Counterfeit Game Ring Smashed [Sep 14, 2024, 10:53 am ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
BBC News has details
on a video game crime ring broken-up by Italian authorities that resulted in the
seizure of counterfeit video games and consoles with a street value of over
US$52 million (thanks brother19). The seized games "all from China" are
reportedly now destroyed, and nine individuals face up to eight years in prison
for trading in counterfeit goods. Word is the games were titles popular in the
1980s-90s, and the consoles were imitations of Nintendo, Sega, and Atari systems
which "did not meet strict safety standards."
Around 12,000 consoles holding over 47 million pirated video games were seized by police, Alessandro Langella, head of the economic crime unit for Turin's financial police, told the AFP news agency.
The haul had an estimated value of €47.5m, Mr Langella said, a figure which includes the value of the consoles and hundreds of licenses for the pirated programs.
They were "all from China" and were imported to be sold in specialised shops or online, Mr Langella said.
Burrito of Peace wrote on Sep 15, 2024, 13:14:Beamer wrote on Sep 15, 2024, 09:58:
Welcome, you'll fit right in with the rest of us hardheaded grumps!
Heyyyyy...I resemble that remark!
Me and my cute bunnies have no idea what either of you are talking about.
"The assumption that animals are without rights, and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance, is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality."
Beamer wrote on Sep 15, 2024, 09:58:
Welcome, you'll fit right in with the rest of us hardheaded grumps!
Heyyyyy...I resemble that remark!
"Just take a look around you, what do you see? Pain, suffering, and misery." -Black Sabbath, Killing Yourself to Live.
“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Purveyor of cute, fuzzy, pink bunny slippers.
“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Purveyor of cute, fuzzy, pink bunny slippers.
HeadsUpJC wrote on Sep 15, 2024, 02:11:NKD wrote on Sep 14, 2024, 21:36:Hello, Finally you got me to make an account which I never wanted to do, but would like to ask: What makes you think account age is related to time spent visiting Blues? I've been coming here almost daily since TF2 was first announced because Blues was one of the first sites I found talking about it, the original military style TF2 I mean, back in the early 2000s. Please, you aren't an exclusive club based on when you registered. I'm sure I've been visiting Blues way longer than many people here. I simply dislike social media and forums etc. Too much arguing like this thread.
All of this irrelevant off-topic arguing. All started by some troll with a 3 week old account. You guys need to stop taking obvious bait.
So you created an account after decades of lurking to argue about too much arguing?
Welcome, you'll fit right in with the rest of us hardheaded grumps! I am not being backhanded or condescending, I fully appreciate and support your joining and reason why and hope you post more with us.
-------------
Music for the discerning:
http://www.deathwishinc.com
http://www.hydrahead.com
http://www.painkillerrecords.com
Music for the discerning:
http://www.deathwishinc.com
http://www.hydrahead.com
http://www.painkillerrecords.com
HeadsUpJC wrote on Sep 15, 2024, 02:11:The point was not solely about the age of the account - it's a recently registered account that was used to shitpost. It worked, which is why we're taken a more active hand in whacking them lately. This was a story about a counterfeit game ring which opened the door to a "fake news" comment intended to derail real discussion and push an agenda. Which is exactly what happened.NKD wrote on Sep 14, 2024, 21:36:Hello, Finally you got me to make an account which I never wanted to do, but would like to ask: What makes you think account age is related to time spent visiting Blues? I've been coming here almost daily since TF2 was first announced because Blues was one of the first sites I found talking about it, the original military style TF2 I mean, back in the early 2000s. Please, you aren't an exclusive club based on when you registered. I'm sure I've been visiting Blues way longer than many people here. I simply dislike social media and forums etc. Too much arguing like this thread.
All of this irrelevant off-topic arguing. All started by some troll with a 3 week old account. You guys need to stop taking obvious bait.
Sorry for not spotting the trolling in time to forestall this fiasco.
Stephen "Blue" Heaslip
Blue's News Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, El Presidente for Life
Blue's News Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, El Presidente for Life
This seems weird being that there are mini console PCs with almost every game ever made older than about 2012 being sold on amazon by the truckload.
Maybe they are the ones being sold online on amazon? and if so... how are they illegal?
oh i see.. "didn't not meet strict safety standards" meaning "didn't pay us our cut".
Maybe they are the ones being sold online on amazon? and if so... how are they illegal?
oh i see.. "didn't not meet strict safety standards" meaning "didn't pay us our cut".
So, Bella Italia. Who was this then? 'Ndrangheta, Camorra or Cosa Nostra?
-=Threadcrappeur Extraordinaire=-
Another loss for game preservation activists.
I should be coding.
Two questions.....
Did they find any counterfeit Gizmondo consoles?
Was there any copies of a game labelled "Squadron 42"?
Did they find any counterfeit Gizmondo consoles?
Was there any copies of a game labelled "Squadron 42"?
gsilver wrote on Sep 15, 2024, 00:44:They're almost certainly using original street price adjusted for inflation.
How are they measuring a "$52 million" value?
HeadsUpJC wrote on Sep 15, 2024, 02:11:NKD wrote on Sep 14, 2024, 21:36:Hello, Finally you got me to make an account which I never wanted to do, but would like to ask: What makes you think account age is related to time spent visiting Blues? I've been coming here almost daily since TF2 was first announced because Blues was one of the first sites I found talking about it, the original military style TF2 I mean, back in the early 2000s. Please, you aren't an exclusive club based on when you registered. I'm sure I've been visiting Blues way longer than many people here. I simply dislike social media and forums etc. Too much arguing like this thread.
All of this irrelevant off-topic arguing. All started by some troll with a 3 week old account. You guys need to stop taking obvious bait.
I love your user name. I would say it's not really directly about the account age, but the account age combined with the content of the post. As you said, a lot of people lurk here since they just use the site for news aggregation and not conversation. I lurked for almost 10 years before making an account and posting for the first time, so it's definitely a thing that happens. But when a newish account just immediately starts posting right-wing talking points, it puts up all the red flags of someone who isn't here to converse honestly.
Do you have a single fact to back that up?
There's plenty of us that visited for decades without ever registering.
Welcome HeadsUpJC.
Welcome HeadsUpJC.
Hey, I like your style! Yeah, there is a lot of arguing here. But I love it anyway despite hating arguing. Always good to hear from a lifelong lurker.
"The assumption that animals are without rights, and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance, is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality."
NKD wrote on Sep 14, 2024, 21:36:Hello, Finally you got me to make an account which I never wanted to do, but would like to ask: What makes you think account age is related to time spent visiting Blues? I've been coming here almost daily since TF2 was first announced because Blues was one of the first sites I found talking about it, the original military style TF2 I mean, back in the early 2000s. Please, you aren't an exclusive club based on when you registered. I'm sure I've been visiting Blues way longer than many people here. I simply dislike social media and forums etc. Too much arguing like this thread.
All of this irrelevant off-topic arguing. All started by some troll with a 3 week old account. You guys need to stop taking obvious bait.
How are they measuring a "$52 million" value?
What the games should actually cost these days?
Sega Genesis Classics: 55 games for $36
Capcom Arcade Stadium 1&2: 64 games for $59
Or even on the high end:
Marvel Vs Capcom: Arcade Classics: 8 games for $50
If they're going by Ebay scalper prices, than every one is going to be in the three-figure range with the stupid prices these days.
I mean, thank god that more publishers are trying to make their catalogs available via collections, but the "retro" market these days is just a playground for the ultra-rich with far more money than sense.
What the games should actually cost these days?
Sega Genesis Classics: 55 games for $36
Capcom Arcade Stadium 1&2: 64 games for $59
Or even on the high end:
Marvel Vs Capcom: Arcade Classics: 8 games for $50
If they're going by Ebay scalper prices, than every one is going to be in the three-figure range with the stupid prices these days.
I mean, thank god that more publishers are trying to make their catalogs available via collections, but the "retro" market these days is just a playground for the ultra-rich with far more money than sense.
It only equals 4000 games per console but that is still nuts. Someone had to get something wrong somewhere, no? Unless most of the games were 1 or 2 MB like original Tetris?
EDIT: Or what Orogogus said.
EDIT: Or what Orogogus said.
"The assumption that animals are without rights, and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance, is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality."
flechett3 wrote on Sep 14, 2024, 23:37:I think you crossed some numbers there, too. 47 million games at 4 million games per console would be, like, 12 consoles.
So am I crazy or are they saying that the 12000 consoles contained a total of 47 million games? That's almost 4 million games per console. I have a feeling that someone crossed some numbers somewhere.
This article says there were 7,900 games for the PS1, which according to Reddit take up about 4.49 TB. So ~4,000 games/console wouldn't be unbelievable.
So am I crazy or are they saying that the 12000 consoles contained a total of 47 million games? That's almost 4 million games per console. I have a feeling that someone crossed some numbers somewhere.
Beamer wrote on Sep 14, 2024, 21:54:
Calling something "alleged" is what you are legally obligated to do until something is proven.
I swear to God, Hunter truthers strive to be as obtuse as possible. Off to the ignore list.
And this wasn't taking bait, it's establishing either bad faith or stupidity in order to make sure I'm not missing much when hitting the ignore button
man i don't know why you even bother being reasonable with them. anyone that uses stupid conservative media buzz words like MSM, fake news (100% seriously, not ironically like us), virtue signaling etc., automatically gets ignored by me. they've amply proven they have the reasoning ability of a sea urchin, and the most ironic part is that it's conservative media that's most likely to report false news.
So many games from 1980s or 90s can easily be found on so called Abandonware sites. Also those 47 million pirated games from 1980/90 probably aren't even available to buy in the first place, nowadays. The hardware is perhaps a different issue or maybe the combination of hard- and software. I wonder how they came up with the 47.5m €.
NKD wrote on Sep 14, 2024, 21:48:No. Penance is partially punitive. Thus I will not allow myself to wear them as part of my punishment.Prez wrote on Sep 14, 2024, 21:45:NKD wrote on Sep 14, 2024, 21:36:
All of this irrelevant off-topic arguing. All started by some troll with a 3 week old account. You guys need to stop taking obvious bait.
Agreed. I got taken in hook line and sinker. And I am usually the one saying what you are saying. I'll take the 'L' and do my penance.
While wearing the slippers.
Seriously I kind of love these things. Comfy as hell and they keep my feet warm in the mornings when I take my dogs out before the sun comes up.
"The assumption that animals are without rights, and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance, is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality."
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