Run, Its a raid!! Wii’s manufacture, Nintendo, got a Hong Kong court to issue a raid on a company. Supreme Factory Ltd. was found with over 10,000 products which included game copying devices and mod chips. These devices allow Wii owners to illegally copy games and use them on their Wii video-game consoles.
This isn’t the first time Nintendo has gone after companies that try to rip them off. In 2005 they were awarded $5 million from a Hong Kong court and they had also been awarded $7 million from an US judge in 1999 because Bung Enterprises Ltd manufactured devices that ripped off Game Boy and Nintendo 64 games.
So why does a company who’s market value has tripled since they released the Wii console care? Well, they claim that they’ve lost over $760 million in 2006 from video game thefts which is big bucks! With so many Wii Games being released in preparation for the holiday it’s no wonder why they would want to put an end to this.
You think if they could stop losing all this money they would lower prices to help us Wii people out?? Probably not, but I suppose I can’t condone stealing either. In any case check out the Bloomberg article for more information.
October 23rd, 2007 - 10:53 am
I’m not for the idea of theft, but if the games were a little cheaper it wouldn’t push people into stealing them either.
Then again, I recall a time when a nintendo game sold [new] for 50-80$ canadian, I can get a Wii game for 30-50$ canadian now [NES/SNES vrs GC/Wii].
The Wii itself is still expensive, but considering what you’re getting out of it, it’s worth the money, considering the PS3 is like the hindenberg. The x-box 360 seems worth it’s money, but I prefer my Wii [and most of my friends who own both say they prefer Wii as well, but don’t dislike the 360].
October 23rd, 2007 - 11:55 am
I like my 360 and I like my Wii. It depends on if I have friends over which I prefer. About the only game I play alone is Tiger Woods on my Wii. Meanwhile I have some 15 games on my Xbox I like to play alone, or online.
October 23rd, 2007 - 12:27 pm
If they weren’t a******s and didnt code their consoles to control the markets, then maybe people wouldnt have to use mod chips….seriously…
When you region code something…thats called a trust….and most countries have anti-trust laws….so…hmmm….how does that work out….
October 23rd, 2007 - 12:51 pm
I live in Macau and got a Wii with a mod chip. We can burn downloaded games onto a normal DVD-R, or buy pre-burned games anywhere on the mainland (or Hong Kong).
A Japanese-language console with a mod chip costs about US$100 cheaper than an English-language Wii. Since the modded one can play English games, of COURSE we went for it.
Why does Nintendo jack the prices so badly? I’d be happy to pay for games if they were a little cheaper. Instead, the market wins and I go to mainland (or download).
October 23rd, 2007 - 2:02 pm
Why does Nintendo jack prices? How much are they “jacking up” the prices exactly? They went for the mass consumer, making it $250. So what if they make $50 or even $100 on each system. Nintendo has always made money on every system they’ve ever sold, including hand-helds.
If they were REALLY jacking up the prices… then of course many people wouldn’t opt for buying the system… obviously that’s not the case because it is the #1 selling system. Even now it is still tough to get it in stores in some areas.
Perhaps they’re not jacking up the prices… perhaps they’re just making money like any normal business would… and maybe you’re just being a bit too “frugal”
October 23rd, 2007 - 5:00 pm
Seeing as 80% of the world makes less than 5 dollars a day, I think they can reasonably reduce the prices to half what it costs to make. Most things in the US are marked up by a factor of 3 times what it costs to make, and most people in the world just can afford to buy one.
October 23rd, 2007 - 5:02 pm
Sorry the price was suppose to be twice what it costs to make.
October 23rd, 2007 - 6:57 pm
They should go after China’s Vii, Wii’s cheaper brother.
http://nsider2.com/2007/10/chinas-vii-vs-wii/
October 24th, 2007 - 12:05 am
uhm just because its the bestselling doesnt mean its not overpriced anyone remember the tickle me elmo? on its first year you couldnt find it for less then 50 bucks in any store you went and if you tried online it was 3-4 hundred yet it was still the #1 toy in all of america for almost 6 months.
November 4th, 2007 - 2:08 am
Asking a company to cut prices is like asking them to pay their employees less, because that’s all they’re going to do. Our clothes and food are cheap because people get paid nothing to make them. Demand better wages for the people who make your goods, pay a little more for them, and consume a little less.
November 26th, 2007 - 9:02 pm
[…] use of mod-chips automatically void warranties and Nintendo is pretty strict about going after companies that try to manufacture these especially when they claim to lose over […]
December 3rd, 2007 - 8:29 pm
[…] told 16 shops to stop selling any and all mod chips. A few weeks ago they had agents raid a Hong Kong factory , Supreme Factory, where over 10,000 products were found that made it possible to copy games and […]