Italian authorities have dealt a major blow to criminals trafficking in fake retro video games, seizing counterfeit vintage consoles and games with an estimated value of around $55.5 million (€50 million).
BBC News Reports Italian police have announced the seizure of a huge amount of counterfeit retro game consoles and titles as part of a major crackdown on the illegal trade in counterfeit video games and consoles. The operation, led by the Economic Crimes Unit of Turin's Financial Police, uncovered around 12,000 consoles containing more than 47 million pirated video games.
Alessandro Langella, head of the economic crimes unit, said the items seized were worth an estimated 47.5 million euros and included game consoles and hundreds of licenses for pirated programs, including counterfeit games from popular titles from the 1980s and 1990s. Mario Brothers, Street Fighterand Star Wars.
The pirated consoles were replicas of iconic devices manufactured by Nintendo, Sega and Atari. However, the counterfeits did not meet the strict safety standards set by the European Union. All of the devices were reportedly imported from China and intended to be sold in specialized stores and online.
Langella said the seized consoles were fitted with unauthorized batteries and circuitry that could pose a safety hazard to consumers, and that they were therefore being destroyed to prevent them from being sold on the market.
Nine Italian nationals have been arrested in connection with the trafficking ring and charged with trafficking in counterfeit goods, which carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison if convicted.
Retro games, or “retro gaming,” have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, with old games and used game consoles fetching high prices. Genuine retro game consoles can fetch high prices, depending on their condition. In 2021, an unopened copy of the video game “Super Mario 64” was sold at auction for more than $1.5 million, setting a new record. Breitbart News previously reported on the unopened copy of the game “Super Mario 64.” The Legend of Zelda It sold at auction for $900,000.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship.
