Nintendo increases pirate pocket sizes?

[Master Chief]

I just put two and two together, and realised that the people upgrading to DSi's are now going ahead and spending another $60-70 on the new cards to download games as the old cards don't work.

Two questions,

How much money did Nintendo spend making sure the old cards don't work?

and

How much money do you think the creators of the new cards will make off of Nintendo's new console due to their efforts to stop the old cards working?

[nshady]

What cards? Nintendo Point cards? Wii Point cards obviously won't work - they're for Wii. Nintendo Point cards will work for either. They aren't making Wii Point cards any more. So when someone finishes using up their Wii points, they'll have to buy Nintendo point cards anyway, and then they have the option to use them on either system.

[Napoleon Insists]

Nah he means Piratey cards like the R4 and M3. The old ones aren't compatible with the DSi, but there is already one (at least, could be more by now) that works fine with the DSi.

Some games, eg. Chrono Trigger and FF CC did something clever. They made it work up till the end of the first dungeon or the introduction to the game and then managed to stick them in some graphics loop so you couldn't play any more. In some ways it's like a demo - though I think firmware updates worked their way around these stoppages.

[Master Chief]

R4, M3, Edge, TT, SuperCard, you name it, I've had 30-50 year old parents and 5-15 yearold kids asking if we sell them.

[G-Train]

Seems Nintendo is taking a page from Micrsoft's book, so much for the "innocent" label I used to associate with Nintendo.

[Napoleon Insists]

There's no evidence that they support pirates, right the opposite. They've shut down tons of operations and they lose money and credibility for every game pirated.

If that's what you meant, G-train.

[nshady]

Yeah, they have a big tip off website that you can send details to. They shut people down all the time. Unfortunately the hacking community is not exactly a business that they can send a threatening letter to.

[Master Chief]

They could make the situation more aware to parents that it's illegal though.

Most parents just stroll in and are like "my friend told me I can get a supercard for the DS?" they never mention the legal part. Or perhaps the parents are playing dumb, but then why would they go in to a GAME store if they're pretending to not know they're illegal?

Are they also pretending to not know that it would be absolutely pointless and ridiculous for game stores to sell them alongside DS games?

[G-Train]

I think you'll alot of ppl don't need to *play* Dumb MC.

As said, whilst ever there are items ppl want, there will be ppl finding ways around the price tag.

[Master Chief]

I was also thinking today of how parents can actually summon the testicular fortitute to enter a video game store and ask the following question that I have had asked to me a couple of times now..

"If the R4 doesn't work on the DSi, can I get a refund?"

...........

Dumbfounded.

[nshady]

*Fortitude

I can't believe people really ask you that. WTF?

[Master Chief]

Oh yeh, typo. I do know how to spell fortitude given it's a major part of WoW haha

[Batman]

Just like how WoW players know how to spell Rogue given it's a major part of WoW, right?

[G-Train]

Just like how WoW players know how to spell Rogue given it's a major part of WoW, right?

ahah! I lol'd.

Have to agree - Most WoW players can't spell for sh*t (not meanin you MC, just meanin most yanks are boarderline illiterate).

[Master Chief]

Yeah, all I mean is that I rarely used the word Fortitude before playing WoW, but it is used very often in the game.

[JiminyCricket]

No longer a fan of NINTENDO