It's a funny twist that the R4DS, a product used mostly for pirating games, has found itself now battling it out with counterfeits carts that have infiltrated the market, but we assume that's just how Chinese flashcart companies roll.
Seeking to eliminate its knock-off competition, Team R4 has announced that as of September 15, it will release firmware that will only work on genuine R4 flashcarts, according to a statement translated by GBAtemp. As an added deterrent, users attempting to load the firmware on illegitimate carts could potentially damage their DS permanently, leaving their system unusable.
What if you've unknowingly bought a fake R4 (for running homebrew software, of course) and brick your DS after trying to install the updated firmware? Team R4 has stated that it will not accept responsibility, advising that you contact your "unscrupulous" shop to complain. Thanks, Team R4!
We understand that it's annoying to have all these companies drinking their milkshake, but is this really necessary? Won't this drive away potential R4 customers, not to mention people curious about experimenting with DS homebrew? Make sure to look through our (semi) ultimate homebrew guide if you're interested in finding flashcart alternatives that won't leave your system bricked.
See also: Homebrew Glossary
[Via GBAtemp]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-03-2008 @ 7:11PM
Peter S said...
Sad, but glad that I got a different flash cart for my Homebrew playing. Still can't get/understand that Yahtzee game, though. :P
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7-03-2008 @ 7:25PM
ballistic3188 said...
wow the hypocracy. the pirates want to stop other piraters from pirating their stuff.
if the law of piracy follows their anti piracy software will be circumvented as well
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7-09-2008 @ 3:48PM
Matdredalia said...
The R4 is also used for homebrew. Don't assume everyone who owns an R4 is a pirate.
7-03-2008 @ 7:29PM
Shannon said...
This is very disappointing. I just bought a R4DS flashcard. I'm assuming it is legit, but given that it is often hard to tell where a place got their cards, that makes me not want to update just in case. Apparently I should have spent a little more money and went with a better company. :x
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7-03-2008 @ 7:53PM
chispito said...
Well it's not like brand new firmware is required to run 99% of the ROMs.
Also, that's not what ironic means.
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7-03-2008 @ 8:20PM
Eric Caoili said...
bah, i always have trouble properly using that term. i'm gonna go with calling this a "funny twist" then.
7-03-2008 @ 8:03PM
juju187 said...
i brought my old lady a R4 card for valentines day, best investment ever
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7-03-2008 @ 8:04PM
magicianmule@hotmail.com said...
LOL this is freaking hilarious...first they don't bother updating their firmware anymore to work with the latest games and now we find out they're instead wasting their time on sabotaging competitors in a largely illegal pirate marketplace
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7-03-2008 @ 8:05PM
maqr said...
Trojan homebrew can brick a DS too.
That's why some people, even with these carts that don't require FlashMe, opt to do it anyway. Unless this is some kind of crazy new exploit r4 has discovered (which i doubt), their firmware would be unable to brick a flashed DS this way.
Of course, most r4 users probably don't flash, since you have to physically bridge a connection to do it, so it's probably still effective for them to stop bootleggers. Real homebrew authors with flashed DS's will likely go unaffected, since they flash to make sure they can't accidentally brick theirs while writing software anyway.
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7-03-2008 @ 8:10PM
Salty Soil said...
Whatever happened to honour among thieves D:
I kid, however the obvious thing to do is NOT to install any new firmware from now on. Besides, there are better alternatives to the R4/M3simply
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7-03-2008 @ 10:46PM
Roto13 said...
"Whatever happened to honour among thieves D:"
I think you're remembering the saying wrong. :P
7-04-2008 @ 12:17PM
Salty Soil said...
What saying? There isn't any 'honour,' which was what I was joking about. Of course R4 only makes the carts and doesn't directly involve piracy.
7-03-2008 @ 8:45PM
Peter said...
Remember that there's more to Slot-1 flash carts than piracy. The DS homebrew scene is growing rapidly and already features a long list of excellent homebrew games and applications.
I can understand R4's motives, but I have the feeling this is only going to drive more people to buy a CycloDS Evolution instead. The Evolution is a fantastic cart with frequent updates and great compatibility with homebrew titles. It may cost a little more than a R4, but it might be worth it, if only for the piece of mind.
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7-04-2008 @ 2:34AM
LocalToast said...
The CycloDS Evolution is probably the greatest homebrew device you can go with, presently. I bought one last Christmas, and I'm never looking back. The R4 is so outdated, I don't see why people keep buying them.
The CDSE has a great team producing it, with tons of updates and new features (soft-reset in homebrew, anyone? You can say "exclusive"!) I firmly believe the CycloDS is the best flashcart on the market.
7-06-2008 @ 11:51PM
Pie Pants said...
"Remember that there's more to Slot-1 flash carts than piracy."
Unfortunately the DS Fanboy bloggers seem to remember that for about five whole seconds, then get lost in the "LOL PIRATES YARR" side of it.
7-03-2008 @ 8:47PM
Peter said...
Remember that there's more to Slot-1 flash carts than piracy. The DS homebrew scene is growing rapidly and already features a long list of excellent homebrew games and applications.
I can understand R4's motives, but I have the feeling this is only going to drive more people to buy a CycloDS Evolution instead. The Evolution is a fantastic cart with frequent updates and great compatibility with homebrew titles. It may cost a little more than a R4, but it might be worth it, if only for the piece of mind.
Reply
7-03-2008 @ 9:34PM
Chyld989 (MKWii: 5241-2307-2882) said...
What they really should do is release a firmware version that alerts the user that they're using a knock-off R4, and that if they continue it could brick their DS. At least this way you know if you unknowingly bought a knock-off, and don't just suddenly have a bricked DS.
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7-03-2008 @ 9:49PM
ecco6t9 said...
What a bunch of jackasses I sincerely hope they get Lik-Sang'd.
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7-03-2008 @ 9:53PM
Morning Toast said...
Well, I hope there's some "official" way to determine if my R4 cart is legit. I trust the vendor I got mine from but still, kind of crappy to say beware of fakes without telling us what makes a fake.
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7-03-2008 @ 10:15PM
Alexisonfire said...
I don't really care about the story. But the picture is made of win.
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