Latest 3DS Firmware Blocks Flash Cartridges

[Timothy Chang]

Latest 3DS Firmware Blocks Flash Cartridges

A flash cart manufacturer believes that Nintendo's new update can't be circumvented with a software patch.

If you happen to use a flash cart on your 3DS for homebrew games and apps (or other, more nefarious purposes) you may be in for a nasty surprise when you perform the next firmware update on your device: Nintendo's latest firmware release will render most of these cartridges completely useless.

Super Card, a flash cart manufacturer, posted an announcement on its forum [http://forum.supercard.sc/viewthread.php?tid=10798&extra=page%3D1] stating that the new update checks for a feature that is not present on current flash carts, therefore making it a hardware defect. The company goes so far to suggest that "95% of the card in the world will be blocked", and a number of factories will most likely need to abandon current card designs due to the latest checks put in place. Certain cards such as the DSTwo, however, still appear to still work after an update of their own.

It's believed that Nintendo's update was released in anticipation of an upcoming hack which would allow users to extract ROMs from official 3DS cartridges.

The release notes [http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/3ds/en_na/system_update_history.jsp] for firmware 4.4.0-10U do not mention anything about anti-piracy checks on the system; this update (and the four that precede it) simply adds "further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments...to enhance the user experience".

Source: Polygon [http://www.destructoid.com/latest-3ds-firmware-quietly-locks-out-flashcards-235673.phtml]

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[Tanis]

I enjoy reading about this cat and mouse game.

As they say..."where there's a will, there's a way'.

 

[Xanthious]

Well this will surely stop them . . . .OR what is most likely to happen is that this will only slow them down a little, if at all, and this will turn into some kind of endless loop (ala the PSP situation back in the day) that just goes on and on.

 

[RvLeshrac]

Well this will surely stop them . . . .OR what is most likely to happen is that this will only slow them down a little, if at all, and this will turn into some kind of endless loop (ala the PSP situation back in the day) that just goes on and on.

The decent flashcarts will have firmware updates in a week or two.

 

[Fasckira]

Whenever I read this articles, I always wonder what homebrew games and applications exactly? Every person I've encountered uses these cards to pirate games, simple as. Its of course possible I've just met the less legit side of the market but still. Genuinely interested to know what else you can do with the 3DS (thats practical - I heard about running Linux on a DS Lite and it just seemed fantastically pointless).

 

[cidbahamut]

Oh good, another reason not to bother getting a 3DS.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

Haha! People still actually play games on the 3DS?

Oh wait, so do I. Damn.

[small]Although I mostly only play DS games[/small]

 

[Scars Unseen]

Whenever I read this articles, I always wonder what homebrew games and applications exactly? Every person I've encountered uses these cards to pirate games, simple as. Its of course possible I've just met the less legit side of the market but still. Genuinely interested to know what else you can do with the 3DS (thats practical - I heard about running Linux on a DS Lite and it just seemed fantastically pointless).

I used a cart to turn my DS into a portable comic reader and media player. This was, of course, before I had gotten an Android tablet. Now I wouldn't bother.

 

[GamingAwesome1]

Give up Niiinty!

You cannot fight it for much longer!

 

[mad825]

Nintendo, just introduce serial codes and internet style DRM. Then again, I don't think that you still make you happy.

 

[TKIR]

Whenever I read this articles, I always wonder what homebrew games and applications exactly? Every person I've encountered uses these cards to pirate games, simple as. Its of course possible I've just met the less legit side of the market but still. Genuinely interested to know what else you can do with the 3DS (thats practical - I heard about running Linux on a DS Lite and it just seemed fantastically pointless).

How many iPhone apps do you think would have been made if it was as hard to develop for as the DS platform? Nintendo makes it hard to develop legit apps and makes consuming legit apps about as hard as pirating games and requires the same method. So of course there is no real market there and it's all Nintedo's fault. And I think Nintendo lost probably it's greatest opportunity in not providing a platform for software. If they had a app store equivalent in 2004 or 2005 I think they would have sold tens of million more DSs and had a huge app revenue stream.

 

[GAunderrated]

Is it ironic that I only find out how to crack systems this generation when the companies try desperately to stop it? I really hope the 3DS doesn't take firmware update ques from sony.

 

[FantomOmega]

If only they were this persistant with innovating Super Mario.

I think It's more a rush for the Wii U release that made them (Nintendo) cut back on any innovation and play it safe with the tried and true, if not a little stale game-play (just made it prettier) but now they just bling the entire screen with coins coins COINS! What's the point in THAT?!

Back on subject, little does Nintendo know that this update this tells the hacking groups that they're on the RIGHT track to cracking the system wide open...

 

[Epona]

Is it ironic that I only find out how to crack systems this generation when the companies try desperately to stop it? I really hope the 3DS doesn't take firmware update ques from sony.

The more companies fight piracy, the more people become aware of the pirating option. For example, Nintendo trying to block flash cards just makes someone ask, what's a flash card and what does it do.

 

[GAunderrated]

I had a cracked PSP with a bunch of stuff loaded on it. On a whim, I purchased a few legitimate games to support those studios even though it meant having to deal with those stupid little mini disc/cart things. The resulting updates bricked all the stuff I had on there already. Lesson learned. Now I pirate everything.

Yup companies don't want you to pirate some and support others. You are either a full blown pirate or a customer/chump.

 

[Olas]

The more companies fight piracy, the more people become aware of the pirating option. For example, Nintendo trying to block flash cards just makes someone ask, what's a flash card and what does it do.

What's a flash card and what does it do?

 

[Yopaz]

Whenever I read this articles, I always wonder what homebrew games and applications exactly? Every person I've encountered uses these cards to pirate games, simple as. Its of course possible I've just met the less legit side of the market but still. Genuinely interested to know what else you can do with the 3DS (thats practical - I heard about running Linux on a DS Lite and it just seemed fantastically pointless).

Yeah, piracy is the most common use. Homebrew applications seems more like a legal thing they add to prevent it from being a piracy tool. However homebrew applications do exist. There's eBook readers, home made games, PDA and emulators.

Now that pretty much everyone got smart phones few of those things are actually practical though...

 

[Epona]

The more companies fight piracy, the more people become aware of the pirating option. For example, Nintendo trying to block flash cards just makes someone ask, what's a flash card and what does it do.

What's a flash card and what does it do?

LOL

As far as I know, you can put many games on one card instead of dragging around a bunch of DS/3DS games.

I only know that because of Nintendo's fight to ban R4 cards. Funny thing, most people never even thought about the copy protection measures of the NES, SNES and N64.

The copy protection was there but it was invisible and not made a huge deal out of.