Console modding is now illegal in Japan

Game save and console modding services are now considered illegal according to the recent changes in Japan’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act. 

According to this document, additional items that were sold by some manufacturers in Japan separately from the console, such as Action Replays and save editors are outlawed now. These items were forcibly discontinued.

If you are a resident of Japan, you are prohibited from:

• Distribution of game save data editors and programs;

• Allocation, selling, auctioning serial codes and product keys without the software maker’s permission;

• Services that offer the editing/hacking of save data, and/or modifying/hacking game consoles.

Before these laws were introduced, reselling serial codes and product keys were allowed in Japan. Now offenders may have to pay a fine to a software maker of up to 5 million yen or have to serve a prison sentence of up to 5 years.

Despite the fact that the changes are aimed at preventing unfair competition, they strike on the modifications of the saves for any online games.

We urge the importance of respecting the laws of the country where you live and respect for game developers. We also invite you in the comment section to discuss the impact of law’s innovations on Japanese players.