When Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D dropped earlier this summer without the ability to reset save files, gamers were justifiably mad. And though it's been over a month since that story broke, it seems that another Japanese publisher didn't pick up on the resulting backlash. Namco's latest 3DS title, Pac-Man and Galaga Dimensions regrettably contains that exact issue.
According to Wired's Game|Life blog, there is simply no way to erase a save after it's been written to the cartridge. "I've looked all over, even going so far as to ask a Namco Bandai representative, and it doesn't seem like there's a way to erase the game data," the post reads, noting that this design doesn't just affect the earned in-game awards (which can't be deleted), but also high scores. That means the most recent high score is the only one that the game records -- bizarre!
As Capcom's version of the save file issue sparked reaction from both retail and consumers (and, eventually, Capcom), we've reached out to GameStop for comment about Namco's own misdeeds.
Reader Comments (47)
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:05PM Therion said
this kind of things makes me wonder where the industry is headed. I remember when I purchased my SNES, PS1, PS2 and Xbox games. Even Gameboy games! it felt like they really belonged to me.
Maybe i'm old but these new business practices (DRM and licenses too) just don't seem right
Maybe i'm old but these new business practices (DRM and licenses too) just don't seem right
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:21PM baby sea tuna said
@Theneverendingsoda
Yes, who knew that this was all digital distribution's (especially Xbox Live, it's just the worst!) fault? All this time I thought that it was a knee-jerk reaction to piracy and the used game market. I feel incredibly stupid now.
Reply
Yes, who knew that this was all digital distribution's (especially Xbox Live, it's just the worst!) fault? All this time I thought that it was a knee-jerk reaction to piracy and the used game market. I feel incredibly stupid now.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 2:48PM (Unverified) said
@Therion
You may have felt that you owned your own games back then but...
In Soviet Russia, Video Games own you!!
Reply
You may have felt that you owned your own games back then but...
In Soviet Russia, Video Games own you!!
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:05PM aaronharmon said
Two more steaming piles of dung I wont wont be buying. I will never buy a game that employs this crap.
Posted: Jul 28th 2011 8:29AM Punkrawk Bbob said
@aaronharmon
Agreed. You're paying $40 for a game you can only beat once? Screw that noise. I was excited for this game and was considering picking it up - Now I guess I'll be throwing my money at Catherine.
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Agreed. You're paying $40 for a game you can only beat once? Screw that noise. I was excited for this game and was considering picking it up - Now I guess I'll be throwing my money at Catherine.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:06PM SonicRift said
So they've taken the resale value out of something that's already not worth $40.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:12PM trinica said
It appears that soon there will be no such thing as buying used games....They will all cost $60 and you'll have to buy them new. So lame. Now the poor gamer gets maybe a few games a year....How awesome.
=/
=/
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 3:05PM RedRaptor82 said
@trinica
Well, that's actually only true for used games. So you'd already have a "tainted" copy, in the first place.
Personally, I liken it to sitting on a toilet someone else just used and finding it's still warm; there's nothing truly WRONG with it, but that doesn't make it right either.
Reply
Well, that's actually only true for used games. So you'd already have a "tainted" copy, in the first place.
Personally, I liken it to sitting on a toilet someone else just used and finding it's still warm; there's nothing truly WRONG with it, but that doesn't make it right either.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 10:19PM blahblah55 said
@trinica
I'm actually okay with screwing over Gamestop.
...
... this way just kinda' screws over other people too.
Reply
I'm actually okay with screwing over Gamestop.
...
... this way just kinda' screws over other people too.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:17PM Yuglyoshi said
Who the heck is still buying Pac-man and Galaga remakes/spinoffs, anyway?
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:22PM Uncle Jesse said
@Yuglyoshi
ME!
PAC-MAN CE DX is awesome. Deal with it!
Reply
ME!
PAC-MAN CE DX is awesome. Deal with it!
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:24PM baby sea tuna said
@Uncle Jesse
Seriously. It should be a download on 3DS though. Guess developers haven't filled their "pieces of plastic" quota yet.
Reply
Seriously. It should be a download on 3DS though. Guess developers haven't filled their "pieces of plastic" quota yet.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:24PM CaptainProtonX said
@Uncle Jesse
Awesomeness is no excuss for douchiness.
Reply
Awesomeness is no excuss for douchiness.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 2:13PM Uncle Jesse said
@baby sea tuna
Agreed. I would be all over it if they just put each game contained in this pack available for download separately in the store. Then I could just get two of the games I'm interested in for 10 bucks or something. This isn't worth the price they're asking.
Reply
Agreed. I would be all over it if they just put each game contained in this pack available for download separately in the store. Then I could just get two of the games I'm interested in for 10 bucks or something. This isn't worth the price they're asking.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:23PM CaptainProtonX said
So many games NOT to buy. Stellar.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:23PM onan said
Not that I'm encouraging piracy, but they do realize they're just giving any upcoming R4 carts another selling point, right?
As if the siren call of free videogames and pain-free cart management wasn't enough, now pirates will actually be able to have a better core game experience because they'll just be able to externally delete the associated save files that the game itself refuses to clear internally.
Good job, guys. Real nice.
As if the siren call of free videogames and pain-free cart management wasn't enough, now pirates will actually be able to have a better core game experience because they'll just be able to externally delete the associated save files that the game itself refuses to clear internally.
Good job, guys. Real nice.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:24PM baby sea tuna said
@onan
Wait until they take the RIAA and MPAA routes and start suing customers.
Reply
Wait until they take the RIAA and MPAA routes and start suing customers.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:31PM (Unverified) said
Slippery slope people!
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:35PM Dale P said
Seriously, between Nintendo and its publishers, they really want to 3DS to be a massive failure, don't they?
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 2:20PM Silent Ice said
@Dale P
And that really scares me...I mean, the VIta uses cartridges too right? I REALLY hope publishers notice that this shit's not gonna fly or else I'm not going to be buying either handhelds anytime soon.
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And that really scares me...I mean, the VIta uses cartridges too right? I REALLY hope publishers notice that this shit's not gonna fly or else I'm not going to be buying either handhelds anytime soon.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:46PM Warlock234 said
I find no point in this.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:47PM Roto13 said
I'll still buy it because I don't give a shit about whether or not I can erase the save data. I have no reason to want to as long as there's nothing I can only do once.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 1:48PM cantwait2bhome said
Idiots. What are they thinking?
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 2:05PM foxhound said
@GiantGamer
I actually never thought of this from that angle... but it's a perfectly valid point that does affect a lot of families/people. I don't think my brother and I had two copies of the exact same game when we were younger. Hell, he had POKEMON BLUE and I had RED, which was the closest we got to similar games, as I recall.
In fact, we didn't until we were adults and had income to purchase our own. So, yes, I totally agree.
Upvote for you, sir. +1
I actually never thought of this from that angle... but it's a perfectly valid point that does affect a lot of families/people. I don't think my brother and I had two copies of the exact same game when we were younger. Hell, he had POKEMON BLUE and I had RED, which was the closest we got to similar games, as I recall.
In fact, we didn't until we were adults and had income to purchase our own. So, yes, I totally agree.
Upvote for you, sir. +1
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 2:13PM aaronharmon said
It's really simple folks. Vote with your wallets.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 2:23PM Drakkenfyre said
So before, it was people being too poor to buy vinyl figures.
Now it's being too poor to buy new games.
You really are an elitist asshole, aren't you?
Maybe if you took your head out of your ass, you would see this isn't just about money. It's about the developer taking away choices from you. People who want to restart the game. People who have siblings, or even parents who want to play the same game (as noted above). This shit does nothing but damage the reputation with the company.
But I guess when you aren't over 20, and are a complete and total asshole you can sit back and call people poor because you can't understand how this equates to more than just the used games market.
Now it's being too poor to buy new games.
You really are an elitist asshole, aren't you?
Maybe if you took your head out of your ass, you would see this isn't just about money. It's about the developer taking away choices from you. People who want to restart the game. People who have siblings, or even parents who want to play the same game (as noted above). This shit does nothing but damage the reputation with the company.
But I guess when you aren't over 20, and are a complete and total asshole you can sit back and call people poor because you can't understand how this equates to more than just the used games market.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 2:26PM Dark Mirage said
As despicable as this is, and as news worthy as I personally find it, I don't think anyone is going to care enough.
While with Resident Evil we were talking about a hotly anticipated title for core gamers who actually pay attention to, and vocalize, about this sort of thing, we're not even close to the same situation here. How many people were actually looking forward to this game, or even bought it?
I'm pretty sure most are just going to shrug this one off... Which is kind of a shame, because game companies need to know this is NOT cool.
While with Resident Evil we were talking about a hotly anticipated title for core gamers who actually pay attention to, and vocalize, about this sort of thing, we're not even close to the same situation here. How many people were actually looking forward to this game, or even bought it?
I'm pretty sure most are just going to shrug this one off... Which is kind of a shame, because game companies need to know this is NOT cool.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 5:00PM Bluebreaker said
@Dark Mirage
I wonder if Gamestop is gonna start throwing more a fit. You can only smooth out a situation so many times until they realize they ARE under attack.
Reply
I wonder if Gamestop is gonna start throwing more a fit. You can only smooth out a situation so many times until they realize they ARE under attack.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 2:30PM foxhound said
@Ilikesoup
Troll on, trollsmith. You do know that "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is *satire*, right?
Second, The issue isn't about online passes(something I'm perfectly fine with, btw). It's permanent save files on purchased property, which is a flawed method to curb piracy.
Troll on, trollsmith. You do know that "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is *satire*, right?
Second, The issue isn't about online passes(something I'm perfectly fine with, btw). It's permanent save files on purchased property, which is a flawed method to curb piracy.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 2:57PM Basevi said
Is this a new way for companies to prevent used game sales of their games? Because it's not working for me!
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 3:13PM sin2sin said
@Ilikesoup
do you really believe anyone that's buying a used game for a $5 savings is really doing so for said savings? Couldn't it be possible that they're taking advantage of the ability to return the game within 7 days if they don't like it or don't feel it offered sufficient value for the asking price? If developers really want to combat used game sales I think establishing a similar 7 day return policy/guarantee would go a lot futher then the online pass or save state DRM.
do you really believe anyone that's buying a used game for a $5 savings is really doing so for said savings? Couldn't it be possible that they're taking advantage of the ability to return the game within 7 days if they don't like it or don't feel it offered sufficient value for the asking price? If developers really want to combat used game sales I think establishing a similar 7 day return policy/guarantee would go a lot futher then the online pass or save state DRM.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 3:13PM ecco6t9 said
I'm passing on this one now, I like being able to clear my games and start over from time to time.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 3:53PM andrewpoe said
I was going to get this because of the amount of content included (get Pac-Man CE & Galaga Legions plus the original Pac-Man & Galaga along with two crappy games? OK deal!), but I'm going to pass on this as a result of the persistent/DRM save files.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 4:09PM Jenks said
This seems like a genius move to combat used game sales.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 4:58PM Bluebreaker said
Be honest, for all this "I'll vote with my wallet" crap none of you were going to buy this anyway because you all have Pac Man CE and portable Galaga already. The extras got a pretty meh response from the first reveal.
The TRUE acid test is whether Nintendo themselves will do this on a Mario or other first party game.
The TRUE acid test is whether Nintendo themselves will do this on a Mario or other first party game.
Posted: Jul 27th 2011 5:55PM emperorzeroxx said
Games like this and mercenaries seem pointless to have multiple save files....
Posted: Jul 28th 2011 1:04AM Breakdown said
Boycott? Yeah, boycott.
Posted: Jul 28th 2011 1:06AM Breakdown said
@Ilikesoup
I bought MLB 10 The Show on ebay for $8.00. It retailed for $60. So...... yeah.
I bought MLB 10 The Show on ebay for $8.00. It retailed for $60. So...... yeah.







