Copy Stations

A supposed difference between home computers and consoles is that the modules for Nintendo, Sega and co. cannot be copied. In fact, this is possible from the 1990s onwards. Unnoticed by a wider public, copy stations that are plugged between console and module appear and with which the game data can be transferred to a floppy disk or (later) CD-ROM.

These stations are initially a niche product, especially since Nintendo is the only large manufacturer from the fifth generation of consoles that still offers modules. But Nintendo in particular sees a potential problem in the copiers: the data volumes of the modules are rather low, at the same time Internet connections are becoming faster and faster, which allows a convenient spread of the pirate copies among players. Nintendo sues manufacturers worldwide. This aggressive strategy is successful, until today only a few players are aware of the existence of the copying stations.