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3DS hacked within 24 hours of Japanese launch

Published on 28th February 2011 by Joe Martin

3DS hacked within 24 hours of Japanese launch

Hackers have successfully modified the 3DS to run pirated DS games within a day of launch.

Hackers have reported that they have already hacked the Nintendo 3DS to run pirated games within 24 hours of the Japanese product launch.

The hacks currently only allow the 3DS to run older DS games, which they do using the infamous R4 flashcart. New 3DS titles cannot be run using this hack.

While Nintendo has released the 3DS handheld in Japan now, it's not set to see a European release until March 25.

To get the pirated games working hackers apparently edited a 'whitelist file' built into the 3DS firmware which dictated what software and cartridges the 3DS could access. Each 3DS apparently requires users to edit the files themselves, manually.

The R4i group which claims responsibility for the hack has pre-empted any comment that Nintendo might be expected to make, warning would-be pirates that it expects Nintendo to issue a new firmware block soon that would stop R4 cards from working on the 3DS again.

Let us know your thoughts in the forums.

19 Comments

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Phalanx 28th February 2011, 16:47 Quote
Couldn't have happened to a better company. The price for that thing is just ludicrous.
leveller 28th February 2011, 17:39 Quote
Not good news. I am surprised the protection is so weak it happened this fast ... careless.

Companies try to keep their devices closed to stop this blatent abuse.

Edited: Alright Joe, don't take it out of context will you, you completely understood the point I was making. Didn't you? If you read my posts you know I don't advocate it.
themax 28th February 2011, 17:47 Quote
Well, at least the group doing it isn't parading it around as just wanting to run "homebrew" on it. Nintendo will never win the war against the R4 unfortunately. But, provided they can keep the updates locking out the R4s they can stay a head of the pack.
jsheff 28th February 2011, 18:27 Quote
I'm a primary school teacher, and before Christmas we had a 'toy day'. Of course, that meant approximately 20 DS Lites, XLs, etc, in my classroom. Of those, I'd say that about 5 or 6 had R4 carts. How widespread must the problem be for the DS amongst teens and older if a quarter of the 10 year olds in my class were pirates?

I'm guessing it's pretty difficult to lock down flash-based storage media or something. Does anyone know how easy the PSP Go is to crack? Maybe the only way to truely solve the problem lies in pure digital distribution?
dactone 28th February 2011, 18:31 Quote
why not make the 3ds run older ds games anyway? making new tech backwards compatible is always a nice thing:)
Xyllian 28th February 2011, 18:34 Quote
Damn you can pirate the handheld market?

/sarcasm [ON] OFF

OMG THIS MARKET IS DEAD AND BROKEN JUST LIKE THE PC MARKET GAAAAAAH

/sarcasm ON [OFF]

Seriously developers, piracy is NOT an excuse to abandon the PC market.
wafflesomd 28th February 2011, 19:14 Quote
It will get patched, then cracked.

Repeat.

The thing is so expensive that you're left with nothing to buy the games.
Woodspoon 28th February 2011, 20:29 Quote
This can't be right
There 's no problem with piracy on consoles
/sarcasm off
bulldogjeff 28th February 2011, 20:51 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsheff
I'm a primary school teacher, and before Christmas we had a 'toy day'. Of course, that meant approximately 20 DS Lites, XLs, etc, in my classroom. Of those, I'd say that about 5 or 6 had R4 carts. How widespread must the problem be for the DS amongst teens and older if a quarter of the 10 year olds in my class were pirates?

I'm guessing it's pretty difficult to lock down flash-based storage media or something. Does anyone know how easy the PSP Go is to crack? Maybe the only way to truely solve the problem lies in pure digital distribution?

The answers quite simple, if it's there someone will crack it or hack it.

Does anyone remember" the cult of the dead cow" from way back . I wonder what ever happened to them. I think some of them went to work for Microsoft...lol
Gizmo1990 28th February 2011, 23:11 Quote
Peoples comments here regarding the price are good fun. £200 a lot for a new portable console with 3d and all the other gubbins they've shoe horned in? I look forward to hearing what these people think when Sony release the price of the ngp..
RichCreedy 1st March 2011, 00:10 Quote
isn't it illegal to own r4s in the uk?
leexgx 1st March 2011, 00:14 Quote
just to sell them it is
ssj12 1st March 2011, 06:42 Quote
this is what happens when you call your handheld impossible to hack..
memeroot 1st March 2011, 07:33 Quote
if the games cost 2 or 3 quid like the iphone we wouldn't bother.
mpr 1st March 2011, 07:33 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichCreedy
isn't it illegal to own r4s in the uk?

I hope not, I backup all my games on my R4 I have the physical games if I'm ever querried but it's so much easier when you deploy than carrying a bunch of game carts.
veato 1st March 2011, 08:46 Quote
I'm suprised to see a PC enthusiast forum complain about the price of the 3DS. My case and PSU alone cost more than a 3DS.

I dont think the £200 pre-orders are overly expensive anyway given that it's a new bit of tech and is trying something new with portable 3D gaming without glasses.
Repo 1st March 2011, 13:56 Quote
It's all about price point perception. Even at £200 I think they are still going to sell a shed load of these things; Nintendo are pretty good at low production costs so I'd expect to see a price drop during the summer and another in the autumn for the Christmas market.
Kiytan 1st March 2011, 21:05 Quote
While not entirely surprised, even for the world of the internet that's gorram fast.

As for each user having to edit their ds themselves, even if someone doesn't bring out some sort of way to do it automatically, I doubt it's much more complex than forwarding a port.
PingCrosby 1st March 2011, 21:30 Quote
I hopes them scurvy pirates gets wood worm in their wooden legs, aahaar Jim lad.
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