Nintendo Had To Play Detective To Find An Alleged Switch Pirate

As a gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen the rise and fall of many online communities, including those that dabble in questionable practices like piracy. But Nintendo, the grandmaster of gaming, has once again shown its might by tracking down a notorious Switch pirate named Archbox, who happened to be none other than James Williams.


It appears that the anonymity offered by the internet leads certain individuals to think they can engage in virtually any behavior online without consequence. However, Nintendo might have made potential Switch hackers pause and reflect on their actions, as they apparently tracked down a person using online sleuthing.

Previously this year, Nintendo took legal action against James Williams, a moderator for a Reddit page dedicated to pirating Nintendo Switch games, who went by the username Archbox. Initially, it wasn’t understood how Nintendo identified Williams as the person behind Archbox, but a recent report from Game File sheds light on some of the mistakes Williams allegedly made.

Williams’ initial blunder was sharing personal information online, specifically revealing he had attended Midwestern University and resided near Phoenix, Arizona on Reddit. Nintendo didn’t disclose the specifics of how they traced his identity using this information, but did mention his second error: He sent his Switch console to Nintendo for repairs.

After Nintendo discovered that Williams was involved in an alleged infringement of their intellectual property, they delivered a legal cease-and-desist letter directly to his residence. As per the account, Williams acknowledged receiving the demand and promised compliance, but asserted that he hadn’t breached Nintendo’s intellectual property rights. However, when the company tried to communicate further with him and hear his defense before the set court dates, Williams failed to respond. Consequently, due to Williams’ inaction, a default judgment was granted to Nintendo against him.

Because Nintendo claims Williams is selling unauthorized modifications for the Switch console and providing units with pirated games, he may incur a significant monetary fine. Furthermore, if Nintendo’s investigative actions are any clue, it seems likely that Williams won’t be the only individual they target for such activities.

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2024-11-15 19:38