An award-winning independent developer has warned that video game piracy on the 3DS could push him to quit the platform altogether.

Writing on his personal blog, Jools Watsham, co-founder and game director of Renegade Kid, explained: “piracy on the Nintendo DS crippled the DS retail market, especially in Europe.

“We’ll never know how/if Dementium II landed in as many hands as the first game, Dementium: The Ward, due to the rampant piracy at the time.”

He contested that half as many copies of Dementium II sold compared to the first game, and believes that piracy was the reason for it.

“If piracy gets bad on the 3DS, we will have no choice but to stop supporting the platform with new games.”
Watsham also rebuffs the idea that video game piracy has benefits for its creators.

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“Some say that piracy leads to more game sales, claiming that it enables players to try before they buy. Bullshit.

“The percentage of people who will spend money on a game that they already got for free is surely very small - especially with so many 'free' games already in the market. The line beteen what should/should not be free is getting very blurry.”

Watsham’s post was written in response to a report by Tiny Cartridge, which showed that hackers were making progress in bypassing the devices anti-piracy measures.