Video game trafficking ring shut down in Italy

When we think about trafficking, we rarely combine the trade with video games. However, it seems there's good money to be made in selling fake retro consoles and counterfeit titles to consumers.

Fake Mario, Street Fighter, and Star Wars games from the 1980s and 1990s were seized by Italian police (thanks, BBC), including around 12,000 fake consoles that did not meet safety standards. The consoles held over 47 million games altogether. The haul had an estimated value of €47 million, and had been imported from China to be sold in specialised shops and online.

As demand for nostalgic gaming machines continues, we'll probably see more people try and make a quick buck from it. If you are looking to get into retro gaming, it's worth making sure you're buying from a proper seller, as otherwise you could be getting yourself a cheap knockoff.