Posted by Kalisiin Kumaki
on 8/10/2009, 10:04 am
For those who know, or understnad, anything about homebrew games on the DSi, you know that Nintendo designed the DSi specifically to fight efforts at homebrewing, and also to try to curb piracy. This was the main reason the DSi did not include a Slot-2 (GBA) port, like the DS Lite does.
Slot-2 Pass-me devices have long been used to gain access past the patches and so on, to enable people to program homebrew games that then run on the Nintendo DS. It also is an avenue used by those who would pirate videogames, and download "illegal" ROMs. (I use illegal in quotes there, because the issue is far from resolved,,,and I happen to feel it is an issue a bit more complicated than Nintendo would like.)
For example, I don't feel it is at all illegal, nor should it be...to download ROM's of games you already own the carts to...or, for that matter, to download ROMs for carts you may be planning on, or thinking about buying, so that you may try them before you buy them, and thus not end up with a game that sucks, and there's your forty bucks wasted, right?
It isn't, or shouldn't be illegal to want your portable gaming system to be TRULY PORTABLE. And this is where Acekard comes into play.
Acekard developed the first Slot-1 Pass-me device within weeks of the DSi being released, which opened the DSi to the homebrew community - and also to the pirates...and to those, like me...who just want TRUE PORTABILITY in their portable gaming systems.
To me, "portable" is NOT defined as having to carry (and worry about losing) bunches of teeny cartridges everywhere I go...or carry a library of huge packages for these tiny carts. Seriously, how much empty space is in a game pak, versus how much room the game cart takes up?
I see nothing wrong with downloading the ROM's of games I already own...and putting those on an SD card, and then sticking the SD card into an Acekard...so that, in effect, all the games I own will be on ONE Slot-1 card (the Acekard) THIS makes my portable system truly portable. And it doesn't do anyone out of money.
Additionally, since this practice allows one to "try before you buy" it may even INCREASE sales...for example, I BOUGHT MarioKart...after trying it as a free download. I never would have chanced it sight unseen. but, from having played it free, I found it enjoyable enough to go out and buy the actual cart.
This practice is not dissimilar to the downloading of music, or of movies. It also is not dissimilar to the lower versions of technology we employed back when I was a teenager, and we swapped cassette tapes from each other and dubbed them.
It has always happened, and it always will...and my own opinion is Nintendo would do well to quit stepping on the toes of people who are legitimately using questionable devices like the Acekard...for totally legitimate purposes and reasons - all just to get a few pirates, who, no matter what is done...will find a way around any roadblock thrown in their path...and then Nintendo will find a way to block that road, and ad nauseam. It is a battle nobody can win. There can really only be losers in this battle.
I thought Nintendo MIGHT be wising up a bit, with the Wii, and the Virtual Console. People WANT portability, and convenience. We want cheaper prices, lower production costs, less waste, and less wasteful stupid packaging.
I suspect many of us would LOVE to have just one card, that would contain all their games...and would be happy to buy games, and have them then downloaded to that card.
Unfortunately, Nintendo has not followed up the wisdom of the Virtual Console with the DSiWare Shop. There is hardly SHIT available on it, and most of it sucks. they should make all previously released GBA and DS games immediately available on the DSiWare shop...AND THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE, LIKE ME, WHO WOULD BUY THEM!!
We want what we want...and what we want is portability, and convenience, and we want access to the old GBA games, too.
SO...in a totally unnanounced move, Nintendo has struck back, apparently...and make the next idiot move in a game no-one can win. They have apparently managed to make the DSi transmit back to Nintendo, via Internet, that someone is using an Acekard, or other such device...and then the System downloads a patch into the software of the DSi that disables the firmware of the Acekard, and thus blocks it's use on the DSi.
All of a sudden, my Acekard does not work on the DSi anymore. Bad for pirates. Bad for homebrewers. Bad for convenience junkies like me. Bad for Nintendo, too.
Why bad for Nintendo, you ask? I'll tell you why.
Because I now refuse to have a DSi. And I will advise anyone else not to buy a DSi, either. Stick with the DS Lite. It doesn't button up to the Internet. The Acekard that no longer works in the DSi?? It works just fine in the old DS Lite.
A little extra screen space, slightly better sound, and a shitty camera is not enough to make me want to upgrade to something which allows Nintendo to invade my privacy, and stop me from using something I use for convenience...just because some people use the same device for illegal purposes.
I gave my mom the old DSi, and re-claimed my old DS Lite from her. I made a bad mistake ever buying the DSi, and I hope this message gets far and widde and discourages others from buying the DSi. Nintendo has no right doing what they did.
They downloaded after-market software into my device...without my permission....to alter the function of that device....AFTER I HAD PURCHASED IT. That ought to be illegal.
Two can play this game. Me, I'll go back to the DS Lite, thanks...and I'll encourage anyone who has not yet made the jump to the DSi...DON'T!!! Keep your DS Lite. The minor "advances" of the DSi are not worth this.
Let Nintendo learn the lesson the hard way. There are plenty of us out there who want convenience...who want the opportunity to try games before they buy them...and who often WILL buy the games after having tried them, but who will NOT buy games without an opportunity to TRY them first.
Let them learn that there are those of us who object strongly to them downloading to our devices...without our knowledge or consent...software that alters the function of our devices...on an aftermarket basis, AFTER WE HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT AND PAID FOR A SPECIFIC FUNCTIONALITY.
Let them hurry up and expand the DSiWare shop and put GOOD stuff in there...stuff people actually WANT...and do it quickly...don't make us wait a week for new releases...and then disappoint us by only releasing more CRAP.
let them make a large Game-Pak type device that would carry around, say 20 teeny carts all in the same package, in one compact thing. let them do something to make the portable game system TRULY portable....because that is why most of us bought portable game systems...WE WANTED THEM TO BE PORTABLE.
For me, I'm back to the DS Lite. And for those who haven't made the jump to DSi yet...I hope you read this first, and at least know what you are getting into.
Next thing you know, they could just as easily be downloading spam and commercials for new games onto your DSi....when you want to play a game, maybe you'll have to watch two or three commercials first...and who do you think will make all the money on that? Nintendo!! Is THAT what you want in YOUR portable gaming system? The possibility that this could be done?
The possibility that someone else (even the original manufactirer) could download content without your knowledge or consent...that would then alter the functioning of the device that you bought? What if they could make you watch commercials...(for which you get paid nothing...and they get paid big bucks)...before you are allowed to play games on the device YOU PAID FOR....after the fact?
Seems like they could do it.
What if someone were to hack into Nintendo's sytems...and send out a worm or bug that might wreck your DSi? and then Nintendo would claim it wasn't their fault, they were not resposible...and now YOU have to go out and buy another system?
All possible, it seems...and all in Nintendo's never-ending war against a few pirates...a war that can have no winner, and a war that will never have an end.
No winners in this war. Only losers. Think about it, Nintendo.
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