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R4 chip brings Nintendo DS piracy to an all time high

by Steven Williamson on 31 January 2008, 12:23

Tags: Nintendo DS, Nintendo (TYO:7974), DS

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90 per cent of North American's playing illegally

A newspaper report suggests that in North America approximately 90 percent of DS gamers are now using the notorious R4 piracy chip to get their illegal fix of hand-held gaming.

“The implications are massive. In America it's thought 90 percent of Nintendo users are playing pirated games because of R4,” explained John Hillier, Manager of ELSPA's Intellectual Property Crime Unit in an interview with the Sunday Post.

The Sunday Post also contains a report about the situation in Scotland where it’s believed the chip is sold for approximately £40 from various websites and traders. The Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) say that the chip “gets around the protection built into the Nintendo DS to prevent playing of unauthorized games. The R4 in effect blinds the console and makes it think it's seeing a genuine game. Trading standards and police are finding these devices in raids on people who sell pirated games.”

Hillier told the newspaper that the offence for selling these chips could lead to up to two years in jail or an unlimited fine.

ELSPA say that the R4 chip has devastating consequences on the gaming industry, that’s despite Nintendo reporting record software sales recently with 5 million units sold of Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? 2.8 million units sold of More Brain Training From Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain? And Nintendogs recently hitting the 8 million mark.

“That's the real danger – you may think you're getting a good deal but using the R4 is risking the future of the games industry," concluded Hillier.

Why can you buy the R4 chip from Amazon marketplace then?

Source :: Strategy Informer


HEXUS Forums :: 19 Comments

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If I'm honest, its scaremongering. Record sales, and 90% of people pirating games? Rubbish.
“The implications are massive. In America, it is thought 100 percent of ELSPA spokemen love pulling statistics out from their behind because of low intelligence.”
Of course - the fact that people can use them for none-pirating purposes - seems to have been overlooked.
Reports by who exactly?
Well, personally I'm perfectly prepared to believe it since obviously the loss of revenue means they can only afford to pay drooling mouth-breathers to write the reports… :devilish: