A man in Japan has been arrested for selling modded The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild save games. As reported by the Broadcasting System of Niigata, the Chinese perpetrator was arrested on July 8 for illegally selling hacked data for the popular Nintendo Switch video game.
The person named Ichimin Sho was held on suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Law in Tokyo. It was reported that the Sho was suspected of tampering with Zelda's save games and had already sold them to two people outside Japan.
Sho put up the modified Zelda save the game for sale on an auction website for 3,500 Yen (approximately $31). The character's stats and the number of consumables were modified based on the buyer's request.
To many of us, being arrested for selling modified save games may seem like a ridiculous idea, but this is not a normal thing in Japan. Even previously, a few other people were also arrested in Japan for modding video game software.
Moreover, Nintendo is quite strict with its IPs and has made similar interventions in the past. Previously, Nintendo tracked down a group called Team Xecuter, suspected of selling hacks for the Switch. The group was found making modding tools that tampered with the Switch console. The team also sold a USB device that allowed the Switch to run pirated games.
Nintendo filed a lawsuit against the group claiming that one of the members, Gary Bowser, has been selling Nintendo hacks since 2013. The lawsuit consisted of Bowser's history of tampering with the console, hacks, and methods used.
Earlier this year, Nintendo also issued a warning to players playing Pokemon Sword Shield using modified game data. Nintendo stated that it will continue to monitor fraudulent and harassing activities so that users can enjoy the game with peace of mind.
While Nintendo's actions may be too much, they are meant to build a healthy gaming community and keep hackers away from ruining the experience for everyone.
