UK bans Nintendo DS homebrew code installer
King R4 uncrowned
The R4 card, a Nintendo DS add-on that allows users to transfer Rom code to the handheld, has been banned in the UK.
The high court in London ruled that the gadget may not be imported into the UK and sold here, and it must not be advertised here either.
The court agreed with Nintendo's claim that the device contravenes laws that make illegal any attempt to bypass a copyright protection system.
It ruled that since this is the case, even the defendant's statement that the R4 allows DS users to install code they have created themselves, the device falls foul of the law.
Unfortunately, the R4 has found favour not only with users keen to run alternative operating systems and software on the handheld console, but also with users who want to run pirated games.
Nintendo has brought similar actions against R4 suppliers in other European nations where the European Union Copyright Directive (EUCD) - Europe's answer to the US' Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) - has been enacted locally. ®
Via: MCV
COMMENTS
Homebrewers - yeah sure
I agree that homebrewers should get official support, but it is clear that the overwhelming majority of card owners use them to play pirated games. It would be smart for Sony, Nintendo etc. to support homebrew in some official capacity simply to separate the genuine homebrew scene out from the pirates.
Expected... but still disappointing.
This was to be expected eventually - however, I'm wondering whether this affects all of these similar devices - such as the Acekard. They all do effectively the same thing, but the ruling apparently just applies to he R4.
This is a shame too, if Nintendo and Sony and all the others would simply enable users to easily create and share their own code, not only would they make their platforms far more appealing to the modders and homebrewers (more sales), but they might manage to land themselves some future developers (See: Garrys mod) - and at the same time, making these devices less of a "grey area" and giving the pirates nothing to hide behind for their use.
It's still a shame that the people out there who actually want to get involved in creating stuff for their favourite platforms, get shunned by the device manufacturers and branded as pirates when they find ways of doing it.
Ah well
Guess people will have to buy DSTT, iEDGE, Acekard2, M3, DS ONE, EZ-FLASH or N5DS cards now instead ...
meh
The R4 has been second rate ever since they put the DS bricking code in it, to try and stop knockoffs using their firmware (can you smell the irony?).
The DS Evolution card boots faster and works better, and has a nicer interface anyway (important, when you have an 8 gig card littered with emulators and zillions of little files).
So wrong on so many facts....
First off, the dev-kits for Nintendo hardware cost considerably less than 10,000. You're thinking of Sony and Micorsoft kit that can cost as much at 30,000. There are some specialist bits and pieces that cost a fair whack, but if you have a publisher they will tend to loan you the more expensive hardware to get the job done.
This is how we used to get a great many PS2 dev-kits.
As for the "absurd organizational requirements"...either you have experience in making video games or you're an amateur who doesn't have a clue how to do the most basic of console specific systems. If you can prove that you're an experienced console developer, even a small four man team is able to get development approval from Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo.
The sad fact is that 99.999% of who I laughably call "developers" working on iPhone just are not experienced or talented enough to work on console development. It's not restrictive practices that's the issue...it's a lack of ability.
And besides...there's enough shovelware on console and we really don't need a load of talentless, unwashed retards porting their mobile shovelware there too.
Console development is exclusive for a reason; because most people who want to make games, would be better of in a career that suits their natural talents more...like working at McDonalds.
