With these so-called ‘modchips’ it is possible, among other things, to play illegally downloaded games. Bowser (real name) worked with the company Team Xecuter to make and sell modchips. He has been working on it since 2013.
Bowser was already fined 5.4 million dollars (4.7 million euros) in October in a criminal case. The $10 million fine is on top of that from a civil case that Nintendo had brought against him. Nintendo sought damages of $2,500 for each hacked device and $150,000 for each copyright infringement.
The man was arrested in 2020 along with another Team Xecuter member, Max Louarn. According to Nintendo, the two men were part of an “international pirate ring”.
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Multiple issues around modchips
The Japanese game company has already started business around the sale of modchips. There are several hack chips on the market, including for the popular Nintendo Switch.
The case against Bowser reached many major game sites worldwide, partly because the hacker shares his last name with Mario’s best-known nemesis.
Modchips are also used to archive old games and make them playable on new platforms. However, Team Xecuter has a bad reputation: in a interview with Ars Technica, Switch hacker Kate Temkin called the group’s behavior “unethical.” For example, the company would encourage piracy for financial gain and keep potentially malicious vulnerabilities in software secret.
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