Japan Arrests First Nintendo Switch Modder

Japanese police have made a landmark arrest, apprehending a 58-year-old man for modifying Nintendo Switch consoles to run pirated games. This marks the first time someone has been arrested in Japan for this specific hardware modification offense, highlighting a new frontier in the fight against video game piracy.

According to NTV News, the man was arrested on January 15th for violating Japan's Trademark Act. He allegedly modified second-hand Switch consoles by welding altered circuit boards, enabling them to play illegally obtained games. Each modified console, loaded with 27 pirated titles, was sold for approximately ¥28,000 ($180). The suspect has confessed to the charges, and further investigations are underway to determine the full extent of his activities.

This arrest underscores the ongoing battle between video game companies and piracy. Nintendo, a frequent target, has aggressively pursued legal action against piracy, including a May 2024 takedown request targeting 8,500 copies of the Switch emulator Yuzu, following the emulator's shutdown two months prior. Their initial lawsuit against creator Tropic Haze cited the staggering figure of one million pirated copies of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom before its official release.

This case follows a pattern of successful legal action against piracy. Previous lawsuits resulted in significant damages against RomUniverse, a game file-sharing website, totaling over $14 million. Nintendo also successfully blocked the release of the GameCube and Wii emulator Dolphin on Steam.

Recently, Koji Nishiura, Nintendo's Assistant Manager of the Intellectual Property Division, shed light on the company's strategy in combating piracy and emulation. He emphasized the gray area surrounding emulators themselves, stating that while not inherently illegal, their use can become illegal depending on the context, specifically highlighting the link between emulator usage and software piracy.