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Forums - Nintendo - ELSPA: 90 per cent of US gamers use DS piracy chip

Spire_VII on 31 January 2008

"Claims software sales are lower than any other console

ELSPA has claimed that 90 per cent of all DS users in North America are playing pirated games via the notorious R4 cartridge.

John Hillier, manager of ELSPA's Intellectual Property Crime Unit, said that the R4 – a cartridge that plays hacked games downloaded onto a memory card – is harming sales for Nintendo and making it the least-profitable console on the market.

"The implications are massive. In America it's thought 90 per cent of Nintendo DS users are playing pirated games because of R4s," said Hillier, talking to The Sunday Post.

"Takings from Nintendo DS games in the US are lower than any other console and no doubt it will have a similar impact here," he said, discussing the uptake of the R4 in the UK.

The R4 is available to buy over the internet and unlike previous chips and modifications for other consoles, requires no clumsy hardware modifications.

The biggest threat that the R4 makes to the piracy problem, according to Hillier, is that it allows users the freedom to download hacked games from their PC and import them straight to the handheld.

"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."

"Crucially, the R4 has shifted balance of power in the piracy industry to the consumer – and that is hugely worrying," he said."

 

Source - http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=32603

 



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Troll_Monster on 31 January 2008

I have one of those, and me likes allot. XD



elnino334 on 31 January 2008

That has to be completely bogus. My cousin uses it but many many DS owners would not know how to get a hold of one. It is not something you can buy at a regular store and is not easily available online. I am sorry there is no way that 90% is legit or even close. They just want to make pirating seem much worse then what it is.



WiiStation360 on 31 January 2008

90%?? That is one of the most absurd made-up statistics I have ever seen.



Griffin on 31 January 2008

90% in the US, that is the biggest load of shit i have ever heard. Most of the DS users are kids and older gamers, people that don't even know what the difference between HDTv's and SDTv's are, i doubt they have bought or hacked anything.



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FishyJoe on 31 January 2008

Why is the ELSPA commenting on the American market? And based on the stats, the DS sold more software in the US alone (26.7 million) than the PSP did worldwide (18.3 million). If one believes the story, the DS would have over 240 million units of software pirated for the third quarter in the US alone.



thekitchensink on 31 January 2008

John Hillier, manager of ELSPA's Intellectual Property Crime Unit, said that the R4 – a cartridge that plays hacked games downloaded onto a memory card – is harming sales for Nintendo and making it the least-profitable console on the market.

 

 

I've got a DS, every single one of my friends has a DS, almost every one of their siblings has a DS, and we all know tons of other people with DS's.  None of us have R4's.



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The_vagabond7 on 31 January 2008

yeah, that's just FUDing to scare the 5% of DS owners that actually do own one. "The industry will crash if you use this!" Somehow I doubt 8 year old girls are playing pirated copies of Nintendogs.



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Troll_Monster on 31 January 2008
thekitchensink said:

John Hillier, manager of ELSPA's Intellectual Property Crime Unit, said that the R4 – a cartridge that plays hacked games downloaded onto a memory card – is harming sales for Nintendo and making it the least-profitable console on the market.

 

 

I've got a DS, every single one of my friends has a DS, almost every one of their siblings has a DS, and we all know tons of other people with DS's. None of us have R4's.


 Then I recomend you get one.



Spire_VII on 31 January 2008

I thought the PSP was the sytem to go far when it comes to playing pirated games (and judging by software sales). The DS seems to have pretty good software sales, so 90% is pretty much an exaggeration

 



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