT to piracy whatsoever. Except you paying to do so.

This is why, in Japan, there used to be written on games that they couldn't be sold second hand. I remember seeing it written on N64 and Super Famicom games. Dunno if it's still the case though.

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Uroboros Locke 29.07.2008#11

I have an R4 but mainly use it for music & movies

meowthemouse 29.07.2008#12

r4 and a cyclo ds Smilie
and i have it cause i get annoyed carrying the games every where around with me

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Ikana 29.07.2008#13

Yeah, I have something similar to an R4...I very rarely play roms though. I\'ll only download a rom for a game in a similar way you\'d download a demo. If I like the game, I\'ll go out and buy the legit version. It just feels nicer having the proper cart.

I\'d be far more annoyed if they restricted imports though. There are so many amazing games that are impossible to play without importing...I nearly cried when Sony shut down Lik-sang. ;-; Still, I usually import using ebay...I doubt they could do much about that...

( Edited 29.07.2008 12:54 by Ikana )

Darkflame 29.07.2008#14

Devices that allow homebrew certainly shouldnt be banned just because they CAN be used for piracy.
Theres enough legitmate uses. (PuzzleManik,StillAlive and Spout being homebrew I love. Moonbooks being an excelent supply of out of copyright films and books.)

However, many of these devices come with software specialy designed to bipass and crack DS roms to get them to run.
These devices that market and supply this software should indeed be stopped. (and no, \"backup\" copys arnt nesscery)

Oh, and one other thing;
Importing has nothing to do with this.
I have no clue why nintendo mentioned that, and it should INSTANTLY be dismissed.

This should only be about devices with software/hardware supplied only used for piracy.

\"�30 for DS games is a joke.\"

Why?
They take just as much effort as, say, an N64 or PS1 game did at that time.

While some are, of course, bad value and shit games.
The quality DS titles still take a lot of skill manhours to make.
I hate this falsehood that \"oh, its portable so it should be cheaper\".
It makes no sense at all.
Metroid Hunters, Wind Waker, Mario Kart, Advanced Wars.....these titles take a lot more effort to produce. A lot more then, say, a typical 3rd party Wii game, in fact.

Things should be priced according to effort, and \"number of enjoyable hours\" it gives you.
Not by platform.

\"Second hand games are NO DIFFERENT to piracy whatsoever. Except you paying to do so.\"

err.not quite.
Mainly because when someone takes back a game, they normaly use the money to get money off another game.
Its like instead of buying 2 new games, your buying \"1 and a half\" (in terms of revenue going back to the publisher).

So its like half piracy, if you like.

( Edited 29.07.2008 13:05 by Darkflame )

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JoshSL 29.07.2008#15

If imports are in any way banned then part of my livlihood (Being able to get Square-Enix games 5 months before they come out here) will be ruined forever.

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Mason 29.07.2008#16

SuperLink said:
knighty said:
Second hand games are NO DIFFERENT to piracy whatsoever. Except you paying to do so.

Never thought of it that way. I wonder why companies never stomped down on second hand games? Maybe if they did they would lose favour from retailers who make a good business out of it. Also it would just increase other kinda of piracy.

Did they not try and fail?

knighty 29.07.2008#17

err.not quite.
Mainly because when someone takes back a game, they normaly use the money to get money off another game.
Its like instead of buying 2 new games, your buying \"1 and a half\" (in terms of revenue going back to the publisher).

Errrr no because that would only work if they paid you more for your returns than you were paying to get a new game, since someone is getting that game you just returned without any revenue going to the publisher.

Anyway, you\'re insane if you think any DS game takes as long to develop nowadays as a PS1/N64 game would have. When massive console games are �40 (I get most of mine for less than this) you have to admit they seem like a rip off in comparison (because they are).

( Edited 29.07.2008 13:19 by knighty )

J4K 29.07.2008#18

knighty said:
�30 for DS games is a joke. I'm not really a handheld gamer though....but yes I have an R4 but mainly use it for musics.

Justify it however you want to, its still robbing developers of whats rightfully theirs.

Personally, I am a handheld gamer. I typically get more out of a handheld game than a console game, so I'm actually satisfied with how much they cost.

knighty 29.07.2008#19

Have you ever borrowed a game? That's pretty much piracy too (Read the EULA's in the manuals).

J4K 29.07.2008#20

knighty said:
Have you ever borrowed a game? That's pretty much piracy too (Read the EULA's in the manuals).

No it isn't. Piracy is the act of stealing a game and therefore is illegal. Borrowing isn't. Besides, if you really like the game then, you'll likely go out and buy it after your friend takes it back.

Sure, there might be some things that have a somewhat similar affect as piracy, but in the end, only one of them is truly stealing.

knighty 29.07.2008#21

Most of the games I've borrowed in the past I haven't bought.

James2t3 29.07.2008#22

Just import games if you feel like there too much...and most DS games you can find for around �20-�25 online.

I use the R4 to buy games I would never have bought anyway like worms or bomberman which I have on xbox , oh and FF4 because you know I bought that on the GBA Sqaure!

I still buy the odd one though.

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shiptoncraig 29.07.2008#23

Pirates justifying their actions and trying to make out that people's everyday actions are just as bad, makes me laugh.

...

Smilie

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knighty 29.07.2008#24

I only pirate DS games, and as I said, very rarely. I have like 4 games.

What is the difference between buying a second hand game, borrowing one, and pirating one? THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. In all 3 cases the publisher/developer gets no money from you.

( Edited 29.07.2008 15:08 by knighty )

J4K 29.07.2008#25

knighty said:
I only pirate DS games.
What is the difference between buying a second hand game, borrowing one, and pirating one? THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. In all 3 cases the publisher/developer gets no money from you.

But then you are stealing money from the people who bought the used game to resell..there is a difference.

Then there\'s the fact that pirating is illegal..

( Edited 29.07.2008 16:24 by Jacob4000 )