R4 hits the mainstream media

by Eric Caoili { Nov 26th 2007 at 4:40PM }

While pirates and homebrewers alike have known about the R4 since last December, the popular flashcart received its first taste of mainstream media attention today with an article in The Times. The piece focuses on characterizing the R4 as a major threat to Nintendo's pockets, citing the slot-1 cart's cheapness (about $40) and ease of use for its popularity among pirates, dismissing its ability to run homebrew "unofficial software" as an aside.

Despite its cautionary tone, the article provides an interesting look at how shops in Tokyo's Akihabara district advertise the product without actually acknowledging its features. One shop was seen putting up a sign that read, "New R4 shipment has finally arrived! You know what it does! Absolutely no questions will be answered concerning this product ..." Some salesman even refer customers to YouTube tutorials instead of explaining the R4's features themselves.

We understand that the R4 and other similar flashcarts make it easy for people to download and play unauthorized ROMs willy-nilly, but we don't think it's nearly as popular with gamers as The Times suggests. Also, we take offense to the article's ignorance of the DS homebrew community and achievements that tools like the R4 have fostered. We're not all pirates!

Tags: m3, newspaper, piracy, r4, rom, times

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

phanboy_iv @ Nov 26th 2007 5:01PM

If Nintendo's hardware was open to anyone who wanted to take the time to code for it, I would be on their side.

But gaming hardware has been for years jealously guarded,
and I'm a firm believer in the principle that no one should prevent you from running almost any kind of code you want to on a device that you own, if you waive the right to a warranty.

Clandaith @ Nov 26th 2007 5:02PM

I just bought an R4 card and got it on Saturday. I'm completely in love with it! I have ripped a few movies and loaded them up. I have a few demos and homebrew software loaded.

But, I am still buying games. I'm looking forward to Squad Command (the 40k game).

Having an R4 does not mean pirate, just as P2P does not mean pirate.

Sirus @ Nov 26th 2007 5:03PM

I like to use the R4 to play games when they are released in japan so I can know if I like it and if i do then i buy the english release. I have also found it a great way to try games before I buy it as well as carrying around multiple games I am playing at the same time that I own. When I bought brain age 2 I simultaneously put it on my R4 so my mom could play the cartridge while i played it on R4.

tcgiant @ Nov 26th 2007 5:09PM

I'm a pirate.

RupeeClock @ Nov 26th 2007 5:26PM

Oh, you'd be surprised how many people have these things...
There's two forums I frequent, a gaming forum on www.clockcrew.cc and the DS hardware board on www.gamefaqs.com, on clockcrew, many of the members I know have an R4, including myself, an there is an astounding amount of R4 discussion at GameFAQs.

Seriously, R4's just make piracy astoundingly easier...

Oh right, yes I have an R4, but I don't download any roms.
I use a rom dumping tool on my Supercard Lite.

Now if only I hadn't gotten myself banned for a month at GFAQs, I'd be posting this right away.

ELIJAH the ChaosDragon @ Nov 26th 2007 5:49PM

I am looking into purchasing it for media purposes, does anyone know of a site thats trustworthy? Nintendo forced me down this path, they should have released the playan years ago!

RAmen @ Nov 26th 2007 6:12PM

Amazon has it:

http://tinyurl.com/33qcaf

Clandaith @ Nov 26th 2007 6:54PM

I bought mine on Amazon.com. It was through a reseller, but it came in the mail just fine.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y3U91I

That's it there, but it was US$39.99 two weeks ago.

sergioalb64 @ Nov 26th 2007 5:49PM

We are all not pirates indeed, but personally I would glady give up homebrew if it would help slow down DS piracy.

Think about it; more games would sell, more developers would launch DS games, and a bunch of those new games ought to be good if not great.

Boo to piracy!

Byron Fortescue @ Nov 26th 2007 5:59PM

I've got an R4, loaded it up with some homebrew and some games, but personal use is okay here where I live.. There's also very good homebrew around, which is also very cool! And the R4 makes it accesible to anyone very easily, which is a good thing..

Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Nov 26th 2007 6:30PM

I have R4 solely for a reason that I cannot otherwise carry lots of games with me. I want to have a choice - at any time. R4 provides it to me.

Piracy (or rather in my case mostly demoing) of game came as additional bonus. Sadly I already bought all the games I wanted. Not much left to be pirated. (Except of course the titles which take like *NEVER* to reach Europe.)

If Nintendo would release card which would allow me to transfer my games to it (and saves!!!) off DS cartridges - I would gladly buy one and will be legit user. Otherwise I'm sticking with R4.

Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Nov 26th 2007 6:46PM

Second thought.

Popularity of R4 (as well as M3) are plainly pointing in direction of popularity of download services.

Nintedo, finally, please take a hint. I got bored trying to find a Metroid Pinball two years after its release. But on BitTorrent it is readily available. Hint. Hint. Hint.

HellsHammer @ Nov 26th 2007 6:54PM

I've owned my R4 for quite awhile now. Homebrew has come along way and is starting to get really interesting(Colors, AXE), it's too bad this seems to leave out that whole side of the story.

That being said, as far as the legal issues are concerned, personally, I tend to use it just like I use Torrents, as a test run.

Too many times I've spent $10 on terrible movies at the theater, and too many times I've spent $30-50 on terribe games at the store. (Lets not forget the fact that video game retailers USED to let you try games in the store before you bought them...thanks ebgamestop)

If I get a movie illegally and it's good, I go out and buy it. Similarly, if I get a game illegally and It's good (New Mario, Hotel Dusk) I go out a buy a real copy.
Nintendo lets you download a demo copy at the store to try to entice you to buy a game, I use R4 for the same.

Pie Pants @ Nov 26th 2007 7:05PM

Yes, I have an R4, and yes, I do pirate some games. But the thing is, I'm from Australia, and games here are ridiculously overpriced. For instance, Phantom Hourglass sells in the local EB's for AUD$70, which at current rates, is about US$62. At those prices, I can't afford to buy as many games as most. The R4 is a convenient try-before-you-buy system so I don't end up wasting money.

It's also allowed me to play many games that aren't actually for sale anymore (mostly GBA games via the EZFlash 3-in-1) and games that otherwise wouldn't be sold at all in Australia. Without the R4, the DS would probably sit in a corner, only to be played maybe once or twice a month. Now I find myself using it every day.

charlotte @ Nov 26th 2007 7:26PM

On a parenting forum that I frequent almost everybody that owns a DS has an R4. People recommend it to each other and people are so grateful because now they don't have to buy those expensive games anymore. It is quite depressing, really (perhaps even more so since these are parents that on other subjects are quite holier-than-thou and all about modeling good behaviour for your children)

Abscissa @ Nov 27th 2007 2:31AM

I'm curious what forum that is?

charlotte @ Nov 27th 2007 8:51AM

It is a Dutch forum.

Archaic @ Nov 26th 2007 8:06PM

Another Australian here. I use my R4 primarily to play homebrew, or SCUMMVM games. Having said that, I do occasionally download ROMs to play on it of games I'm interested in perhaps importing (either direct from Japan, like I did with Ouendan, or a game released in America that's not getting released here), games I already own (simply because it's easier to not take a stack of games around with me at all times), and seemingly out-of-print games. I continue to buy legit copies of games when I find something that interests me, and if anything, I'm probably more willing to put my money on a game, simply from having had a chance to try it before I buy.

Author X @ Nov 26th 2007 9:16PM

I've only gotten my R4 recently, a couple weeks ago, and I'm very satisfied. A lot of good homebrew (Like Geo Wars, Everlasting Love (thanks DS fanboy!), and World of Sand), and yes, I've downloaded a few ROMs. Three words: Zekkyo Senshi Sakeburain!

DarkMirage @ Nov 27th 2007 1:35AM

Maybe not in America, but in Asian countries other than Japan, almost everyone with a DS uses R4. It's like part of the standard package. And I don't know anyone who runs homebrew on his DS either...

Bill McCai @ Nov 27th 2007 3:29AM

Also an Aussie.

I'm finding these to be increasingly popular over here. People order them from online asian stores. And then spread the word without a ounce of guilt.

I myself haven't succumbed to games piracy, but it's definitely becoming quite common, almost entirely through word of mouth.

Ethan @ Nov 27th 2007 7:24AM

I've got a similar thingy called a Supercard Lite. I have occasionally 'tried' games on it, but if it's bad, I delete it, if not, I buy it.

Anyway, I think there's a perception among the (minority of, though I think it's larger than most entertainment industries) people who pirate that's it's normal or that it doesn't matter. for some companies it's true to an extent (EA is even using micro-transactions as an alternative to buying in China), but development is still a fraught business in many cases, so while piracy is near benign, and the industry as a whole is obviously healthy, I think it can make a difference.

alecks @ Nov 27th 2007 4:41PM

I actually bought one for my son, he likes to play games that is not worth paying 40 bux for. The ones I know we will both enjoy playing, I would normally buy but between the Wii and the DS, i'm purchasing more games for the Wii.

MidnightScott @ Nov 28th 2007 3:36AM

I have one, but I got it so I don't end up buying any games on a whim that I may not like. In other words, I try them before I buy them. I still buy the games I like, it convinced me to get Sonic Rush Adventure, Megaman Star Force, Chocobo Tales, Yoshi's Island DS, Donkey Kong, Chibi-Robo, and Zelda for DS. It's very helpful, I got it back in July. The only way I see it as a good thing is if people still buy the games they liked...but still most people would be tempted to not buy any of the games. Alot of the time I use it to try out games that come out in Japan that will either take forever to get here or won't come out at all.

I can see why the game industry hurts because of people pirating games and not buying them legally, but Nintendo is still raking in the money as it is off of everything they sell. I dunno, I don't think Nintendo is hurting for money if you ask me.

I currently own legally 44 DS games with the 45th on the way in the mail from Capcom (Phoenix Wright: Trials & Tribulations)

As you can tell, I still support game companies unlike most of the pirates out there(meaning people who pirate games but don't purchase them legally at all)

But the device being put into the mainstream will lead Nintendo to find a way to stop roms from working on it...

flowersj @ Nov 28th 2007 7:31PM

If you download illegal ROMS to your R4...how does that work with WFC?

MidnightScott @ Nov 29th 2007 2:22PM

Oh it works, trust me lol. It's why it says I have Planet Puzzle League & Custom Robo on my Nintendo WiFi profile...hehe...

clan_kuppo @ Nov 29th 2007 5:03PM

Um...I am very interested in this now...seeing that there's a good community. Hm....just how easy is it? Cause I, like others, did the "try it first, sucks delete, good then buy" deal with the Visual Boy Advance. And I got to play a lot of cool Japp GBA games. So is it easy to use?

Duscrom @ Nov 29th 2007 8:13PM

You know, all my friends who have the R4 do it for piracy. In fact, they chastise me for buying games. "Well you COULD just get an R4 and download it"

I honestly don't know of any Good, or useful homebrew. I'm talking about apps cause if they were good games, they'd be able to get a dev kit and go to retail. It's not like nintendo has any quality standards.

Vyse @ Nov 30th 2007 2:32PM

This post made me go out and buy and R4. I had always been interested in the homebrew scene but the hardware necessary was always expensive. I managed to grab my R4 for $38 shipped, which it pretty cheap.

Now I'd be lying if I said I won't be downloading roms, but like most of you here they will be downloaded for trial purposes. If I end up liking the game I will go out and buy the game.

I've been browsing sites for homebrew and have found some amazing software. Quake DS, Doom DS, AOL IM client. It's amazing what these people can do and the R4 makes it all the easier to sample these wares.