Nintendo has announced that it has reached an agreement with Amazon and eBay through which the shopping sites will prohibit the sale of the R4 and other DS flashcarts.

"Nintendo is pleased with the co-operation it has received from both eBay and Amazon to prevent the sales of game copying devices," Nintendo's global head of anti-piracy, Jodie Daughtery told MCV. eBay has actually pulled auctions for copying devices for years (presumably as an "item encouraging illegal activity), so if there is a policy update, it involves even more vigilant policing of auctions.

Amazon UK games director Chris Poad told MCV that Amazon has a "notice and take down" process for its third-party Marketplace. "So where a third party believes that their IP has been infringed, they can highlight it and we can take it down. This is what happened in the case of the R4."

Now Nintendo just has the rest of the Internet to deal with in its efforts to curtail DS piracy (and, as an extremely unfortunate side effect, homebrew).

Japan's Association of Copyright for Computer Software president Yutaka Kubota expressed to Famitsu grave concerns about the proliferation and use of Nintendo DS flash cart devices, such as the R4DS.

Referring to the volume of illegally downloaded DS software, Kubota remarked, "It's not a matter of numbers anymore," adding, "The fact is that you can download any Nintendo DS game as much as you want, so there's no way to even calculate the damage. This is an issue that affects our national interests, and personally, I see it as a form of information terrorism that is crushing Japan's industry."

In the interview translated by 1UP, Kubota called on the magazine's readers to stand firm against piracy, saying, "I want them to be aware that unless we do something, nobody will be able to make the games they love to play. Not only will gamers wanting to play new games not be able to play anything, but people who want to join the game industry in the future will have their dreams trampled upon."

Japan's laws do not currently forbid the purchase of devices like the R4, nor the downloading of commercial software for use with them. A new copyright bill under review would make it illegal to download copyrighted media, but doesn't expressly give authorities the right to arrest offenders.

Metaforic's Andrew Mclennan, a former game developer frustrated by piracy, spoke to Gamasutra about a new technology his company has created to reduce copying of DS games. Nintendo's tactic so far has been to try to stop the sale of the R4 flashcart in Japan and other countries, but the company is now working with Metaforic to attack the problem from a different angle.

Metaforic's MetaFortress technology, to be used in games by Nintendo and six other publishers starting this year, uses code stored in the actual game that detects the patching used by flashcarts, and then disables the ROM. "We take any DS game and inject a security scheme into the game itself," Mclennan told Gamasutra. "It turns each game into its own security system. Every time we apply it to a different game, it's a different security system."

Though he admits that the software could be hackable eventually, it would require a separate effort for each individual game ROM. "We add so much security to it that it will take a very long time to hack." Mclennan claims that even flashcart firmware patches will be unable to neutralize MetaFortress, though he didn't specify why.

Though Mclennan thinks flashcarts should be illegal, he "sympathizes" with the homebrew community. It wasn't his goal, but disabling flashcart-based piracy at the software level obviates the need for anti-flashcart legislation, which could be good news for homebrew fans.

The Tokyo District Court placed an injunction on the Chinese cart manufacturers who make the R4 today, making it illegal to sell the cartridge in Japan. It has already disappeared from shops and Nintendo, Capcom, and Square Enix have all come forward with their support. These companies haven't ceased their efforts yet, however, as they've vowed to continue pursuing those responsible for similar devices.

R4 carts, along with other flash carts, allow users to run homebrew (and pirated) material on their DS or DS Lite (no dice on the upcoming DSi, folks). If this is all still over your head, then check out our guide to homebrew on the DS right here.

[Via Eurogamer]

OK, so maybe 90 percent of DS owners aren't using R4 carts to play pirated games on their DS systems, but it's still a problem for Nintendo, especially if it wants to have enough money to have both Shigeru Miyamoto and Howard Lincoln cloned.

But it seems as though the R4's days may be numbered, as it appears from the video below the jump that neither the carts nor Slot-1 cheat devices work in the brand new Nintendo DSi. Sorry, pirates. At least you still have the sea.

Since the R4 and similar homebrew devices are best known for swashbuckling-related uses, many gamers seem to transfer their disdain for the practice onto the devices themselves. But we know they can be used for awesome, non-yarr-related things!

Do you steer clear of homebrew because of its association with piracy? Or are you an avid homebrewer forced to defend your love of free games and weirdo apps from people who assume you're a buccaneer? If a pirate ye be, we're not asking you.

We can't say we're surprised that they're asking for more money for the R4, in light of all of the recent developments. Business owners like money, so we can understand them taking advantage of what's going on. In Japan, these business owners have more than doubled the price of the flash cart over the span of only days.

So, all we're saying is that if you don't have one and want one, you probably should see about getting one before they get more expensive. Why would you want one? Uh, have you not read our homebrew guide?

[Via Go Nintendo]

Chalk this one up to "we saw this coming," but the troubled waters that flash carts have found themselves in has led to an increase in R4 sales.

Nintendo and fifty-three other companies are filing a suit against retailers selling flash carts, demanding that they stop the sales and imports of said cards. According to Kotaku, Japanese retailers in Akihabara are noticing a difference in demand for flash cards already. Regarding the R4, one staffer noted, "The rush in demand has been amazing. These devices always sell well. But this weekend should be staggering, don't you think?" Amazon.jp has also seen a rise in cart sales, which is to be expected.

We're sure Nintendo foresaw the immediate panic following the company's announcement, and that's the risk they decided to take -- watching things get worse before they get better. If Nintendo and the others win the suit, though, it will likely be worth their while in the end.

[Thanks, supa_s!]

Nintendo is finally taking aggressive action against piracy, as the company is suing five Japanese firms over flash cart equipment. The Big N is just one of many plaintiffs in the case, though, with fifty-three others joining in to aid the fight -- just a few companies that you may have heard of, like, oh, Square Enix, Sega, Level-5, Hudson, Pokemon, Capcom, Namco Bandai, SNK Playmore, Koei, and so forth.

While details are scarce, we can imagine a lot of popular carts (like the R4), if not all carts, will be affected. Should Nintendo and friends win the suit, selling and importing such carts will be illegal, meaning that people would have to resort to the black market to get their hands on one.

We understand why Nintendo and other companies would want to fight the good fight against piracy, but we can't help but fret over the impact on our precious homebrew hobby. At any rate, we'll give you more information as this case unfolds.

[Via Joystiq; Thanks, Kimiko!]

Nintendo has filed a lawsuit in Japan against five retailers for "importing and selling equipment that enables illegal game programs to be played on [the Nintendo DS]" -- presumably flash carts such as R4. According to Reuters, Nintendo is joined by 54 other Japanese developers.

While the lawsuit is intended to thwart piracy, an unfortunate side effect is a hit to the homebrew community. If you were ever planning to pick up a flash cart for the DS, you might want to go ahead and grab one while you can.

Retailers in the UK are losing sleep over DS flash carts, and that's turning them into big old grumps. As you probably know, flash carts not only offer interesting homebrew opportunities, but they also provide owners with the means to pirate games. Piracy has been cutting into DS software sales, and retailers? They're not very happy.

The cart under attack is, of course, the R4DS -- it is the most mainstream one, after all. Retailers don't want R4s to be sold anymore, and are calling for a UK ban on the product. SimplyGames.com has already pulled the flash card from its site after a "conversation with Nintendo." (As far as we can tell, the site isn't selling alternative carts, either.)

We know what you're thinking -- the R4 isn't the only piracy option out there. Yet, it's likely that other flash cards will find themselves on the chopping block, too. A nationwide ban on the R4 and others probably won't happen, though, and even if it does, many will just turn to imports.

Being the good souls that we are, we're assuming that most of you aren't pirates and can sympathize with suffering retailers. Still, do you think that warrants a ban on flash carts?

It looks like the tide is finally turning against the R4 flash cart in the UK. After yesterday's statement from the ELSPA on the matter, Brit retailer SimplyGames.com has decided to drop the R4 from its range entirely.

"Since launching them we have reflected on the overall impact R4 cards will have on long-term software sales and I have talked openly to senior people at Nintendo UK about the situation," explained SimplyGames' Neil Muspratt, who we're guessing may have received a grouchy phone call from Nintendo. "We have concluded that they are not at all healthy for software sales."

Muspratt then urged Amazon to follow SimplyGames' example. As we write this, the R4 listing on Amazon's UK site notes that "we don't know when or if this item will be back in stock," though no official statement has been released by the site. As for all you UK-based homebrewers out there, just be thankful there are plenty of alternatives out there.

Otherwise known as the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (an organization working within the British games industry), the ELSPA isn't happy about the abundance of R4 flash carts in the hands of DS owners. Nor is it happy about the availability of these little devices, which -- homebrew applications aside -- people are using to play pirated DS ROMS. If you want an R4, it's easy to buy one from Amazon, eBay, or a wealth of independent online retailers.

According to the ELSPA, "The supply of these items is an infringement and an offence under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Trade Marks Act 1994." So, how did they get onto shelves in the first place? Clearly the yawn-inducing law behind it all is more complex than simply "they are illegal," otherwise the shops wouldn't still be selling them. Which they are.

Long story short, it's a mess of regulations and red tape, and we've heard it all before. It's hardly a crystal-clear situation where legal teams "will take action where and when appropriate." If a blanket ban of selling flash carts suddenly falls over England, and police start breaking down doors of R4 traders, we'll let you know. Until then, get out there and buy some good games, and use any external device responsibly.

It's a funny twist that the R4DS, a product used mostly for pirating games, has found itself now battling it out with counterfeits carts that have infiltrated the market, but we assume that's just how Chinese flashcart companies roll.

Seeking to eliminate its knock-off competition, Team R4 has announced that as of September 15, it will release firmware that will only work on genuine R4 flashcarts, according to a statement translated by GBAtemp. As an added deterrent, users attempting to load the firmware on illegitimate carts could potentially damage their DS permanently, leaving their system unusable.

What if you've unknowingly bought a fake R4 (for running homebrew software, of course) and brick your DS after trying to install the updated firmware? Team R4 has stated that it will not accept responsibility, advising that you contact your "unscrupulous" shop to complain. Thanks, Team R4!

We understand that it's annoying to have all these companies drinking their milkshake, but is this really necessary? Won't this drive away potential R4 customers, not to mention people curious about experimenting with DS homebrew? Make sure to look through our (semi) ultimate homebrew guide if you're interested in finding flashcart alternatives that won't leave your system bricked.

See also: Homebrew Glossary

[Via GBAtemp]

Although most of Nick Rumas' Gamasutra article on the ubiquity of R4 flashcart piracy in Korea is based on anecdotal evidence, we still found his piece to be pretty fascinating. While DS piracy may not be rampant in the U.S., Korea is renowned as a hotbed of piracy in videogaming, and Rumas claims that as many as three in five DS owners there possess a flashcart -- and we can't see all of those being used for homebrew.

Rumas also tells tales of traders in Seoul's Yongsan Electronics Market openly selling customized R4 flashcarts to customers (who simply pay up their $87 and select the titles they'd like from a master list), and of Korean consumers who are far more clued-up about game piracy than their western equivalents (including middle-aged women, and young children).

He eventually chalks this widespread acceptance of piracy up to more than one factor, including Korea's low minimum wage, an increasingly high cost of living, an apathetic government, and the fact that downloading games without paying for them is simply more of a cultural norm. With the DS now selling in respectable numbers in Korea, we can't imagine Nintendo being overly happy to hear of Korea's piracy endemic, but as Rumas notes, "Regardless of what [government] measures are undertaken, no real dent ever seems to be made."