R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier in Japan

[Vidboy10]

See those signs? They read, "Majikon" — Japanese for R4. And they are pointing into a random apartment building.

Nintendo leading the legal charge against the R4, even asking individuals to anonymously rat out retailers selling the devices. One Akihabara R4 retail shop recently closed due to "adult reasons" — some on the Japanese internet are inferring that the heat from Nintendo has caused the store to shutter.

R4 cartridges are used to pirate Nintendo DS video games.

This Den-Den Town "store" in Osaka is advertising its R4 wares with a sign board that notes, "These products are not illegal." The R4 exists in a gray area legally. There's a court injunction against the Chinese R4 makers for "violation under Japan's laws". Last year, Nintendo (and 53 other sofware companies) took action against the makers of the R4 cart.

Osaka is already home to the R4 vending machine.

Signs in the apartment building direct customers to the "shop".

This is not to say that R4 devices are not being sold openly in cities like Osaka and Tokyo, because they are. But for how long?

Source

 

[Advi]

But is it the R4 only that's illegal? What about the DSTT, like on the sign?

 

[rockstar99]

THEY ALL ARE ILLEGAL BUT NINTNEDO IS ONLY TAKING ACTION AGAINST R4 FOR NOW BECAUSE its the most popular

sorry for caps

 

[Vidboy10]

But is it the R4 only that's illegal? What about the DSTT, like on the sign?

I think when they say ''R4 cartridges'' or simply ''R4's'', i think they mean Falshcarts.

Even though i laugh every time they call Flashcarts ''R4 Type Devices''

 

[Hop2089]

Don't follow the signs, it's dangerous just order online.

 

[jackdanielchan]

Well, if they irradicate R4 let's hope another brand won't be next!

 

[zuron7]

R4 is tthe cart that's protecting other carts right now.

 

[Satangel]

R4 is tthe cart that's protecting other carts right now.

Yeah, and that's maybe a good thing.
I don't want them to hurt my CycloDS

 

[Danny600kill]

Yeh R4 is like our scapegoat lets just leave them to try ann stop them which will take up all their time while we just live our lives with our other flashcarts or the r4s we already have.

 

[Raven Darkheart]

lol let them waste resources hunting an obsolete cart. I'm all for it

 

[iPikachu]

my poor r4 ;_;

 

[Bluelaserman]

Nintendo is hiding inside, awaiting NDS rom players

 

[XWolf]

It's all a bit mad. Like Sony trying to ban Blu Ray blank disks and burners in case of pirate games/films.

Thing is, as per PalmOS - homebrew kept it alive a long time.

To shut down the routes for Homebrew Nintendo are not only risking losing new programmers (a lot of the best programmers started in bedrooms with own kit) and a valuable fanbase. Yes - there is piracy due to the same tools, but then there is ALWAYS a way that games will be pirated.

 

[iNFiNiTY]

It's all a bit mad. Like Sony trying to ban Blu Ray blank disks and burners in case of pirate games/films.

Thing is, as per PalmOS - homebrew kept it alive a long time.

To shut down the routes for Homebrew Nintendo are not only risking losing new programmers (a lot of the best programmers started in bedrooms with own kit) and a valuable fanbase. Yes - there is piracy due to the same tools, but then there is ALWAYS a way that games will be pirated.

But homebrew has nothing to do with it because nobody buys R4s for homebrew and theres no reason for it to even run pirated games if it was for that so its a flimsy excuse. Piracy isn't a side effect of homebrew being available, homebrew is a side effect of piracy and you make it sound like its the other way around when its obviously not. And the blu-ray comparison is nothing like it because the NDS cart format is not supposed to be an open format.

 

[monaug5]

We should show the people at Nintendo this information that we have uncovered.

 

[alidsl]

Nintendo is hiding inside, awaiting NDS rom players

*WARNING* Nintendo spy

 

[House Spider]

Hopefully its a clone they're getting rid of. Sadly its real. Why the R4?

 

[Veho]

Because "R4" is synonymous with DS flashcards. It's a household name. Like all tissues are Kleenex and all photocopiers are Xerox.

 

[Fabis94]

R4 is tthe cart that's protecting other carts right now.

Yes, i never really that about R4 being something that protects other flashcarts. I LOVE R4 FOR THAT

 

[Raika]

Lol, Nintendo already pwned the R4 team, so instead of going around being R4Busters why not focus on destroying other teams? Although I wouldn't want that to happen!!! Just stating some random fact.