So it's official, Nintendo can brick your 3DS with a software update. The Free Software Foundation (whoever they are) is targeting Nintendo in an Anti-DRM campaign because of it. The leader of the FSF went on to say:

"Further, they stated that they are unsure that they could repair a device to make it so that it could run again. And, that if they did brick a device, they would void the warranty; therefore the person would have to pay for the attempt to service and repair the device — e.g., unbrick it — which they are not sure would work anyhow."

Sounds like hackers will have a hard time on the 3DS.

http://nintendo3dsblog.com/nintendo-can-brick-your-3ds-system-if-they-want

http://www.defectivebydesign.org/nintendo

Good, I support this.

Either way, if someone is using a flash cart they probably won't ever need to update.

Sounds good to me.  Are the game companies just supposed to sit there and let us continue pirating everything.  Especially games which often take multimillion dollar efforts to produce.  or worse yet hollywood movies which take hundreds of millions of dollars to produce.  

Want the PS3 and 360 to do better, well every game you pirate is good for Nintendo.  It makes the expensive game production costs less feasible and the cheap Wii games FAR more attractive.  

More like kiddie scripters, who are pissed they have to pay for games.

Hm, guess I'll wait and see before I install the HBC3DS on my to-get 3DS.

So those early reports of bricked 3DSs were would be hackers?

Good.

I kinda can't believe people are still trying to play off hackers and piracy as somehow good or at least a right, in light of the PSN fiasco. I know hacking to be malicious and hacking for homebrew are very different, but I agree with the above posters that a company has every right to protect their assets, especially in light of recent events. If you don't want your 3DS bricked, don't hack it.

I think they're being somewhat overreactive. Here i'll agree that Nintendo should definitely take a certain degree of responsibility for bricked consoles (especially consoles bricked in the process of being repaired), but Nintendo's saying this in a more "cover your ass" sorta deal. They're saying *if* consoles brick due to some unforeseen incompatibility, it's not their problem (which i take a bit of issue with).

Ha ha suckers! I mean hackers! This gives some justice to Nintendo.

The 3DS was not meant to be hacked. Therefore, it isn't Nintendo's fault, or their problem, if one decides to take a risk by hacking it. If it is used the way it is supposed to be used, then it should not need to be bricked and/or repaired.

p.s. i don't really know what Im talking about