Support NeoGAF

[ManaByte]

Japanese Police Arrest 36-Year-Old Man on Suspicion of Tampering With Pokémon Violet Save Data - IGN

Police in Japan have arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of selling illegally modified Pokémon save data to customers online — a practice which is banned under the country’s 2019 Unfair Competition Prevention Act.

www.ign.com

Police in Japan have arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of selling illegally modified Pokémon save data to customers online — a practice which is banned under the country’s 2019 Unfair Competition Prevention Act.

As reported by the Japanese website NHK News, and translated by Automaton, the suspect was apprehended by police on April 9 after a ‘police cyber patrol’ discovered evidence that the individual had used special tools to illegally modify save data for Pokémon Violet in order to change Pokémon move sets.A 36-year-old man was arrest for selling illegally modified Pokemon save data.

The 36-year-old allegedly took custom orders for rare Pokémon, and sold the resulting tampered data between December 2022 to March 2023, for up to 13,000 yen ($84) a time on a website that served as a marketplace for video game assets and items. He also offered deals in which six Pokémon would be created for the equivalent of roughly $30 in yen.

The 36-year-old has reportedly admitted to committing the crimes at the heart of the ongoing investigation, while providing the justification that he did it to earn a living. According to Automaton, the suspect could face up to five years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to 5 million yen (over $32,600).

 

[Topher]

Good grief. How is that a crime?

 

[The Cockatrice]

 

[Kadve]

Thanks for the clickbait IGN. Its not the Tampering that's the issue here. Its the fact that he is selling the stuff.

 

[poodaddy]

What the fuck man?

Wasn't even making much from it either, and he might do five years?!?

Nani indeed.....

 

[BennyBlanco]

Good. Lock that terrorist up.

 

[German Hops]

The Japanese are really weird, yeah?

 

[SantaC]

Isnt crime in Japan nonexistant? I bet the police has nothing to do.

 

[Gaiff]

The US should rent Japanese cops. They’re bored as fuck over there.

 

[night13x]

In America you get a fine.

In Japan you get life in a underground prison while being tortured.

Moral of the story? Don't mess with digital pokemon pixels or else. Serious Business.

 

[Nankatsu]

Heres the plot for Like a Dragon 9.

Ichiban about to help another fellow convict get back up after being screwed over by Pokémon.

 

[Robochobo]

 

[kanjobazooie]

The Japanese are really weird, yeah?

Desu weird.

 

[Guilty_AI]

The world is a safer place now.

 

[Mr Moose]

5 years for selling Pokémon...

 

[iHaunter]

And he was selling it. But he likely won't get much jail time. He will however be tortured.

 

[Topher]

5 years for selling Pokémon...

If he makes it 5 years....

 

[Guilty_AI]

And he was selling it. But he likely won't get much jail time. He will however be tortured.

By Miyamoto personally.

 

[VolticArchangel]

Wow. Editing a savefile?!

Toxic gamesculinity

Solitary confinement for this evil nazi.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

 

[Roufianos]

Thanks for the clickbait IGN. Its not the Tampering that's the issue here. Its the fact that he is selling the stuff.

Oh yea, because that makes what happened totally fine

 

[A.Romero]

Disgusting. Doesn't even make sense to me.

Great pic, OP.

 

[BlackTron]

Oh yea, because that makes what happened totally fine

It would be far, FAR more extreme to arrest someone just for tampering with save data. The important part that he was actually arrested for, selling it, was conveniently omitted from the headline.

Thousands of people are editing Pokemon saves every day. This headline makes them sound like enemies of the Japanese government for this act alone. Thanks again, IGN.

 

[RagnarokIV]

They need to sort their lives out if this is a big issue. Get a grip

 

[Svejk]

Nintendo going Godfather on all their targets at once.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Dude was caught tampering with Nintendo Playing cards in 1890.

 

[Draugoth]

He was selling Pokémon on the internet, not because he hacked the save itself. $84 for a hacked pokémon is insane.

 

[Shake Your Rump]

Ultra-mega clickbait headline.

He wasn’t arrested for modifying the data. He was arrested for selling it.

 

[Robb]

 

[Varteras]

Clearly nothing short of global domestic terrorism.

 

[unlurkified]

It doesn’t take much to be designated as f-ing around in Japan. It’s quite draconian.

 

[winjer]

I know Japan is one of the safest countries on earth, but how bored was the police when they decided to investigate this "crime".

 

[makaveli60]

Clown world? Clown world!

If he makes it 5 years....

There might be things we don’t agree in, but I must admit, you impressed me with this gif

 

[ReyBrujo]

I know Japan is one of the safest countries on earth, but how bored was the police when they decided to investigate this "crime".

That's why it's so safe, you wouldn't want to walk the same street as that hacker!

I guess this was his ad?

 

[March Climber]

At this point the modding community has to warn each other about a very clear golden rule: Whatever you do, if it involves Nintendo, don't try to make money from it.

 

[violence]

Japan is starting to immigrate foreign labor from bad areas of the world so the cops will have a lot more to do very soon.

 

[AmuroChan]

Isnt crime in Japan nonexistant? I bet the police has nothing to do.

Crime exists, but unlike America, you actually get locked up when you commit a crime in Japan. Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, was assassinated just a couple years ago. The killer is facing a life sentence.

 

[Three]

Crime exists, but unlike America, you actually get locked up when you commit a crime in Japan. Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, was assassinated just a couple years ago. The killer is facing a life sentence.

I mean...that's a pretty serious crime.

 

[Topher]

Crime exists, but unlike America, you actually get locked up when you commit a crime in Japan. Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, was assassinated just a couple years ago. The killer is facing a life sentence.

Convicted murderer Ivan Cantù executed in Texas

Cantu was convicted of murdering two people in Collin County in 2000 despite a lot of influential voices claiming he was not guilty.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[StereoVsn]

This is really f-d up. That entire act was kind of BS, but the disproportionate punishment vs "the crime" takes the cake.

 

[A.Romero]

Crime exists, but unlike America, you actually get locked up when you commit a crime in Japan. Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, was assassinated just a couple years ago. The killer is facing a life sentence.

I've heard that they have an unusually high conviction rate, to me that sounds like cops are doing an excellent job or the system is focused on the wrong aspects.

 

[SantaC]

Crime exists, but unlike America, you actually get locked up when you commit a crime in Japan. Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, was assassinated just a couple years ago. The killer is facing a life sentence.

Wat.

America has harsher punishments. Thats not the reason why crime is low in Japan...

 

[MikeM]

I really dislike Nintendo. I wonder if they would send their lawyers/police after me if I threw a Switch and/or a game in a microwave.

 

[rofif]

Good grief. How is that a crime?

It's a law in Japan. You cannot mod games in any way.
the most idiotic thing ever

 

[Topher]

I really dislike Nintendo. I wonder if they would send their lawyers/police after me if I threw a Switch and/or a game in a microwave.

You did it now

 

[Tams]

Especially considering how soul crushing even the lowest level of Japanese prison is...

 

[StereoVsn]

I've heard that they have an unusually high conviction rate, to me that sounds like cops are doing an excellent job or the system is focused on the wrong aspects.

The reason for high conviction rate is because there is no presumption of innocence and also because of very high pressure tactics by Japanese cops. They can hold people on pretty much solitary almost indefinitely

 

[NuclearDiarrhea]

Deserves death penalty.

 

[AmuroChan]

America has harsher punishments. Thats not the reason why crime is low in Japan...

America may have harsher punishments on the books, but in many urban cities, Soros-backed DAs are prosecuting less and less criminals. So they get arrested, and then just go right back out into the streets within 24 hours. Yes, crime rate isn't going to be affected by just one variable. My response was to the poster who asked if crime exists at all in Japan.

 

[blastprocessor]

This is the reason we have online GT7 saves god dammit!