So I like to check into the emulation scene every once in awhile to see how far along they. Now, this is not a post telling people to pirate games, but to tell people that Nintendo might have finally found a way to keep pirates from pirating their games. So Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story is finally released and with that the pirates are anticipating another good game for them to copy. Well, after reading the feedback on the forums, it seems that Nintendo has done a good job of keeping it out of their hands. Apparently, everyone is running into big problems on all flash cards. One example is that the R4 card, you can't get pass the start screen. While most of the other cards gets a white screen after loading the game.
 
Could this mean that Nintendo has found the perfect anti-piracy measure? What I want to do is see the sales of this game after one month and see if it does matter if the game is pirated or not. Maybe their sales will increase. But if it doesn't then it goes to show that the blame on piracy is straight up ridiculous.

I would like to think that they have.  If they have, you would think they might boast about it. 
 
If they have implemented a new anti-piracy application on the cart, it will only mean that pirates will just figure out what it does and how to get around it.  They are very clever that way.  Assuming again that this is new, it is like waving a red flag in front of a bull (yes, I know bulls are colour blind).  It is taken on as a challenge in the scene to get bragging rights about breaking it first. 
 
Good luck to Nintendo though.

Oh, Anti-piracy measures. Cute.
 
You see, it's like this. People who know what they're doing because it's their job write code to counter people who not only know what they're doing, but do little else, want to do it, have fun doing it, are geeky about doing it, have unlimited time at their hands doing it, and know they'll save money and get scene fame when they do it. 
 
The latter will always win. Always. As of today, the japanese version of Mario&Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story has been patched for every flashcard. The US-version (which has a couple of additional checks) has been patched for every flashcard excluding the old DS. The US R4 patch will most probably be coming this week.  
 
Don't try to fight pirates. It won't ever work. Try to reward buying customers. Scribblenauts has no Anti-piracy measures whatsoever. But they did a cool PR-preorder-thingy and gave out rooster heads. A good deal of people who'd have pirated it opted for preorder instead because of the hat. Another good deal of potential pirates bought the game/will buy the game because 5th cell actively sought customer contact and communication. Modern Warfare comes in expensive editions with stupid toys, and people are buying that crap. Monty Python opened a youtube-channel distributing lots of  stuff for free with a small disclaimer "hey, if you liked that, why not buy a DVD?", and sales went through the roof.
 
But to try and counter the potential pirate mob with offensive actions, relying on the hope that your coders are better than theirs? Worst idea ever.

It's only a matter of time before the pirates break it. There is no such thing as a perfect anti-piracy measure. The pirates are usually one step ahead, it seems Nintendo have leapfrogged them in this case, but it's only a matter of time before the pirates catch back up.

This sort of protection has been tried on many DS carts, and has not once delayed things more than a week or two.
 
I'm not saying I like it, but it seems kind of pointless to spend extra development money chasing that particular dragon.

maybe online pirates but no game is safe from actual pirates

At least they stopped 0 day piracy, I do believe that's the intention of most piracy measures, and if this one worked, it's certainly not stupid. Yes, pirates will eventually figure it out, but at least casual, less knowledgable pirates may have a harder time with it, whereas before, any soccer mom could acquire Nintendo games illegally. Maybe it'll be back to that point by next month, but that's still a month where a game may be purchased instead of pirated, or a month where they may be educated in that what they're doing is illegal as many of them do it without knowing, tricked by stores who sell these illegal goods, and perhaps at least cut down on it, saving piracy for casual days and actually purchasing original games on Xmas, birthdays and the like. I wonder what will sell more, scribblenauts with its "ingenious" anti-piracy bonuses (I seriously doubt that is the reason they were made) or this game? Yeah, I thought so. They aren't comparable, so why compare like this?

" maybe online pirates but no game is safe from actual pirates "

I found out when I tried to play the Japanese version of the rom.  :P
 
Anyways, going to pick up this game later today.  It's going to be fucking awesome.

I wish these pirates would just go crawl in a hole and fade away.  They are ruining gaming, as far as I am concerned.

" I wish these pirates would just go crawl in a hole and fade away.  They are ruining gaming, as far as I am concerned. "

Great news if true.

Good news! Anything these companies can do to battle piracy, if only for a little while, is commendable by me.

good work Nintendo. now you just need to continue it...

A handful of people getting paid to make a defence against pirating during the several hours they work a day versus almost infinte amount of people with infinite amount of time to break it.
 
Edit: oh my 2k posts, I apologize to the people I've annoyed getting it.

" Oh, Anti-piracy measures. Cute.  You see, it's like this. People who know what they're doing because it's their job write code to counter people who not only know what they're doing, but do little else, want to do it, have fun doing it, are geeky about doing it, have unlimited time at their hands doing it, and know they'll save money and get scene fame when they do it.   The latter will always win. Always. As of today, the japanese version of Mario&Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story has been patched for every flashcard. The US-version (which has a couple of additional checks) has been patched for every flashcard excluding the old DS. The US R4 patch will most probably be coming this week.    Don't try to fight pirates. It won't ever work. Try to reward buying customers. Scribblenauts has no Anti-piracy measures whatsoever. But they did a cool PR-preorder-thingy and gave out rooster heads. A good deal of people who'd have pirated it opted for preorder instead because of the hat. Another good deal of potential pirates bought the game/will buy the game because 5th cell actively sought customer contact and communication. Modern Warfare comes in expensive editions with stupid toys, and people are buying that crap. Monty Python opened a youtube-channel distributing lots of  stuff for free with a small disclaimer "hey, if you liked that, why not buy a DVD?", and sales went through the roof.  But to try and counter the potential pirate mob with offensive actions, relying on the hope that your coders are better than theirs? Worst idea ever. "

Even if it is effective as an anti piracy measure, I doubt sales of the game will increase by a whole lot. Most ot those people won't buy the game regardless, and only bother with as many games as they do because it's free. 

I've heard of other DS games having pirates locked out at first.  Quite a few I think, but notably GTA Chinatown Wars and Chrono Trigger on DS.  Those were eventually cracked I hear.

@Aeterna said:

" @oldschool said:

" @Aeterna said:

" Uhhh... problems? What problems? "

You cracked the code or found someone who has? "

Let's say that I've played through the tutorial? So... yes, no problem at all, 3hours after it got spread over the internet. "

It seems this anti-piracy story is misinformation then. "

Also WTF is with people blatantly admitting piracy on this forum? "

I can just imagine. Some Nintendo coder is pumping his fists into the air because dose dum parrots can't get the game to work on the R4. An hour later, he feels like complete shit.

" I can just imagine. Some Nintendo coder is pumping his fists into the air because dose dum parrots can't get the game to work on the R4. An hour later, he feels like complete shit. "

" @Meowayne: The only thing that can stop pirates....rooster hats. Yep....  If the protection works, then why not do it? There's no use in just saying "Okay, we can't fight them. Oh well..." "

" @oldschool said:

@Aeterna said:

" @oldschool said:

" @Aeterna said:

" Uhhh... problems? What problems? "

You cracked the code or found someone who has? "

Let's say that I've played through the tutorial? So... yes, no problem at all, 3hours after it got spread over the internet. "

It seems this anti-piracy story is misinformation then. "

Well it was probably true at some point. But hackers work fast. Also WTF is with people blatantly admitting piracy on this forum? "

13 days after the NA release, the game was now successfully patched to work even on the R4. That's Nintendos best job at anti-piracy yet.  :O

" I've heard of other DS games having pirates locked out at first.  Quite a few I think, but notably GTA Chinatown Wars and Chrono Trigger on DS.  Those were eventually cracked I hear. "

" 13 days after the NA release, the game was now successfully patched to work even on the R4. That's Nintendos best job at anti-piracy yet.  :O "

" @Diamond said:

" I've heard of other DS games having pirates locked out at first.  Quite a few I think, but notably GTA Chinatown Wars and Chrono Trigger on DS.  Those were eventually cracked I hear. "

Dragon Quest V wouldn't let you get off of the boat at the beginning if it was a pirated version. I never experienced this since I got the game after the patch, but reading the comments on where I acquire some of my games made me laugh at how stupid some people are. "

angry pirates

Yeah, I think the best way to combat it is to frustrate pirates... make the game-breaking code happen at various points in the game. Little rotten easter eggs to people that like to steal software. :P

 
Sure,you're inside Bowsers body,ofcourse you're protected from getting pirated.
 
 
I pirate myself,but....

Weird, it's been more than a month since the game was released and there's still no working pirated copy. I think Nintendo finally got one.

The hackers will find a way to bypass this is no time. Seriously, they are fucking geniuses.