Japan outlaws console modding

[Sinmenon]

I don't think that exploiting glitches is illegal. They are coding issues, and not something that you purposely insert or alter in the code for profit (or out of malice). Many companies keep on releasing update patches to fix these glitches and some even chose to keep these for some reason or out of laziness, but serious glitches are often fixed.

 

[RedTropicalPeachyFish]

I wonder: if hacking games is now illegal in Japan, is exploiting game-breaking glitches (like duping in Animal Crossing) illegal as well? Reason being is that hacking is cheating, and so is glitching.

It's not "now illegal" but it's been illegal. Just that this time it's changed from being 親告罪 to be 非親告罪 partially. The focus is rather protecting the right of intellectual property and preventing the infringement/possible financial damage of the creator, than by what means it's done, from what I read.

 

[Stalfos]

Does this affect older stuff as well? Prison for RGB-modding a Famicon? Man, that's crazy.

 

[RedTropicalPeachyFish]

Does this affect older stuff as well? Prison for RGB-modding a Famicon? Man, that's crazy.

I don't think it does. This modding is not directed to specifically modding gaming consoles but to overall acts that (possibly) infringe the right/profit of creators. Most cases would be paper sending to prosecutors office. The prison is for the malicious cases.