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BOOTLEG AMIIBO DEVICE BACKS UP, SPOOFS, AMIIBO FUNCTIONALITY
- Thread starter Peltz
- Start date
Bingo.
Slightly different circumstances, but I imagine Nintendo could successfully make an argument along those lines.
redmetal86
Member
Scalpers need those free skins and costumes.
Still, saying that you approve of this device that circumvents Nintendo's bullshit does in no way show 'intent to commit piracy'.
I, in some weird way, hope this device gains some traction as i'm really against the 'buy figurines for DLC' strategy and I don't think people should be locked out of content because they can't fucking find a figurine to save their lives. And I don't even own a Wii-U.
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
People shouldn't have to be paying exorbitant prices to access content that is already in the game. Traditional DLC is fine, marked up DLC you have to buy from some dude on ebay because of supply issues is not fine. If Nintendo sold the content thats available through Amiibos through their store there wouldn't even bee a need for this device.
Equating this to piracy is weird. You still actually have to buy all the games that this would work for in the first place.
Equating this to piracy is weird. You still actually have to buy all the games that this would work for in the first place.
Splatoon and Captain Toad have actual content locked behind Amiibos.
That logic would apply to all DLC/Expansions.
EDIT: Hell you could argue pirating console games is cool because you still have to buy the hardware using that logic.
Maintenance
Member
Would buy one for the Splatoon amiibos. I have a bigger chance of seeing a giant squid in real life than one of those amiibos.
Coffee Dog
Banned
Guys, it's very obviously piracy of the content, even if the content is hard to find. If I go on the pirate bay and download retailer exclusive skins, even though it's a pain in the ass to get them legit I'm still pirating them.
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
Except theres no legal way to actually give Nintendo money for a large chunk of their amiibos because they're long gone and out of stock in the first place and will never be coming back. So who are you taking money away from then? The dude who wants to sell his Splatoon amiibo for $90 on craigslist?
Replaying the included single player missions with a different weapon is less 'actual content' than a costume I feel. After collecting all the sunken scrolls I never wanted to touch SP again, doing amiibo missions for unlockables felt like a bit of a slog. Just me?
And while I'd consider Captain Toad's unlockable very similar; wasn't that an outlier in amiibo support in that it was added in an update post-release? The 'it's locked on the disc' argument wouldn't apply.
Is it though? Does it state I can't use my amibos to unlock content on my sons WiiU for example? If not then It's nothing like piracy.
So now I'm a pirate because I used an Action Replay to get the NES games Super Mario Bros. and Zelda in Animal Crossing? Not really. Content on-disc is content that I purchased and am free to access.
Pirating the key necessary to access the data might be a different thing. How long are these keys? Trial and error an option?
goldenpp72
Member
Most of the people in this topic are unlikely wanting to pay 13 dollars to legitimately own these figures I would imagine. Scalper pricing is not likely the fuel for this.
That literally doesn't matter, it's still illegal. You're not allowed to pirate Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 just because it's no longer available.
That also ignores the fact that Nintendo has been doing reprints periodically.
Coffee Dog
Banned
Piracy isn't about whether you can pay the developer. That argument is trying to justify piracy, but it's still piracy.
Ehr, you can do that you can even take them to a friend's house.
Is the whole downloading data of amiibo you don't own, that falls in the piracy side. Some are actually admitting that is okay, because Nintendo is not meeting demand...or that is okay because you already paid for the game.
You also get gear and a minigame for completing those missions. Regardless, how you feel about the content is irrelevant, the point is that it isn't cosmetic.
Edit: I don't care about the "on disc" argument. This is still piracy. I was just correcting the "it's all cosmetic" misconception.
Oh yes, my favorite Niuteudo characters: cow fresh out of hecks, chameleon undergoing cell division, and pinto bean Robin Hood.
As far as I know, any RFID phone can, but the only roadblock is getting the software out in a usable state without being stopped by the controlling companies.
It's nowhere near as bad as it was half a year ago. In the past month, I've seen 95% of the Smash Amiibos in-store, and the couple I haven't seen have been spotted by many others.
When you have nearly 70 figures in sale, it's always difficult to find some of them, and it's no better for Skylanders.
The only ones I've yet to see in shops are the knitted Yoshis, but it seems most of the stock for my country has been destroyed by a fire :/
The difference is that the content locked behind Amiibos was always intended to have an extra cost behind it and you purchased the disc knowing that fact.
Also the complexity of the key means nothing. I don't get to keep the contents of a safe if I can guess the combination.
EDIT: To use the example from earlier would it be piracy to give yourself infonite stamina in a free-to-play game? After all you're just accessing the content already on the file.
Chezzymann
Member
I know I am. Got the splatoon 3 pack and still haven't used it on the actual game yet.
Coffee Dog
Banned
Actually, if nintendo was charging you to buy the games seperately you would be. You do not purchase all on disc content when you buy a game, you are purchasing what the developer has decided to allow you to access.
Pirating on disc dlc is still piracy.
I think he's making a moral argument rather than a legal one. I mean, the chances of getting sued for low level copywrite violation are so low that that's the only relevant question really.
Coffee Dog
Banned
Well yeah, the morality of it is subjective, but he said that equating it to piracy was weird. There's no leeway there, it is piracy, full stop. It's just potentially justified piracy depending on the person.
Reading the Amiibos is possible.
On the other hand, spoofing them, apparently, is a whole different matter. The NFC technology used (MIRA) is non-standard on Android, and apparently really difficult to emulate.
When I purchase a disc, I'm purchasing a right to use all the content on that disc. If the developer doesn't like that, they need to make it downloadable content.
That's like saying I'm not allowed to mod my console because the hardware manufacturer doesn't like that. Perfectly legal.
Coffee Dog
Banned
No, legally, you are not. You're purchasing a license to play what the developer wants you to.
Fusion Pizza
Member
The concept of amiibos was always pretty strange to me.
Kinda Nintendo trying to see what's the minimum they can get away with selling.
Kinda Nintendo trying to see what's the minimum they can get away with selling.
So how does that work with F2P games? It wouldn't be piracy to spoof it and/or access content usually behind a paywall, even if that content was already on the executable?
KratosEnergyDrink
Member
DLC should be free for everyone! Anarchy online!
Perhaps this content is only in the game because the producer calculated with the profit from the amiibo sales? Could be true for some of the free content too.
That really isn't true since some just don't want to spend money.
That has always been a thing in general when it comes to piracy in order to justify it.
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
Where am I arguing for that? Traditional DLC model is fine, you have the option to give a company money for a product that you might be interested in. If you don't want it then don't buy it. I think DLC gated behind a plastic toy is generally bullshit because you never get that option when you can't find the actual thing in a store let alone having to go try to hunt one down in the first place.
Mikey Jr.
Member
Mario maker.
Velcro Fly
Member
Whatever happened to the old piracy/stealing is wrong? You only want the bits of content because it's Nintendo content. It's their IP and you are basically stealing. How is this even a discussion?
DLC can be delisted due to stuff like lapsed licenses as well, you're still not entitled to that content for free.
Starwolf_UK
Member
Just so people don't get confused. There is a also powersaves amiibo made by Datel. That is an editor for amiibo but you have to connect to Datles DRMd servers and use only their cheats (and presumably they verify a figure is loaded). That is the gameshark analogy obviously.
But let's go one step further. Now I don't even know if you can overwrite header data to make this work but if I were to edit the header to turn a common animal crossing card into say Wii fit trainer where does that stand?
In the case of this other device it is unclear if you need a figure to load it on at all (the fact it can have up to 100 loaded implies it doesn't).
Activison have sent C&D orders to Skylanders hackers before (RAM hacking on Wii at the very least) citing as being in violation of the game software EULA (bullshit from a legal point but legal fights are not fun for either party). Although that is more using cheat engine in Candy Crush kind of territory (you're not stealing the premium currency nor making the move boost items you are instead manipulating the memory value stating moves left).
I don't think anyone has made public any RFID or NFC finding on skylanders or disney.
There are a few bits and pieces for Amiibo out there and examination of how exactly they are internally cataloged (some take this to mean Pikachu being Pokemon 25 that Pokmeon 1-24 must happen...not really but if I was ID Pikachu Pokemon 25 is the most sensible because that is what it is).
Aren't all "skins" also acquired by playing the 100 Mario Challenge? The amiibo just allows the creator to use it any time.
BibiMaghoo
Member
Good. People that don't want the toys but don't want to lose out on functionality can buy one of these. People that want the toys can carry on. Everyone wins.
Unless I'm mistaken, Mario Maker allows you to unlock all the costumes if you don't want to go down the Amiibo route
You can unlock the skins traditionally. The Amiibo are just shortcuts.
Baron von Loathsome
Member
Many of the fan-favorites (Captain Falcon, Pit, Fire Emblem characters, Ness, Shulk, etc.) are scarce.
7DollarHagane
Banned
I would be upset, but considering Nintendo's lack of interest in their customer's interest I can hardly feel bad.
If I want little Mac in Mario maker or to play any of the splatoon extra stages nintendo is now allowing me to buy those. Their fault.
If I want little Mac in Mario maker or to play any of the splatoon extra stages nintendo is now allowing me to buy those. Their fault.
stan423321
Member
Honestly I would buy an official device like these, obviously with a different cost model (20 for device, 3 online for each "figurine" would be ideal).
I am the person that is only interested in the figurines for their in-game functionality. That said, I didn't buy even one yet.
I am the person that is only interested in the figurines for their in-game functionality. That said, I didn't buy even one yet.
SatoAilDarko
Member
You missing the fact that several games have content added in layer through patches that are unlocked through Amiibo. For instance all the Mario Kart costumes and the Pixel Toad levels in Captain Toad.
It's the same as many other Gams that have the DLC included in patch updates hut doesn't allow you access without paying.
Think for a second.
Chopper Dave
Member
Back before console makers had digital stores this was the popular justification people used to download roms. I've heard this reasoning time and time again from friends who packed their hard drives with roms.