Nintendo have never been shy when it comes to stomping down the heavy boot of litigation. In fact they've often given the impression that they only make these video games they put out in order to fill the quiet times in between suings. It's strange then, that while other companies have been rabidly hounding the import market as if it killed their parents, and treating the scourge of modding as if 'twere the very Black Death, Nintendo have been fairly quiet on such matters recently.
Until now, that is. The Nintendo Europe site has started carrying a news item intended to educate unwary gamers on its "Just say no" stance on mod chips:
"Modification microchips (mod chips) circumvent the security embedded into Nintendo's products. To install a mod chip into a Nintendo hardware system, it is necessary to dismantle the product and, in some instances, remove components."
"Mod chips have been adjudicated to be illegal in various countries around the world, including the Unites States, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. Most European countries have also already adopted laws prohibiting the circumvention of technological measures for copyright protection. People caught installing or selling mod chips may be subject to criminal charges."
While technically this has been Nintendo's line for years, the move seems a strange and arbitrary one to make right now. After all, the DS has thrived on the homebrew and modding scene for a good long time, and with this sort of thing having been around since the days of the Super NES, it seemed that lately the new Nintendo was taking a more mature and laid back attitude, particularly in light of recent debacles. We even had rumours of a region free Wii a while back, remember?
What's doubly strange though, is that there's been no similar warning on their American site. Doubly strange, and absolutely nothing to do with certain areas of the world actually being happy with their release schedules, I'm sure.
But what do you think? Are companies within their rights to tell you what to do with your machine? Or is that your own business alone you've paid them for it?
[Via Eurogamer]
Contest:
7:42 PM on 04.25.2007
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They all know the risks of modding a console, once I've paid the $250 bucks for it, its my problem and I can do what I want with it.
If i could do it with the Wii and not be afraid of some update that will kill it . I would surely invest in it.
If you want to pretty much eliminate the use of modchips make your console and games region free. In Europe we are still waiting for Elebits and Trauma Centre, Super Paper Mario has no release date.
Also Nintendo: Don't tar your entire fanbase with the same brush. There will always be an element that will try to pirate games, that is unavoidable. Not everyone is a criminal though, and we don't appreciate being told we are.
Now Fuck Off Nintendo and start releasing some games. And make sure they are out in Europe at the same time as the rest of the world, you cunts.
Large % of nintendo fans = children.
:= Nintendo = child raping pederasts!
Q.E.D.
It's true that dtoid isn't the best when it comes to straight up reportage or unbiased takes on whatever happens to be going on, but they are one of the most amusing(love the NSMB shop, by the way).
Its my machine, I can mod/break it if I want. Cuz I'm gangsta like that niiiiggga!
"[snip]but i just won't ever know whether it was just some 20 something with the mentality and sense of humor of a 11th grade class clown."
Posts always cite sources. Clicking a succession of links isn't really that much effort if you seriously doubt the validity of a post. I'm not sure why you have so much doubt about this though, I can pretty much assure you it is legit.
"and it's absolutely ridiculous to me that people hate on nintendo, especially on a site that 'always has its facts straight.'"
Starting a paragraph with "and"? Tut, tut... I'm assuming you're talking about game|life here. They do not hate excessively on nintendo. If anything the site's bias leans slightly in their favour. Susan(although she's not my favourite writer in the world) was simply making the point that nintendo are being dicks here, and they are. I'm a big fan of nintendo, since way back, and a constant advocate of the wii. Doesn't change the fact that they're the assholes on this occasion.
"there are so few lawsuits on that website.... unfortunately they won't die."
I just have no clue what you're trying to say here. I would apoligise, but I don't really think it's my fault.
"and the truth is that website with all the nintendo cases listed couldn't spell responsible correctly...[snip]"
Misspellings do not an inaccurate article make. I just don't see why you have so much trouble believing this stuff. I'll put it this way: why would that site lie? If you really care, you can find plenty other sources of evidence(a 1up article I couldn't be bothered linking to has more info).
"seriously though, it was a very interesting read. it's completely circular. it's suggestive reading at its finest, and if you really like this, well, eat it up."
I'm guessing by this you're again referring to the source site being down. Y'know, it still isn't any of the blogger's faults.
If you hate this site so much, feel free to go elsewhere. If you want to stick around here though, you might want to get some skillz.
Welcome, don't suck.
Cory Doctorow just spoke at the local college last Friday, so I'm all gung ho right now about this DMCA bullshit. The fact that people who want to play games that could legally be brought into their countries are basically being labelled as criminals is fucking stupid. "If modchips are outlawed, then only outlaws will have modchips." What's really batshit insane is that they don't even apply bullshit region encoding consistently-why none on the GBA/DS but yes on the GCN/Wii?
I really do feel sorry for European (and Australian) gamers. Every time I hear about them getting screwed over I die a little inside.
I'm almost angry enough to start a campaign to get imported consoles into the hands of European gamers. Even with duties or whatever other money bullshit it takes to import, you'll probably get it for cheaper.
One more fuckover, and I will start that internet petition. You don't want me to go there.
-This post is dedicated to the memory of Lik-Sang-
To be honest, too many people will be keen to rip open their wii's and mod them without really knowing what they're doing and why should Nintendo have to deal with wii's that customers have ruined themselves.
That said... NoE are absolutely SCREWING us recently so I can see the impatience, but if its that annoying try picking up an NTSC console for home (yesasia for example have them available).
FYI, a similar warning is indeed on the US site, though it's buried in their customer service page instead of being an ACTION NEWS item. Because it's not a problem here, because they deliver games on time.
Had Nintendo done the region free thing on the Wii, there would be no need for this post. We need the Spanish Inquisition to explore these "Let's pick on Europe" moments...
They'd also brick a lot of Wiis since many of the games update the system's firmware. NTSC and PAL systems are different. Remember what happened with people who imported Super Paper Mario?