AfterDawn: News

Nintendo wants help in crackdown on piracy

Nintendo has officially sent a request to the U.S. Trade Representative this week, asking the group to help shut down pirates in nations "where piracy is rampant."

According to the company, China is the leader in regards to piracy. "Chinese customs officials must stop shipments of game copiers and other infringing products out of China," added Nintendo.



Following right behind China are Brazil, Korea, Mexico, Spain, and Paraguay. Nintendo wants not only a stop to game piracy, but help in stopping the sale and transport of mod chips and flash carts such as the R4 used to help piracy in Wii and DS consoles.

"These devices skirt the product security embedded in Nintendo’s famous products and enable the play of illegal Nintendo software," Nintendo added. "It is important for parents to note that if users of circumvention devices are children, they may be exposed to unsuitable content downloaded from the Internet."

Nintendo's statement also added that Spain was a breeding ground from rampant game copying and that Mexican anti-piracy tactics were "totally inadequate."

The gaming giant did applaud Korea however, noting it has "drastically improved its anti-piracy efforts."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 26 Feb 2009 20:13

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• 13 comments

• ZippyDSM

  I wantz to halp!!! lets make legal things illegal!!

  26.2.2009 20:31 #1

• WoWGold

  Great news for us parents who truly value the online security of our children and buy SPAM edited by ddp on World of Warcraft. Hopefully, they would implement more privacy and security measures on the internet.

  26.2.2009 21:17 #2

• Pop_Smith

  It was only a matter of time before they tried to further crackdown on the DS flash carts.
  
  However, I am slightly confused by this article.
  
  Quote:Nintendo's statement also added that Spain was a breeding ground from rampant game copying and that Mexican anti-piracy tactics were "totally inadequate." I though Spain's people and/or government is Spanish, not Mexican. Unless I am mistaken Spain is Spanish and people/government from Mexico are Mexican.
  
  Sure, they both speak Spanish but they are totally different places. :P
  
  Sorry for the semi-off topic rant.
  
  Back on topic however:
  Quote:"It is important for parents to note that if users of circumvention devices are children, they may be exposed to unsuitable content downloaded from the Internet."True, children (or their friends) could get pr0n or other junk and put it on a flash cart but that would mean they have to know where to access it in the first place. Having it on the flash cart just makes it portable. I've never come across a DS ROM that is really pr0n in disguise.
  
  Peace

  26.2.2009 21:24 #3

• DSWarrior

  I agree with Pop_Smith, but Nintendo sadly is fueling the piracy fire. The economy is down and game prices are higher than ever...So people tend to look for the cheapest way to entertain themselves...namely pirating video games.
  
  As for parents, Nintendo does a good job with their Parental Controls in their systems, and true, flashcarts circumvent those measures and kids can be exposed to all sorts of junk...BUT, let's keep in mind that the DS or the Wii are not the only places where kids can be harmed by such material. COmputers, cellphones, TV, magazines, that junk is everywhere. I applaud the parents that strive to keep their children off of such dangers, but sadly that is almost impossible these days. Maybe all your devices are under strict control, but what about your kids' classmates? I remember when I was in school, all the kids where watching that stuff on cellphones and iPods, even inside classrooms! I was deeply disgusted by that. And most of their parents thought of them as "good" kids.
  
  What I'm trying to say is, that although flashcarts can be dangerous, there's no real way to stop those things from popping into kids' sight. AND as far as we've all seen, there's no real way to stop piracy completely...They can make their biggest efforts and piracy will always be there...
  
  For example, the DSi was immune to flashcarts...supposedly...Now there's a way to hack it and play ROMs...So no matter what they try...pirates will find a way to squirm into the scene...And that's bad for companies...but it's a sad truth...

  26.2.2009 21:48 #4

• ZippyDSM

  They should be focusing on getting cheap paid downloads to the portables, so people can game cheaply and easily.
  
  The longer they try strong arm tactics the more profit they lose.

  26.2.2009 21:51 #5

• varnull

  wrap your kids in cotton wool.. and then watch them get pregnant at 13 because you have sheltered them from everything that might possibly harm them.. yeah.. makes a lot of sense.
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.
  I would rather you hate me for who I am than love me for what I am not.
  Welcome to the other side of the looking glass Alice

  26.2.2009 21:59 #6

• emugamer

  I know how to reduce childrens exposure to unsuitable material. Parents need to step up and pirate for the kids. Make sure that they are the ones putting the games on there.

  27.2.2009 08:06 #7

• DVDBack23

  Hey Pop, Nintendo was talking separately about Mexico and Spain :)

  27.2.2009 10:19 #8

• BadCatt

  Well for Mexico , The drug problem right now when you have 5,000 to 6,000 killed in 2008 over it.
  
  Well for China so much junk is coming out of there its hard to stop it, and there short on jobs now, If that helps them I don't think there going to do any any thing.

  27.2.2009 12:17 #9

• Pop_Smith

  Originally posted by DVDBack23: Hey Pop, Nintendo was talking separately about Mexico and Spain :)Yeah, I figured it was probably just worded funny. :P

  27.2.2009 15:17 #10

• Mr-Movies

  I must agree with varnull, if you bring your kids up right none of this matters. I have some good friends that have sheltered their kids too much and although the kids seem smart they have no common sense and can't think their way out of a paper bag, which is too bad because they are nice kids.
  
  Why does Nintendo take this tact what a joke...

  27.2.2009 16:01 #11

• Morreale

  Got my flash cart for $6.50 and a 4GB Kingston micro-sd for $11... Any game I want for only $17.50 USD. Can't go wrong there :)

  27.2.2009 20:00 #12

• sssharp

  The govt has enough garbage at this time. Does the bread company complain, the soda industry cry about free(there is a water bill) tap water? This crap from the music and gaming company's is total bs. Our officials need to turn their back and concentrate on the industries that effect all of the citizens not a select few.

  28.2.2009 08:56 #13