Nintendo faces new piracy threat

[wraggster]

Its laughable how unhip the mainstream is, heres a newspost from gibiz

R4 chip for DS goes on sale in Akihabara and internet for around GBP 25

Nintendo faces a new threat from piracy this Christmas, as the R4 chip for the DS handheld becomes one the most sought after items in Tokyo's Akihabara electronics district.

Described by The Times Online as Nintendo's "Christmas stocking filler from Hell," the R4 costs around GBP 25 and bypasses the DS security system allowing users to play illegally cracked games and other material.

Reacting to the sale of the R4, a Nintendo spokesperson said: "We are keeping a close eye on the products and studying them. But we cannot smash them all."

According to The Times, many retailers are cryptically advertising the chip with signs reading, "New R4 shipment has finally arrived! You know what it does! Absolutely no questions will be answered concerning this product."

Sale of the chip – believed to be manufactured in China – is not strictly illegal, but what the users does with it is.

A quick internet search by GamesIndustry.biz reveals multiple websites openly selling the chip for around GBP 25.

Im sure the R4 has been around for at least 6months already :P

[abeisgreat]

Haha. I dont think the main stream media has ever really been up to date on the "underground" gamers

[wiggy fuzz]

and all this could be avoided if nintendo'd just cash in and make their own homebrew kits (which would undoubtedly be hacked...)

[JKKDARK]

I hate this R4 chip, luckily the DS software sales are still excellent

[goity]

R4 Chip? Isn't it a cartridge? Besides, I doubt anyone would know what an R4 does just by seeing the name on some scabby market stall, let alone how to us one.
Nintendo's stocking filler from hell? More like The Times' lacklustre Christmas scaremongering.

[stevo11185]

I hate this R4 chip, luckily the DS software sales are still excellent

i hate you. no seriously...most commercial flash carts are used for piracy. even the websites explain that they have 100% rom compatibility. Dcemu even post that so stfu.

[acn010]

R4 Chip? Isn't it a cartridge? Besides, I doubt anyone would know what an R4 does just by seeing the name on some scabby market stall, let alone how to us one.
Nintendo's stocking filler from hell? More like The Times' lacklustre Christmas scaremongering.

heres one that has no clue :rofl:

[paul3100]

i love MY R4 and supercard lite and wouldn't own a nintendo DS with out the R4 becausle lets be honest 95% of the games are total CR*P!

So with out such devices as these we wouldn't know what games to watch out for + there is a lot of good homebrew games and apps floating around which are 100% legal

long live R4 and friends . . .. paul

[RowaN]

Another "pirate practice" here seems to be that the poor author of that article has been charged a whopping £25 for an R4! I got my last R4 for £16.13 at.. well i dont want to advertise, but one of the main sites that sell them.

[stevo11185]

Another "pirate practice" here seems to be that the poor author of that article has been charged a whopping £25 for an R4! I got my last R4 for £16.13 at.. well i dont want to advertise, but one of the main sites that sell them.

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do not use divineo they rip people off