Fake retro video game ring worth €50m smashed in Italy

A video game trafficking ring has been smashed by police in Italy, after fake vintage consoles and games worth almost 50 million euros ($55.5 million) were seized.

Among the counterfeit games were popular titles from the 1980s and 90s, including Mario Bros., Street Fighter and Star Wars.

The pirated consoles were imitations of the iconic devices produced by Nintendo, Sega and Atari and did not meet strict safety standards.

New versions of video games and gaming consoles that were released decades ago have recently soared in popularity and command high prices, in a cultural trend known as “retrogaming”.

Around 12,000 consoles holding over 47 million pirated video games were seized by police, Alessandro Langella, head of the economic crime unit for Turin’s financial police, told the AFP news agency.

The haul had an estimated value of 47.5 million euros ($52.5 million), Mr Langella said, a figure which includes the value of the consoles and hundreds of licenses for the pirated programs.

They were “all from China” and were imported to be sold in specialised shops or online, Mr Langella said.

All the devices were fitted with non-certified batteries and electrical circuits and did not meet EU technical or safety standards.

The seized games have been destroyed.

Nine Italian nationals have been arrested and charged with trading in counterfeited goods.

If found guilty, they face up to eight years in prison.

On TikTok, #retrogaming has amassed more than 170 million posts.

The phenomenon is “experiencing a phase of strong popularity and commercial expansion,” Mr Langella said.

Old games and second-hand consoles are in high demand, with a working Super Nintendo system with games for sale online at between £100 ($131) – £275 depending on condition.

In 2021, a sealed copy of video game Super Mario 64 sold at auction for more than $1.5m, shattering records.