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R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
Japanese Muggers Confess To Stealing US$30,000 From Otaku
"No One From Capcom Japan Will Be At E3" vs. "Capcom Japan's Attendance Is Under Review"
Capcom Shipped Lots of Games
Xbox 360 Getting Lots of Shelf Space
This Is What The Retro Gamer Girl Is Doing With Metal Gear...
Let's Check One Store For DSi Launch Lines
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SEGA Explains Yakuza 2's Japanese Voices
How Capcom Is Different

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alaren
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
Can we get some objectivity up in here?

"R4 cartridges are used to pirate Nintendo DS video games."

You mean: R4 cartridges CAN BE used to play pirated ROMs on Nintendo hardware. The R4 itself does not enable actual piracy; for that you need a computer and a torrent tracker, or you need to dump your own ROMs.

The R4 can be used for many other things, including playing media and homebrew software, including (I'm told) some very popular Japanese dictionary software.

Yes, devices like this are often used for piracy. Yes, that's bad. But the fact that freedom is often abused doesn't mean we shouldn't have it, and equating tinkerers, homebrewers, and others who find ways around manufacturer limitations with "pirates" is throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

And categorically equating the R4 with piracy is like categorically equating DVD burners or BitTorrent or VCRs with piracy. It is often true, but it's not 100%, and taking away legitimate consumer interests in order to better serve corporate interests is the wrong answer.
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Edited by alaren at 10/16/09 4:01 PM alaren was starred alaren was unstarred

fuchikoma
10/16/09

@alaren: I used a GBA X-ROM kit to do a special project in college programming for the GBA. There was no way I could have afforded a Nintendo devkit, and probably no way they'd ever let me have one... or three, as we needed.

But, $100 later, we had a unit that could send our freshly compiled code straight to the system and try it out. #r4
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Soldier_CLE says DON'T STOP AT THE STAR! REVOKE THE WHOLE DAMN THING, OWEN!!!
10/16/09

@alaren: Great post! I wonder if it is too late to send this in to "A Week In Comments"? #r4
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Altima NEO
10/16/09

@alaren: Amen my brother #r4
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CustomFirmware
10/16/09

@alaren:

Hearted. #r4
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hyperblackchi
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier

This really made my morning #r4
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alaren promoted this comment hyperblackchi was starred hyperblackchi was unstarred

gique
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
not that dodgy for den den town, i've seen maid cafe's that don't look too dissimilar.. #r4
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kitsuneconundrum
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
it actually just leads to a room full of bouncers hired by nintendo to bust the f up whoever that walks in. #r4
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Billkwando
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
If the seller is missing a pinky, watch out! #r4
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puffa469
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
When I was in College I put a giant blacklight Marijuana leaf poster in my Dorm window.

People started knocking on my door at all hours of the night to try and buy stuff from me. I was like 'are you an idiot?' I had to take the poster down because yes, they were idiots. Or maybe I was the idiot? It's hard to tell. #r4
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(Starman) AnalysisDialysis promoted this comment puffa469 was starred puffa469 was unstarred

Revenge_of_Nekojin
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
The funny thing is the R4 isn't even supported anymore, at least not the English firmware. There are much better carts out there if using these is your thing.

I have a CycloDS, and it's ten times better than lugging around that Castlevania game holder. Now instead of 3 games, I can take most of my library with me. #r4
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Komrade Kayce promoted this comment Revenge_of_Nekojin was starred

Ezio Auditore da Firenze
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
*Opens jacket*

Take a look. See anything you like? #r4
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Michael Dukakis promoted this comment

Michael Dukakis
10/16/09

@The Great Black Star: I'll buy it at a high price... #r4
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Ezio Auditore da Firenze
10/16/09

@Michael Dukakis: *Shifty Eyes*

...How high? #r4
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the7k
10/16/09

@Michael Dukakis: Got some great things on sale, stranger! #r4
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LandMineLandSnake
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
heh, I'm not falling for the the ol' "come into my apartment for an R4" trick again. #r4
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Showmeyomoves! promoted this comment LandMineLandSnake was starred

deanbmmv
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
Any idea if any of those signs point to New Orleans?
Cos this is not the zombie article I was looking for. #r4
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Blore07
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
I love this, I no longer have a DS, but I still have my r4 in my desk drawer, I shall hold on to it.

R4 = Robin Hood? #r4
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Joe Sunrider
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
Isn't this the equivalent of a big sign saying "SECRET HIDEOUT - DO NOT ENTER"? It's one thing to do it in a store or an alley... but pointing law enforcement to your front step? Seems like the risk here far outweighs the reward. #r4
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Blore07 promoted this comment Joe Sunrider was starred Joe Sunrider was unstarred

Blore07
10/16/09

@Joe Sunrider: Smells like a team rocket plan to me! #r4
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Joe Sunrider
10/16/09

@Blore07: I didn't even think of that... how nefarious! :o #r4
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Komrade Kayce
10/16/09

@Joe Sunrider:

Theres actually a big steel cage inside that drops down on potential customers before they are beaten to death by the Nitendo goon squad.

Or team rocket... yes. #r4
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jdskeleven
10/16/09

@Komrade Kayce: Miyamoto jumps out and beats them unconscious with his banjo.

I hear that's legal in Japan, but only for Miyamoto. #r4
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Agent.AealapytsaNotxap(NotASpy) promoted this comment jdskeleven was starred jdskeleven was unstarred

Cptn.PaxtonAstypalaea(Corsair)
10/16/09

@Komrade Kayce: Actually, these days Team Rocket are working as Nintendo's Goon Squad, so you're correct on both accounts. #r4
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Agent.AealapytsaNotxap(NotASpy) promoted this comment

Cptn.PaxtonAstypalaea(Corsair)
10/16/09

@jdskeleven: Heck when Nintendo Man (that's what I call him) does it, it's not even considered Violent! #r4
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Agent.AealapytsaNotxap(NotASpy) promoted this comment

puresewas1de
10/16/09

In reply to R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
"These products are not illegal."

That's good to know, because I always assumed they were. #r4
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Blore07 promoted this comment puresewas1de was starred puresewas1de was unstarred

Blore07
10/16/09

@puresewas1de: I dont see why they should be, if people want to back up their games let them.

If nintendo wants to stop piracy however, then they'll have to target the sites people use to download the games. #r4
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fuchikoma
06/10/09

In reply to Japanese Muggers Confess To Stealing US$30,000 From Otaku
I heard that after this and the Akiba stabbings, police would harass otaku, searching their bags for weapons and the like. Hopefully Nipponbashi still enjoys a reasonable amount of freedom...
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Patient
06/10/09

In reply to Japanese Muggers Confess To Stealing US$30,000 From Otaku
His fingers twitched as he watched from the crowd in safety, the familiar faces that once terrified him, were forced haphazardly into the police car, both of them pale and emotionless. The crowd slowly disbursing as it drove away, its crystal blue lights gleaming into the distance. He stood there alone watching and in one unpredictable swoop of fate it was all over. The police had caught the assailants and the fear had seemingly already started to subside.

Yet the bitterness overcame him, which quickly turned into deep flared anger. It raced through his veins and his walk turned into stride, he was now running uncontrollably. When he opened his eyes he was there, he was at the alley where it all began, where the humiliation had started. He starred blindly into its grisly black opening.

The hands of fate had eradicated Takashi's 423 day obsession and looking deep into that alley it now became a reality. He would never be able to re-enact the final scene in City Hunter EP03-05 as he had meticulously planned all this time.

He blinked and then in one single-minded deliberation, he adjusted his glasses and began his short walk home, his body occasionally pausing in a twisted squint to read the advertisements on the windows.
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