Nintendo has now shown that it is no longer tolerating users who continue to hack and use modded software for their Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming systems. The company reportedly banned hundreds of units from accessing the device's Online Services without warning. Hundreds of users within the Nintendo 3DS hacking community have revealed that they suddenly can't access their device's online services and are instead met with an error message.
Anti-hack campaign
Owners of modded 3DS handhelds are now reporting that they have been barred from accessing services such as streaming apps and the device's multiplayer features.
Nintendo did not release any warnings or notices regarding the sudden ban, which has left a lot of users frustrated with the sudden sanction. Users have expressed their reactions regarding the ban on sites such as Reddit and GBAtemp.net, which are places that are used by modders to share different hacks and tips.
According to users, an error message now appears when they try to go online. The error, shown as Error Code 002-0102, includes a text that tells users that their units are no longer allowed to access online services and that this restriction comes directly from Nintendo.
Restricted services
Units that are affected by the new ban can no longer access apps such as Youtube, Netflix, and Hulu.
Additionally, the 3DS friends feature is also now rendered useless. Users have been trying to pinpoint the exact cause of the ban, but there seems to be no indication of a particular hack that triggers it. There is also no indication whether or not the ban is a permanent one. Users on GBAtemp revealed that there were "seemingly no linking factor" that triggers a ban on any specific device.
Banned devices include those that are running unofficial mods, homebrew operating systems, unofficial software, and those that are running modified firmware.
Limited restriction
While the ban itself sounds like a big campaign to eradicate modding within the 3DS community, Nintendo has still not yet completely resolved the handheld's piracy problem.
Similar to the PlayStation Portable, players can still illegally download games and apps from the Nintendo eShop or install games directly to the device via different hacks and techniques. This is of course not the first time that Nintendo has banned owners in large numbers. The company previously banned hundreds of devices that were caught running a version of "Pokémon Sun and Moon" that was leaked prior to its official release date.
