2MB versus Nintendo

Korea's beloved president, Lee Myung-bak, laments all the children playing Nintendo's DS.

``A lot of our elementary school children have Nintendo game machines,'' the
president told senior policymakers, referring to the Nintendo DS handheld video-
game console that has sold more than two million units here since its release in
2007."

One of the biggest challenges to such an assault against Nintendo is that Koreans have become accustomed to using pirated software and games.  Some estimates suggest that 50% of computers here have pirated software, and anecdotally,  I put that number higher.  Game piracy rates are probably even higher.  A simple request at any game shop in Yongsan Electronics Market will very quickly produce a giant catalog of pirated titles.  Make your picks, and the shopkeeper makes a call.  10 minutes later, a courier runs your selections to the vendor.  Thanks to f*&%ing region coding, I have little choice but to use these furtive methods.  
Some links:

• Korea Times:  Industry Sarcastic to Lee's Nintendo Comment
• Game Politics
• South Korean President Feels Sad about DS Piracy