Nintendo Engages in File Sharing Battle

Several file-sharing websites, where gamers could freely download Nintendo DS ROMS, seem to have been recently suspended or even closed down. The rumors have it that Nintendo has managed to put down illegal downloads of software handheld.

Over the past months, the game company has become extremely vigilant with those companies who have been making available products similar to the notorious R4 chip used by an increasing number of people to download software from file-sharing site for free to play on their hand-helds. Without the backing of official information, many believe that millions of DS owners have purchased an R4 chip and are currently playing games illegally. Since during Christmas it reached the fifth place in top biggest-selling electronics on Amazon's UK web store, that’s not so hard to believe.

As R4 and some other similar chips are not considered to be illegal devices at present, Nintendo could face a long tedious legal battle.

"It's the purposes that people use it for that's often illegal," declared Rob Saunders, a spokesman for Nintendo UK. "When you fill a memory card with hundreds of downloaded games - that's theft."

Even if behind the two websites’ suspension is indeed the game company there are so many file-sharing sites out there that would be naïve of Nintendo to think illegal DS software downloads will find their end anytime soon.