Nintendo goes after modchips
Responds to consumer interest.
Some of you may have noticed that cuddly old Nintendo is busily shouting about modchips on its website. They're naughty! They're illegal! They void your warranty! Things like that.
Why on earth is it doing that then? "Customers and media were asking us about the emergence of mod chips for Wii and our stance on them," a Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer, "so we took the step of making the information available for everyone to access quickly and easily via our website."
The notice itself is quietly severe. "Perhaps you are not familiar with mod chips, but nevertheless we would like to draw your attention to some important information," says Nintendo, ever-friendly. "Modification microchips (mod chips) circumvent the security embedded into Nintendo's products. To install a mod chip into a Nintendo hardware system, it is necessary to dismantle the product and, in some instances, remove components."
Cor, Uncle Nintendo, that sounds fun! Should we go out and do it? "The use of mod chips voids the manufacturer's warranty." Oh. "In addition, the installation of a mod chip can damage the functionality of a Nintendo console, sometimes rendering it incapable of repair." Crivens!
"Mod chips have been adjudicated to be illegal in various countries around the world, including the Unites States, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. Most European countries have also already adopted laws prohibiting the circumvention of technological measures for copyright protection. People caught installing or selling mod chips may be subject to criminal charges."
But Uncle Nintendo, aren't modchips legal in Australia, one of your PAL regions, because the Australian legislature doesn't think the region-locking you prescribe is a reasonable way of doing business? And doesn't Sweden also go much the same way, within reason? And would this even be a problem if you released games like Super Paper Mario quickly, rather than making us wait, which you always do, despite always claiming you're never going to do it again?
What do you reckon, Eurogamers? Shall we do 'em?