If we’re being honest here, Nintendo has a history of doing things that gamers don’t like. They’re infamous for shutting down YouTube videos because the company feels it “detracts from the games they’re referencing” or “infringes on copyrights.” Or they’ll go after eSports tournaments featuring their games for similar reasons. It can be quite annoying. However, they do occasionally go after the right people for just reasons, one of those people being hackers. If you try and hack its products, they’ll drop a hammer on you like nobody’s business. For one such hacker, he will be paying The Big N for the rest of his life. Literally.
The man in question is none other than Gary Bowser—an ironic name for a hacker of Nintendo products. You might recall that he was part of a group that had hacked devices and sold them so gamers could play illegal ROMS on platforms like the Switch and 3DS. The Big N has always taken offense to ROMS of any illegal nature, and they hate it when their systems are used for such purposes. As a result, he was arrested, charged, and sentenced to jail for 40 months back in 2022. Oh, and it wasn’t some basic prison that he was sent to, either. He was sent to federal prison! So, as you can see, The Big N doesn’t mess around.
So why are we mentioning him now if he should still be in jail? Well, Doug Bowser got out early in March and is currently being processed before being returned to Canada.
So that’s the end of the story, right? No, not even close. Because there was another part of the punishment that Gary Bowser has to fulfill. The “damages” that he was charged with repaying Nintendo was $14.5 million. $10 million of which goes directly to The Big N. Want to guess how much he’s paid back so far? $175. That’s it!
According to VGC, Bowser admits he doesn’t have much time out of prison before he has to start paying that debt back. Given that he’s in his 50s and was never rich, even with his illegal hacker activities, many agree that this debt will hang over his head for the rest of his life.
A bit harsh? Perhaps. But there was a message to be sent here. Court documents note how all sides outside Bowser’s wanted to send a “message” about the dangers of hacking if you get caught. So we’ll see if the message sticks.
