Gadgets
Nintendo Wins Big In Legal Case Against ‘Circumvention Devices’
It’s a win today financially for Nintendo, as a recent verdict in Canadian court awarded Nintendo $12.5 million against Jeramie King and his business Go Cyber Shopping Ltd. While that amount is likely pocket change for such a gigantic company, what’s more important is the precedent it sets for future cases when it comes to Copyright law.
The win confirms that the distribution of “flashkits”, “modchips”, and “game copiers” are copyright circumvention and therefore illegal. Through both a website and a physical storefront, King was a large distributor of game copiers and mod chips, devices that allow users to circumvent Nintendo’s copyright and play illegal copies of games.
King bragged openly about his activities on social media, and after this case will be forced to issue an apology on his website to damage he caused Nintendo and its partners. It’s a heavy blow to both King and fellow pirates, and will make it easier for companies to prosecute those who willingly circumvent copyright in the future.
There’s a fiery debate in internet circles on the ethics of piracy. Many proponents of the practice cite anti-consumer practices and lack of availability as a justification for obtaining or distributing copies of games illegally, while opponents of piracy view it as simple theft no matter the circumstance.
“Nintendo continues to be a leader in bringing innovative gaming platforms and software to our fans and millions of gamers across the globe,” said Devon Pritchard, Nintendo of America’s General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Business Affairs. “Nintendo has an established track record that demonstrates our resolve to protect our iconic characters and franchises. We will continue to protect the creative works of our developers and vigorously enforce our intellectual property rights against those that attempt to steal or misuse them.
Belgian developer Larian Studios’ work on Baldur’s Gate 3’s Xbox Series S version will improve performance on all platforms, including PS5. The game’s fifth major patch, expected to launch this week, will include upgrades and new features. More details will be revealed later today.
Director of Publishing Michael Douse says PS5 performance improvements may be the “least exciting thing” in the title’s next update, so it sounds like a big one. Larian Studios employees are proud of “finally” implementing tweaks, fixes, and changes, Douse says. Later today, we’ll bring you all the Baldur’s Gate 3 update details.
Those who reached the RPG’s third act have reported technical issues during the narrative’s conclusion, especially in co-op, so today’s update should fix them. New features like a permadeath mode are expected, along with Xbox Series S optimization fixes. What else should be added to the game?
We love the PlayStation ecosystem, especially its top first-party studios, but Sony Interactive Entertainment could do more to build goodwill. The long-awaited Trophy support for PS5 games on PC appears to be closer to reality, though nothing official has been announced.
TrueTrophie’s scanners found a new PS5 Trophy list with “PSPC” as a platform. The list, titled “Trophy Set” and unattached to a game, appears to be a test. TrueTrophies notes that developers rarely submit their own platforms to PSN, suggesting Sony is behind it.
TrueTrophies says this platform is separate from PS5 but can connect to it, suggesting compatibility. As PlayStation fans know, PS4, PS Vita, and PS3 games could share a list. In October 2022, Sony added PSN support to Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered’s PC release, allowing players to link Steam accounts to unlock an exclusive skin. Potentially minor, but something we’ll watch.
TrueTrophies lists PlayStation Trophies for serious hunters. They scrape the PlayStation Network’s ominous underbelly with scanners to provide the most up-to-date trophy lists, sometimes dangerously. TrueTrophies posted Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s trophy list weeks ago, with spoiler titles.
Next month, the PS5 Slim will replace the original PS5. Its main selling point is its detachable disc drive. Sony’s design change will streamline manufacturing, but consumers will have more flexibility. The refreshed machine will be 30% smaller than its predecessor, reducing its footprint.
But since the manufacturer hadn’t mentioned it, some worried you couldn’t install another SSD. A spokesperson told IGN that “there are no changes with the new model”—you can still install a compatible hard drive to expand the console’s storage.
Note that the new model increases on-board storage from 825GB to 1TB, so you get more space out of the box. However, some games are now so large that you may need a new PS5 SSD.
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