Japanese retailer says hacking 3DS will brick the device

There are all sorts of anti-piracy measures built intoNintendo's 3DS hardwareand its games, but now a retailer in Japan says there's an even stronger deterrent to prevent players from running unauthorized 3DS software.

Used games store Enterking has a notification on its website warning consumers about irreversible consequences if they try to tamper with the device's security features.

"If you use equipment or devices not approved by Nintendo ... [your 3DS] may no longer start," reads the notification, according to a Google translation.

The retailer also notes it will not buy back a 3DS system if it has a record of running "unapproved equipment."

Nintendo hasn't said anything to the public about this specific measure. However, in January, Nintendo UK general manager David Yarntonconfidently said, "We can't divulge any technical details on [the 3DS's anti-piracy tech] but needless to say this is probably one of our best pieces of equipment in that respect. There are a lot of things we've learnt over time to try and improve the security and protection - not only of our IP but of our third-party publishers' IP as well."

Piracy remains a hot-button issue in the industry elsewhere, asSony is in the middle of a high-profilelegal battleover notorious PS3 hacker George Hotz. With more and more devices launching each year andhacking cultureconstantly evolving, piracy isnot going away anytime soon, so game companies are really pumping up their offensive stance.

The best rule of thumb is and always has been, if you care about warranties and online performance, just use the device the way it was intended, with legal, authorized software (cuethe "The More You Know" music).

[Source:Enterking(Google Translation Page)]

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Mar 7, 2011