If you cast your mind back to earlier this year, you might recall that a man was arrested in Japan for selling modded data from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Well, it's clear that not everyone was paying attention to the repercussions, as last week, Japanese police announced that they had arrested a man on similar charges for meddling with Pokémon Sun (thanks, Automaton West).
In this instance, the culprit (a 32-year-old man from Saitama) was caught selling hacked save data from the Gen VII game for 5,200 yen (around £27 / $35) each, putting him in violation of Japan's Unfair Competition Prevention Act — which could earn him up to five years in prison or slapped with a fine of up to five million yen. Yikes.
While the suspect is still under investigation at the time of writing, he has admitted to the charges after police seized a computer and 37 games from his home. The authorities also reportedly sent the confiscated ROMs to Nintendo, where the company confirmed that they had been tampered with.
According to TBS News, the authorities' suspicions were roused when a 'Cyber Patrol' investigation uncovered online listings for a range of Pokémon games with phrases like “Save data with over 800 Pokémon.” Apparently, this in-game line-up included waves of 'mon that were only available from specific physical locations or events, making the entire operation seem even more suspicious and giving the police enough room to investigate and eventually arrest the man.
We won't know the ultimate outcome of this one until the investigation is complete. But, if you need reminding, don't mess with Pokémon.
What do you make of this one? Let us know in the comments.
[source newsdig.tbs.co.jp, via automaton-media.com]
Comments 35
This is actually hilarious that this is even a thing.
Looks like Team Rocket is blasting off again.
"Hey kid, wanna buy some Pokémon?"
I was thinking that situation was really unhealthy obsession to want all Pokemons even in illegal way by hacking the ROM and moreover selling the hacked Save data to public.
If you cannot get specific Pokemons, just let them go.
Why should try to get them all even by illegal way?
Must be an undercover Team Rocket operation 😂😂
I’m all for throwing people in prison for random reasons, so thank god this criminal has been apprehended. Now I can play my eight-year-old game with total peace of mind.
Though I absolutely hate cheaters, giving them huge fines or throwing them in prison is a bit much.
@sanderev He's more of a scammer than a cheater. He should have known he was crossing a pretty big line by selling it.
I can’t believe police officers are getting paid to investigate this kind of thing…
I mean, cheating at Pokemon? Hardly a major offense, is it?
Sorry, but such a fine and even more so prison is absolutely ridiculous for doing something like this and even more so considering way more serious crimes get the same if not even lesser sentences - if they get prosecuted in the first place that is, especially in Japan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_justice_system_of_Japan, but I had already heard it when I studied some Japanese law at the university)!
What generation is 7?
Is it on Switch?
If no, who cares?
@BenAV
Was he selling it based on the hack or was he selling it based solely on the time he put into it?
There's a huge difference there!
The game is almost 10 years old on a console Nintendo desperately wants to be unusable nowadays lmfao why do they gaf
Nintendoes abuse their power
Nintendo saving the world yet again.
Bro why would Nintendo even care about these at this point if most people can't transfer Pokemon from the 3DS to the Switch anymore
@ikki5 it is sad how far it can go.
Don't get me wrong, I understand the companies not wanting this to happen, but in japan it goes so far that some people don't even stream certain games over there, because there is a chance you could end up with a high fine or worse.
Because "you damage a company behind the game with it".
While same games are being streamed in the west and nobody bats an eye, it is really bad in japan itself.
The law ain't always right.
I’m curious, not that I do this since I have no technical know how, but if someone sold modded save data in the US, would they also be fined/arrested/etc. as well? I see stuff like this occasionally for sale.
@NintonicGamer This isn’t a Nintendo thing. It’s a Japanese law thing.
This is incredibly stupid and disgusting.
@Shepdawg1 that Nintendo lobbied for. So it's Nintendo that in effect did it.
@Anti-Matter Well Nintendo has been telling us since 1998 we Gotta Catch 'Em All!
They shouldn't have told us that when even in 1998 they knew that was an impossible goal to achieve under playing skill alone.
SELLING the save data though is quite bad but that is just as much on the buyer for enabling them.
@LavenderShroud I'm told Japan has criminalized selling modded data there, meaning the police can arrest people there.
In America, I don't know if there is any law against it but if it was, it would be a civil offense (Nintendo's lawyers have to care enough to bring the seller to court.)
Why are people blaming Nintendo here?
Do you think they made and passed the law? The hate is ridiculous.
Laughing at the people blaming Nintendo. How about the adult who was unironically selling Pokemon to kids?
lol the kneejerk some of you do to blame Nintendo. All they did was confirm the roms were tampered with. Funny how people fantasize about Japan being a paradise while conveniently forgetting stuff like this happens. Also, that has to rank high on the most pathetic reasons for being arrested. It wasn't even current gen.
Dealers have really expanded their horizons.
This is undeniably excessive, if I told my teenage self back then that using an action replay or downloading a save will get you in prison it would be beyond disbelief, the only thing I can expect is the death penalty for future "offenses" and yet I used to joke that using saves or cheat codes will get you the death sentence I guess we are living in a time where soon that will come true ☠️☠️
@BenAV Even for a scam it's not porpotional.
The inmates are running our asylums.
@Shepdawg1
It is a Nintendo Thing, as Nintendo has very big Lobby and caused this Law.
I am glad such a Law is not present in other Countries, it would destroy all Freedom with Software.
@sanderev I'd agree if he was doing it for free. But he was charging money for these services, and that's when it becomes a legal matter.
@JalapenoSpiceLife Try reading the article. Hacking data is not the issue; selling the hacked data is.
I don’t think it’s quite fair to use “gotta catch ‘em all” as a slogan, when they make it impossible to actually catch ‘em all. People offering ways to achieve what Nintendo insinuated we should, that’s not a crime worth ruining someone’s life over.
I’m not saying they should let it slide completely cause he was earning money, but a small fine and a warning seems more than appropriate for the situation.
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