'Zelda' hacker arrested for selling modified 'Breath of the Wild' save data
A common recurring theme in Nintendo’s "Legend of Zelda" series is the need for a hero to secure the Triforces of Courage, Power, and Wisdom. Unfortunately, a man in Tokyo has recently learned the consequences of offering power by unwise means.
In April, Chinese national Ichimin Sho, who currently
resides in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward, posted a listing on a Japanese e-commerce site
selling save data for "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," the
franchise’s flagship installment for the Nintendo Switch. This wasn’t just any
save data, either, as Sho billed it as “the ultimate save data.”
So what made it ultimate? Well, whatever the buyer wanted.
What Sho was offering was modified save data that could boost the player’s
stats and abilities however they’d like as well as make it easier for them to
obtain rare items. Setting his price at 3,500 yen, he managed to attract two
interested buyers from outside Tokyo.
Unknowingly, though, he also attracted the attention of the
Niigata Prefectural Police, who arrested the 27-year-old Sho on July 8 for
violation of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act. He has admitted to the
charges, and also said in his statement that he’s been selling hacked video
game save data since December of 2019, earning about 10 million yen in the
process.
One could theoretically argue that selling game progress in
a game without any competitive multiplayer aspect is a more or less victimless
crime, but the issue seems to be the method by which the progress was made.
According to Japan’s Association of Copyright for Computer Software, Sho’s
specific violation was “providing services to circumvent the technical
restrictions” placed on the Switch by its manufacturer, and getting paid to do
so though the actual data alteration was done by an as-yet unidentified
accomplice.
With the arrest of a Japanese man in Nagoya in February for
selling custom-designed Pokemon for Pokemon Sword and Shield, this is the
second time this year illicit Switch data sales have led to an arrest in Japan,
so others considering this sort of money-making scheme might want to just let
impatient gamers do their own grinding.
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