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Man Charged for Selling Custom-Modified Monster Hunter 4G Save Data

Osaka City police have charged a 44-year-old Osaka City resident on suspicion of violation of the Copyright Act last Friday. The man had allegedly been modifying save date for CAPCOM's Monster Hunter 4G game in exchange for money. The man himself went to the police in Osaka's Abeno ward for consultation regarding a anonymous email he had received criticizing him. He admitted to the charge, saying he modified saves to "cover living expenses."

According to authorities, he used online auction sites to sell his services, allegedly using his PC to modify save files. He modified six save files from August 2015 to January 2016, and another 250 files between January and June 2016, earning 2 million yen (about US$17,800) for his services. The modified game elements include an increase in in-game items, skills, and money.

CAPCOM released Monster Hunter 4G for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in 2014, and in the West as Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate in 2015. CAPCOM's latest game in the series, Monster Hunter: World, is slated for a worldwide release on PS4 and Xbox One on January 26. The PC release will follow after the game's console release.

Source: Asahi Shimbun Digital via Hachima Kikō