Latest 3DS Firmware Blocks Flash Cartridges

[RanceJustice]

And this is a reason why I don't yet have a 3DS. I've enjoyed downloading (and purchasing!) many of my DS titles to be used with Flash Cards. Stick in a small TransFlash and have gigabytes of space. Customize an Acekard2i, CycloDSi, or SuperCard DSTwo with tons of features and I can have a ton of DS games all without having to switch gamecards. Even better, I can play mods such as Undubs (Players putting the original language, often Japanese, audio back into titles that were dubbed during localization. Final Fantasy IV and The World Ends With You are particularly good ones. There is no way to get the experience with the Japanese audio without a "hacker" flashcart and the ability to dump, manipulate, and play ROMS) If it wasn't for flashcarts, I probably wouldn't have bought a DSLite or DSi, nor the games I've purchase

Its time for everyone to just bloody get over the fact that piracy happens. Systems that I can modify and pirate, while not losing initial functionality like online play and whatnot ( NDS, Wii, PS2, PSP, Android ) compel me to spend a lot more on both hardware and software for the platform; this is true for many users. Those like the X360 and PS3 often compel users to NEVER buy any new software at all because they have to give up such functionality like online play, updates etc... that they simply pirate everything they can. After all, if you're worried you're going to get your hardware banned (or, it already has been) or you have to stay on a custom firmware that won't allow you to go online or get into the store, why buy anything "legit" - you're not going to be able to make use of it? This pointless punitive design actually means hardware manufacturers and game developers lose money overall. Platforms that have relatively few lockdowns are the ones that thrive.

I'd like to buy a 3DS, but until I can load multiple titles of my own choosing onto a single storage medium and modify as I like, forget it.

 

[Helloo]

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.

Well, whatever makes you sleep easy at night.

In my opinion, pirating could never be justified. Unless you had to pirate to save someone's life. Or some-shit like that.

In terms of pirating because it's too expensive, DRM, or whatever other reason; tough. It's not your product to stipulate the conditions as seem reasonable to you, really. If a product is too expensive, has DRM etc, do not buy it. Do not pirate it. Get it out of your mind and move on.

That's how I feel, anyway. If someone does pirate, it's not something I care about. Only when that person tries to justify it, does it annoy me and I have to stick my oar in.

 

[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.

Well, whatever makes you sleep easy at night.

In my opinion, pirating could never be justified. Unless you had to pirate to save someone's life. Or some-shit like that.

In terms of pirating because it's too expensive, DRM, or whatever other reason; tough. It's not your product to stipulate the conditions as seem reasonable to you, really. If a product is too expensive, has DRM etc, do not buy it. Do not pirate it. Get it out of your mind and move on.

That's how I feel, anyway. If someone does pirate, it's not something I care about. Only when that person tries to justify it, does it annoy me and I have to stick my oar in.

Why do you care if other people justify it? Does someone else believing in something different really bother you that much? I know that we are constantly conditioned to believe the world is black and white because it makes it easier to handle life, but I have found it to be all grey.

If you don't agree then more power to you, but dealing in absolutes is usually a sign of an oppressor.

 

[The Lugz]

i do wonder why they bother with this nonsense, just make a physical chip that nobody can emulate
it's honestly not that hard, infact i can even plan a system right now.
build a 22nm chip the size of a pea, this is your lock, you need one in the cartridge and one in the system.
( you can produce these for pennies each, an entire 2m round wafer is not that expensive and you'd get hundreds of them out of it. )
use it to hardware decode encrypted data from the card and translate them to the game system
you'd program it by using an on chip programming tool before the resin is set.
so nobody can reprogram it without disassembling the chip and it's child's play to make the arms break off if you tamper with it, just use filament wire

it would be possible to steal some of the chips, but that means only a handful of copys and basically zero net pirate usage
eventually someone would build a workaround cartridge after a few years, but it would require a physical piece of hardware which makes it infinitely more difficult to obtain than a simple flash
what will actually happen: they'll pirate something else

the current systems are simply inadequate and make the legitimate customer pay for the code monkeys throwing money and time away trying to accomplish the impossible holy grail of digital drm
it doesn't work, we all know it so can we get over it and just make it on chip and stop wasting people's money

pirates are eventually going to crack anything, but if it's a physical mod you cant torrent it
and that's the real problem that costs studios the big bucks.