3DS is Watching You: Activity-Logging and Anti-Piracy Features

[Double A]

I'm not a pirate, but this is just crazy. I don't want people to know what games I play, or anything like that. I don't care if it's meaningless dribble, it's still private information, and personally, I like not making that privy to other people.

Yeah, it's not like Steam, XBox Live, or the PS3 do the same thing or anything...

Point taken, but I don't like that either. Nintendo is taking it a step farther, though. Auto updating your console (which is what the article implied) is way to invasive for me.

 

[xidphel]

Indeed they are watching you but what do you expect from...
Wait. If I reveal the master plan from the mothership the microchip will activate.

 

[Aris Khandr]

I like it. But I have friends, and it's fun to see what they're playing.

 

[delvin313]

I don't want Nintendo, or anyone else for that matter to know how many 100s of hours I will spend playing Barbie's Dream House... Oh, shit! Uhm.... nevermind that part, Nintendo is good

 

[Chrysocollus]

Yes, without a doubt.

Nintendo has been quite clear about homebrew on the Wii, they do not approve and they have released updates to counter homebrew. On the 3DS they will no doubt continue to fight homebrew as well as the playing of imported games, cheating devices like Action Replay and R4 cards. To Nintendo these are all things that Nintendo doesn't think you should be allowed to do with your..er..their 3DS.

Thanks. I have a few more questions too, if someone's willing to answer them.

Sigh. Homebrew (appears to be) technically illegal. However once it hits that point, isn't it pretty much in the same category as piracy anyways? And if not, then why is it illegal?

What is Nintendo's beef with Action Replay?

Are they going to make the fact they're monitoring your activity explicit for the average customer?

While I disagree with the Orwellian-theme that Nintendo's kinda taking (and, probably, the direction the medium as a whole will move), it'd honestly be weird if they didn't do things like this.

At least it keeps hackers and jailbreakers busy, I suppose. Wouldn't want them to get bored, now would we?

 

[Choppaduel]

I predict that clever hackers will setup what I would call killzones, where any 3ds that enters there signal range is automatically bricked.

In other words, this plan of theirs will go horribly wrong.

 

[SovietSecrets]

I am not pleased by this. I was considering picking one up, but now most likely not.

 

[theheroofaction]

What is Nintendo's beef with Action Replay?

Action replay is a cheating device that works even if the games feature online competitition.

 

[Chrysocollus]

What is Nintendo's beef with Action Replay?

Action replay is a cheating device that works even if the games feature online competitition.

Haha. Oh. xD I used to use one when I was younger...had no idea they affect online things.

 

[theheroofaction]

snip.

Ah, the online bit I added was for extra info, as in, a reason they'd dislike it even if they didn't dislike cheats in general

 

[reddfawks]

Wellp, I'm never playing my 3DS on the can.

 

[Chrysocollus]

What is Nintendo's beef with Action Replay?

Action replay is a cheating device that works even if the games feature online competitition.

Uh no....Nintendo has always hated cheating devices, long before online multiplayer came along. During the 8 bit era they took Galoob, the maker of the Game Genie to court and lost. Cheating devices are legal but Nintendo hates them and will block them when they can.

Did you know that when Nintendo designed the DSi they made it so it could use the Action Replay? A new Action Replay had to be designed for the DSi. That is why you see an Action Replay that specifically states that it works on the DSi.

I appreciate all the extra info, either way. I think it would help people that take an interest in this subject and want to know more about it, but like me, don't have the necessary expertise to know everything they should. So thank you both.

 

[SilverUchiha]

I have been reading about this, I don't think they can legally brick your property. I think this will be along the same lines as with the Wii. An update can brick your Wii if you have homebrew on it but you have to choose to update.

Now, if the 3DS updates itself without asking permission, I think the lawsuits will start flying.

Gamers really should stop sending the message that "anything goes" where fighting piracy is concerned. Nintendo might be under the illusion that gamers will support nonsense like this.

I swear, this industry is shooting itself in the foot. Why do game companies put fighting pirates above the legitimate, paying customer?

Agreed. Updates that kill off the awesome content you can get through homebrew is ruining my ability to play Smash Minus and enjoy some awesome custom content. All because pirates take things a bit too far and force game companies to do the same.

 

[manaman]

I don't see this as being too intrusive to the regular person though. It's not as if they have to connect to the net to play a single-player game or anything like that. I won't be hacking mine so couldn't give a shit. Go Nintendo, GO!

Damn right! the only people these security measures will offend is the pirates and massive collection of assholes that simply aren't satisfied with a product as-is, you don't like a product as-is don't f^&%ing buy it.

Or people who don't want Nintendo knowing everywhere they go, and everything they do. I guess you are perfectly okay with spyware on your computer right? You okay with the government tracking every move you make? I mean only guilty people have something to hide. You wouldn't ever not tell someone about something because it embarrassed you right?

I already realize the answer to these questions. You like everyone else appreciates a bit of privacy, which means tracking people so you can controll what they do with property they purchased is just a bit to far. Okay a bit more then a bit to far, but you get the idea.

 

[DustyDrB]

Why should I bother being angry about it?

Why should you be angry about a policeman watching you masturbate?

that's different. I wasn't planning on masturbating with my DS.

Spoiler: I hear the 3DS is quite stimulating, though.

I'm just saying...keep an open mind.

 

[McMarbles]

You could not physically measure how little I care about this.

But if they wanna watch me masturbate, they gotta pay like everyone else.

 

[Bobbity]

It doesn't exactly seem intrusive. If you don't pirate games, then this won't affect you. I don't see why people are getting worked up over it...

 

[Negatempest]

Less arguing and more information on a detailed account on why this is bad. If not, than your angry because you cannot play an illegal copy of a game.

No.

Why is everyone that "fully supports" this, either says something like.. "If you're not doing anything wrong.." or "You must be a criminal if you disagree"..

Most people have their ear to the ground on this one, but I guess a lot of people don't. It's pretty simple, a lot of people are tired of corporate tomfoolery involving mistrust or spying. The majority of people are dissatisfied with how their government mistreats them or mishandles their taxes, etc. So when corporations start "blending in" with the game, people are usually going to throw up their arms in frustration by default.

You're basically throwing money at these people, and in return, you're graced with a tremendous amount of mistrust and, quite literally, you are spied on.

If you're just looking at all of this with a narrow-view, then you're doing it wrong.

It's not paranoia anymore if a company says, "You give us money, and then we are going to spy on you." However, Nintendo is obviously farming select biometric data for alien abductions, I know this because the people from Mars told me so.

You answered half of my question, I should have highlighted my main question even more. How is what the 3DS doing any different than what our current computers have done for years? What stops microsoft from selling your personal information...oh yeah, laws. So i'm pretty damn sure that the 3DS follows the same laws that microsoft had to follow for years. Again, if your paranoid about what the 3DS is doing you should not even be on the internet right now.

P.S. It just doesn't make sense to argue about this form of "personal exploitation" considering that a person is put in more danger coming to the internet than being on the 3DS.