Nintendo Mass-Bans Jailbroken 3DS Consoles

[seangibbz]

Users of hacked/jailbroken 3DS consoles have unfortunately found them on the wrong end of the Nintendo ban-hammer recently. Many users of custom 3DS firmware (also known as CFW). Have been banned from any 3DS online services, as stated by Kotaku.

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Banned users say they can still use their systems, but are prohibited from playing online or using services like Miiverse. Some players say they’re calling Nintendo’s support hotline to plead for their systems, or using multiple 3DS systems to bypass the bans. Others, meanwhile, are having a more intensereaction to this turn of events:

 

I was first made aware of the news through the /r/3dshacks subreddit. There is megathread/faq regarding the issue here.

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How did I get banned? No one knows.

• Nintendo is banning anyone with CFW it seems.

How do I avoid getting banned?

• Turn off wireless and pray you weren't already flagged to be banned in any upcoming waves.

What's the ban error code?

• 002-0102 is the one everyone seems to be getting.

What am I banned from?

• Pretty much everything except the eShop

 

I quickly became worried as I have my 3DS hacked to run emulators (namely for old gba games that I still own) and hacking my animal crossing town once in a while.  Fortunately I was one of the few not affected by the initial ban and thusly have disabled wifi on my device as a precaution.

Some users have found temporary workarounds to get unbanned by changing their device friend seed. But until we're sure how Nintendo is determining which consoles to ban and prevent is (eg by filtering out which telemetry data the console reports), its advised against doing this as Nintendo could just detect and ban the newly changed seeds.

 

There are also posts on GBAtemp speculating the possible criteria for being banned here and here. The working theories are that Nintendo has been scanning through telemetry data the 3DS sends and then flagging any consoles with non-authorized apps (e.g. homebrew system tools, emulators, custom roms, etc).

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Having A9LH/ B9S or whatever method you use itself is not a ban reason, Nintendo can't detect these things. Having CFW is very unlikely the reason for these bans too, since we may didn't completely hide it, but there are factors, which are way easier to check for,
like having installed illegitimate titles (FBI, HBL, freeShop, 3DSident, etc). They can easily find them, by checking for unknown titleIDs. It's easy for them to do this, collect data, log us and inspect the logs.

...

The data collection could have happened this morning, or it could have been months in the making.

 

It's also been speculated that this might be a reaction to the recent release of sighax/boot9strap, which gives users access to the 3ds early on in the boot process and allows for greater control over all elements of the hardware/software (including device encryption keys).

 

Nintendo's comment on the issue has been limited to citing a ban as consequence for terms of service violations.

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As a result of a number of users making unauthorized system modifications, playing unauthorized versions of one or more games and/or connecting to the game servers in violation of our terms of service, Nintendo has banned those users’ systems from accessing its online network, effective immediately.

 

While some are citing this as an anti-piracy measure, it stills fail in that regard as users are still fully able to install and play pirated games, though offline.

Edited May 30, 2017 by seangibbz
Added note regarding the piracy arguments

[yathis]

interesting

[Guest]

If you buy a device, you should be allowed to do anything with it... If I buy a pc, and if I got a copy of DOS, I would be angry at *insert company name here* if they would disable my device. But hey, it's a console. /care.

[yathis]

2 minutes ago, Dutch-stoner said:

should

such is life

could say the same for Windows

but greedy fingers take over

[Guest]

@yathis

There is enough stuff you can rip out of Windows. And you can make windows +/- work how you want to. Might require alot of work, but it's usually still possible.

[yathis]

1 minute ago, Dutch-stoner said:

-

 

The rich keep getting richer and us poor ole folks stay poor. Wish I could play the rich mans game, dont mind doing it dirty and gambling on doing time.

[Guest]

@yathis Well, with software you usually have the option not to make the rich moar rich... But by not making the rich moar rich, you yourself risk doing time... Fucke* up world indeed.

[The Sloth]

there is a gray area to this, on one side, no one can cheat on games such as Pokemon or Smash now, on the other side, Nintendo should sell a GBA emulator for the 3ds, if they don't want people hacking it in.  

[yathis]

Well Dutch, software is software, piracy is piracy and options are options. I dont mind getting my fingers on $5M and doing a duece minus, heck even fed time on a duece plus for non violent/non drug/non weapon, be out in 1/3. But "The Man" has got his eye on us, talking Billy Boy Gates, and Big Corp. Telemetry data, this that, eye scanners, facial recognition, terrorist acts, kidnappings. My safe little Canadian world is well safe. Sure wont go to Mexico, but I'd sure like to step outside the norm, outside the safe, and drink to passout on some sandy beach and wake up with nothing happened.

[Sentryy]

Now I must go check my 2ds brb 

Edit : Mine is good disabled wifi for it 

[WkdPaul]

Thread moved back to the Tech News section

[Misanthrope]

Wait, people play online with their 3DS?

[The Sloth]

10 minutes ago, Misanthrope said:

Wait, people play online with their 3DS?

yes.. .smash, Pokemon, Monster Hunter and lots of other games. 

[Eaglerino]

2 hours ago, Dutch-stoner said:

If you buy a device, you should be allowed to do anything with it... If I buy a pc, and if I got a copy of DOS, I would be angry at *insert company name here* if they would disable my device. But hey, it's a console. /care.

They don't want you stealing games. If people didn't steal games it probably wouldn't be as big of an issue to them, but Nintendo's really been cracking down on copyright and piracy in recent years so maybe it would.

[Guest]

Not sure what the big problem is, because I don't really like consoles... But lets say for example I have an old gameboy, or NES or SNES, and I have lots of games for them... I payed already for it. I own the rights to use them 0's and 1's. Should it matter if I'd use it on a GBA, NES or SNES? Or what if my old CRT tv screen broke, and I can't get a new one... How else would I be able to use those games. (0's and 1's) And when I'd hack my 3ds so I could use that code (games) again, I get banned? Doesn't sound really fair to me...

 

And I think the biggest issue for Nintendo is... People might buy their devices. Maybe buy 1-3 games for it, and then switch to emulators. Which will make Nintendo platforms really bad for game developers. And without game developers, no console will ever lift off. (and I think there will be ample money made from licences from game companies) Nintendo is just a greedy company if you think about it.

[CyberneticTitan]

3 minutes ago, Dutch-stoner said:

Not sure what the big problem is, because I don't really like consoles... But lets say for example I have an old gameboy, or NES or SNES, and I have lots of games for them... I payed already for it. I own the rights to use them 0's and 1's. Should it matter if I'd use it on a GBA, NES or SNES? Or what if my old CRT tv screen broke, and I can't get a new one... How else would I be able to use those games. (0's and 1's) And when I'd hack my 3ds so I could use that code (games) again, I get banned? Doesn't sound really fair to me...

 

And I think the biggest issue for Nintendo is... People might buy their devices. Maybe buy 1-3 games for it, and then switch to emulators. Which will make Nintendo platforms really bad for game developers. And without game developers, no console will ever lift off. (and I think there will be ample money made from licences from game companies) Nintendo is just a greedy company if you think about it.

 

Probably depends on the game, developer, publisher, etc. but you are licensed the ability to play the game according to the terms set out by the developer/publisher. These terms can include exclusivity to one console, or prohibit copying/dumping of the game (e.g. unlicensed copies).

 

I would assume most Nintendo consumers don't use emulators. They are more of the vocal minority, but possibly increasing in size.

[Puddleuk]

When you buy any console or piece of hardware you are only buying/own the hardware. The software used is often released as a license to use that software within the specified terms and conditions. This can apply to Windows, Xbox, Sony Nintendo etc. So if you break the Terms of Service in any way they reserve the right to forfeit your license for that software and any online service that may be attached to it.

[TopWargamer]

>Tfw I have a CFW 3DS

[Demonking]

I'm glad they banning them need to ban the cheaters in Pokemon S&M too. 

[Blebekblebek]

1 hour ago, Dutch-stoner said:

SNIP

different issues, this is banning online

not disabling the devices (at least none that I've read)

it's the same thing like rockstar banning players to play online if they were suspected for cheating.

 

 

[linkboy]

9 hours ago, Eaglerino said:

They don't want you stealing games. If people didn't steal games it probably wouldn't be as big of an issue to them, but Nintendo's really been cracking down on copyright and piracy in recent years so maybe it would.

Except these bans do nothing to prevent piracy, as a banned 3DS can still play pirated games, just not online. Hell, Nintendo isn't even preventing banned consoles from accessing the eshop to purchase games (or download previously purchased games).

[elfensky]

14 hours ago, Dutch-stoner said:

If you buy a device, you should be allowed to do anything with it... If I buy a pc, and if I got a copy of DOS, I would be angry at *insert company name here* if they would disable my device. But hey, it's a console. /care.

 

Ah, but here's the twist - they're not prohibiting you from using the device, unlike what Sony did with the PS3 and linux. They're not allowing you access to their online services (servers). You can still use your device offline and so on.

[Eaglerino]

6 hours ago, linkboy said:

Except these bans do nothing to prevent piracy, as a banned 3DS can still play pirated games, just not online. Hell, Nintendo isn't even preventing banned consoles from accessing the eshop to purchase games (or download previously purchased games).

Why would they ban you from the eShop? But not being able to play online is a pretty big part of some of the games. Smash and Mario Kart would be way more boring banned

[goodtofufriday]

8 minutes ago, Eaglerino said:

Why would they ban you from the eShop? But not being able to play online is a pretty big part of some of the games. Smash and Mario Kart would be way more boring banned

Because if since you arent banned from the eshop you can continue to pirate games off the eshop through something called title keys. So this current ban doesnt make sense.

[linkboy]

19 hours ago, Eaglerino said:

Why would they ban you from the eShop? But not being able to play online is a pretty big part of some of the games. Smash and Mario Kart would be way more boring banned

Nintendo has done full out bans in the past, as has Sony and MS. The banwave we had last November with Pokémon was a full out ban. Anyone who played the game online before the system released was banned from accessing everything, eshop included.