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DS piracy continues to thrive in Japan despite new laws

Illegal R4 cards once again on the rise

DS piracy continues to thrive in Japan despite new laws
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DS

It would appear that Nintendo's victory over piracy in Japan last year was rather short-lived.

Last February, Nintendo - along with 53 other companies - won a petition to have the R4 flash device banned from sale.

The R4 card allows Nintendo DS gamers to play pirated games through their handheld console.

All for nothing

Initially, the law seemed to take effect swiftly, with the R4 disappearing from sale in the majority of retail stores around Japan.

However, 1UP reports that a year later, major retailers have taken to stocking the device again. One store in Osaka has even erected a huge banner advertising the R4 Majicon (see below).

While technically still illegal, there is no way for the Japanese authorities to enforce it. Piracy is still a huge problem facing games publishers in Japan.

The initial bill passed to stop the R4 being sold stated that this piracy was illegal - however, it did not state any criminal penalties would be given.

It appears Nintendo et al will have to continue to battle piracy for quite a while longer.

Mike Rose
Mike Rose
An expert in the indie games scene, Mike comes to Pocket Gamer as our handheld gaming correspondent. He is the author of 250 Indie Games You Must Play.