• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Another Man arrested in Japan for selling modded save files, this time of Breath of the Wild.

Kadve

Kadve

Member
(article keeps using the term "hacked" but i don't think it really applies when you are making the stuff yourself)

He had apparently made "over 10 million" yen (Around 91,000 USD) in profit before they caught him and sold them for around 3,500 yen (~$32 USD) each.

www.dexerto.com

Zelda hacker arrested for selling illegal Breath of the Wild save files - Dexerto

A Legend of Zelda fan has been arrested in Japan for selling hacked Breath of the Wild save files for the Nintendo Switch.
www.dexerto.com www.dexerto.com

A Legend of Zelda fan has been arrested in Japan for modifying their Breath of the Wild save data. The 27-year-old man was detained by police after attempting to sell the hacked Nintendo Switch save files.

While modifying video game save data isn’t that big of a deal in most parts of the world, Japan in recent years has been cracking down on hackers trying to make a profit off of compromised data. For example in February, a Pokemon Sword & Shield fan was sent to jail for selling hacked Shiny Pokemon.

Only a few months later, another Nintendo franchise is in the headlines for a similar crime. A Legend of Zelda hacker was arrested in July for trying to sell Breath of the Wild save files that contained numerous cheats for the popular Nintendo Switch title.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
BadBurger

BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
I know Japan has some very strict laws regarding IP, especially as it relates to software, but arresting your own citizens over video game save files is one of the most absurd things I have ever heard. The police don't have the self awareness to step back, take a look at themselves, and ask "what the hell are we doing?".

How about confiscate the data to satisfy the aggrieved (Nintendo) and fine them or something. This sounds like the theoretical end point to some slippery slope scenario that no one really expects to come to pass, but discusses as a cautionary tale. Instead Japan lept right to the weird, sad end.
 
jigglet

jigglet

Banned
BadBurger said:
I know Japan has some very strict laws regarding IP, especially as it relates to software, but arresting your own citizens over video game save files is one of the most absurd things I have ever heard. The police don't have the self awareness to step back, take a look at themselves, and ask "what the hell are we doing?".

How about confiscate the data to satisfy the aggrieved (Nintendo) and fine them or something. This sounds like the theoretical end point to some slippery slope scenario that no one really expects to come to pass, but discusses as a cautionary tale. Instead Japan lept right to the weird, sad end.
Click to expand...

It’s not a culture that encourages lateral thought. Rigidity makes for stability and consistency. But it causes a lot of other issues too. At least the trains run on time.
 
Kagoshima_Luke

Kagoshima_Luke

Gold Member
Must have been a tough take down. Nerds are extremely dangerous when cornered. I mean, look at this guy:

Bill-Gates-Arrest-Mugshot.png
 
Hugare

Hugare

Member
When your country is so safe that the government has to come up with shitty excuses to keep the police working

This is just ridiculous
 
Porcile

Porcile

Member
the_master said:
This is very insane, and a man was sent to jail for a similar thing? Whoa, how could they pass such a law, I thought Japan would do better
Click to expand...

That's a very naïve view of a country that has a 99.9% conviction rate, has the power to detain people for months without a charge, punishes marihuana possession as harshly as heroin possession, and outright ignores Geneva convention laws on child abduction. Japan does not have a fair justice system.
 
Last edited:
T

TireOnFire

Neo Member
How is this any different than something like a gameshark or action replay or whatever the hell is available for cheats nowadays?
 
S

SpongebobSquaredance

Unconfirmed Member
Kadve said:
Nintendo had nothing to do with this though. Japan recently passed the Unfair Competition Prevention Act which essentially made the distribution of mods illegal. Doesn't matter if its for a single player game or even if you were distributing them for free.
Click to expand...
giphy.gif


I love Japan and its culture, but this is horrendous.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Omega Supreme Holopsicon

Omega Supreme Holopsicon

Member
Kadve said:
Nintendo had nothing to do with this though. Japan recently passed the Unfair Competition Prevention Act which essentially made the distribution of mods illegal. Doesn't matter if its for a single player game or even if you were distributing them for free.
Click to expand...
What BS.

Digital files are essentially numbers, mathematical truth, you're essentially being jailed for sharing the truth. IP laws are nonsensical and originate from royalty's ridiculous rights to grant copyrights, iirc.

At most they could only take a royalty hit on his sold save files, not actually jail him, that would be just.
 
Tschumi

Tschumi

Member
GymWolf said:
Does he sell save files with unbreakable weapons?!
Click to expand...
Legit made me think twice about this entire thread lol

Scotty W said:
All these dystopian depictions of Japan are making me sad. Think I’ll go see that 3d cat, get some spicy Tantanmen and then soak in an onsen today.
Click to expand...
Dude Tantanmen totally my favourite ramen too! It's Chinese, apparently, but like I doubt they have the same creamy Miso base as here... I've had similar stuff in China but yeah the broth was always less thick.
 
Last edited:
Scotty W

Scotty W

Gold Member
Tschumi said:
Dude Tantanmen totally my favourite ramen too! It's Chinese, apparently, but like I doubt they have the same creamy Miso base as here... I've had similar stuff in China but yeah the broth was always less thick.
Click to expand...
There is a place about 30 seconds from Okubo Station that has amazing creamy broth, and spicy too. I can’t say that Tantanmen is my favorite, there is a place here called Karashibi Kikanbo Ramen which is just transcendent.
 
Droxcy

Droxcy

Member
Love japan but yeah the law system is horrible. Unfair detainment for weeks/months for petty crimes sometimes and that’s before trial or anything. That’s how they run a tight ship though.

Jailing someone over video games very backwards, yet they’re hosting the olympics when the country is struggling with the pandemic lol. Is what it is I guess..
 
Shrap

Shrap

Member
You all obviously don't understand the potential damages this kind of modding can cause

I don't either
 
synce

synce

Member
A nice reminder that it's not just the western hemisphere going completely insane in recent years.
 
Handy Fake

Handy Fake

Member
Seems to me this should be something Nintendo should be dealing with at a code level, not sending folk to jail.
Although I suppose the amount of money in question could have ramifications legally.
 
E

Evil Calvin

Afraid of Boobs
They crackdown on this but it's ok to sell games with anime, underage-looking scantily-clad girls in hundreds of games. Oh, a save file is 'corrupt' but go ahead and market this 'porn' to kids. Don't get me wrong. I don't really care, but it's awfully hypocritical of Japan and Nintendo.
 
Porcile

Porcile

Member
Evil Calvin said:
They crackdown on this but it's ok to sell games with anime, underage-looking scantily-clad girls in hundreds of games. Oh, a save file is 'corrupt' but go ahead and market this 'porn' to kids. Don't get me wrong. I don't really care, but it's awfully hypocritical of Japan and Nintendo.
Click to expand...

Welcome to Japan where genitalia is blurred in porn and movies, but it is quite okay to order a hooker like a pizza delivery to your home ... as long as she only blows you that is lol
 
Armorian

Armorian

Banned
Porcile said:
Welcome to Japan where genitalia is blurred in porn and movies, but it is quite okay to order a hooker like a pizza delivery to your home ... as long as she only blows you that is lol
Click to expand...

But they can show asshole 🤣 someone linked me video with "farting" class for young girls few years ago. Vagina was duct taped...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Nintendo Q3 FY 23/24 Earinings Report: Hardware 6.90m, LTD 139.36M. SMB Wonder 11.96M
Sales-Age 2
86
5K
Oberstein replied
Famitsu Sales: 12/12/22 – 12/18/22 | Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion opens at 156,530 retail copies sold.
Sales-Age 2
56
4K
jroc74 replied
Nintendo Q3 FY 22/23 Earnings Report: Hardware 8.23M, 122.55M LTD. Pokemon S/V 20.61M
Sales-Age 2
92
7K
reksveks replied
Black Friday video game sales down 15% | UK Boxed Charts
Sales-Age
15
2K
MrA replied
Famitsu Sales: 5/16/22 – 5/22/22 - Taiko Risshiden V DX debuts at 21,710 retail copies sold.
Sales-Age
9
1K
Vognerful replied
Top Bottom