While some may consider the act a form of cheating, modding in video games has been a fun way for select online communities to twist and bend the rules of their favorite titles into a different experience. Modding has ranged from simply being implemented in games such as Fallout or Skyrim, to leading to the creation of games such as Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, and even Playerunknown's Battlegrounds in recent memory. Japan, however, is cracking down on modding by issuing some heavy consequences to those who are caught trying to alter their favorite games and systems.

Thanks to Japan's Association of Copyright for Computer Software both save editing and console modding have been officially banned from the country, with punishments of up to either five years in prison or $4 million yen (roughly $46,000). Both acts are now in violation of the Unfair Competition Prevention Law for Japan, with the national government citing the need to protect console content and the services being offered by developers.

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One of the biggest mod makers in Japan, Cyber Gadget, has also reportedly stopped selling its Save Editor data tool due to the new law. The tool allows for users to use cheat codes and patches in games of their choosing, which infringes on the game's source code. Since altering a game's source code makes the software unofficial, it's considered illegal to own it.

It's unclear if there are any other reasons why Japan is just now starting to crack down on both save editors and console modifications. Part of it could have to do with the ability to resell consoles at the retail level, though surely the rise of online competitive play and esports could be a deterrent in the matter as well. Elsewhere, similar repercussions have been handed out by Bethesda as well, with a sizable amount of the Fallout 76 community sticking true to the lineage of running mods through the online-only adventure.

It's also worth noting this new law prevents modding of nostalgic consoles like the PlayStation Classic. The retro system is reportedly very easy to hack thanks to its poorly rushed emulation by Sony, with games being simply stored on USB drives being playable on the system.

Source: Kotaku