Update: A Nintendo spokesperson has issued the following statement to Eurogamer in regards to the rumour, “We do not discuss product security details (for obvious reasons), nor can we discuss the details of countermeasures available in the Nintendo 3DS system.
“Nintendo 3DS has the most up-to-date technology. The security has been designed to protect both the creative works in the software and to protect the Nintendo 3DS hardware system itself.”
Original Story: It would seem that Nintendo has taken note of the piracy issues that, albeit slightly, begun to hamper the success of their Nintendo DS family of handheld systems.
Japanese retailer Enterking has posted a warning on their website, that roughly translates to the following:
Dear customers who seek to re-sell the Nintendo 3DS,
“In any case where you use equipment which is illegal or unapproved by Nintendo, or if you do customisation [of Firmware] which is unapproved by Nintendo, there is a possibility that Nintendo 3DS become non-bootable by system update.”
– From Nintendo 3DS terms of agreementDue to the terms of agreement above, Enterking refuses to buy Nintendo 3DS systems that have any record of the use of illegal or unapproved equipment.
To protect from leaking your personal and internet connection information, we ask customers to format their system before selling it. If we refuse to purchase after you format your 3DS system, Enterking is not responsible for any lost data and settings. Please understand before you format.
It would seem, therefore, that Nintendo are set to prevent those that utilise devices such as the R4 Cards from upgrading their Nintendo 3DS handheld with the latest system update. A move that may be behind the delay in the eShop service, and additional features, due to be released towards late May.
Those that pick the handheld up at launch, use an R4 Card to play the Nintendo DS catalogue of software and then attempt to update the system firmware to add the extra functionality may soon find themselves reprimanded.
Whilst it is apparent that retailers may now have a method of checking whether flash carts have been used on the system, power is now back with Nintendo to take matters into their own hands. A sensible move indeed.
We shall have to wait and see how this develops…
