Source: IGN
Ahhh piracy, the bane of game developers everywhere. Consoles (home and handheld) both suffer from ‘mod chip’ makers, firmware hackers and a slew of other things that allow people to game without supporting (with cash) the titles they “claim” to love so much. When it comes to the DS, according to The Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) in the UK, almost every American DS gamer is a no good thief!
Find out who would be insane enough to make such a claim and the question of just who we should believe after the jump!
The ELSPA, which is the UK version of North America’s ESA (Entertainment Software Association) believes that almost all of America’s DS gamers are using the R4 device. R4 allows DS enthusiasts to run unauthorized software, including some perfectly harmless homebrew, but at the same time it allows for the possibility to run pirated games.
The manager of ELSPA’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit, John Hillier, told The Sunday Post:
“In America it’s thought 90 per cent of Nintendo DS users are playing pirated games because of R4s,” and “Takings from Nintendo DS games in the US are lower than any other console and no doubt it will have a similar impact here [Scotland].”
Considering almost 17 million DS handhelds have been sold in the good’ol US of A, that’s a hell of a lot of people to be calling thieves. I’m not a DS fan by any stretch of the imagination, it just doesn’t appeal to me, but even I have to call out “shananigans” on this BS. DS games are among the cheapest of any of the available platforms today, so pirates are not really saving some fortune on being cheap. Add to that, the fact that I have met many DS gamers with homebrew, but few who use it for piracy. Granted I’m sure there are a number of people abusing the R4’s capabilities and hurting the industry that you and I both love so much, that’s just the world we live in.
Honestly though, 90%? That sounds like a made up number to me, kinda like if I said “90% of the women in the world find me irresistible.”
Read the ELSPA’s response on the next page.
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6 responses so far ↓
1 Maul // Feb 4, 2008 at 10:12 am
Actually most DS gamers use M3DS, because it plasy films, music, GBA games, GBC games, Nes and SNES games.
I use mine to try the japanese versions of the games then import the USA version or wait for the UK release.
2 HeavenlyYeti // Feb 4, 2008 at 11:58 am
?????
I’ve never even heard of this! 90%, really? I’ll have to look into that, LOL
3 Murpdog // Feb 4, 2008 at 1:22 pm
ha 90% i’d say about half of thought are under the age of 14
4 smon jiff // Feb 4, 2008 at 3:58 pm
did you ever consider that %90 of all women in the world might actually be atracted to you PMPB?
5 Maul // Feb 5, 2008 at 1:58 am
I would hazard a guess it is actually like 9% but was misquoted and blew out of proportions.
6 doro626 // Feb 7, 2008 at 8:59 am
I havent pirated anything. I’m missing out. I have to start to become part of that 90%, otherwise that guy will be called a liar. I’m contacting JAck and the other Scallywags in Shanghai to send me over a bushell of games.
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