Modding wii

[OmegaForte]

See, that's in Spain thought. By the way, that is one very beautiful country. If you live there, I envy you. But in the US, where the FBI put you on the terrorist watch list if you sneeze during the pledge of allegiance, It's illegal to circumvent any software/hardware copy protection on the original medium. And either now or real soon, it'll be illegal to use any hardware or software to circumvent any type of security or hardware copy protection mediums in place.

So there's no real motivation to do it now in the US. I mean sure, I'll still mod my consoles if they can be modded to meet my need for them. Such as my media center Xbox. It's got a 250GB drive in it, and I put movies, music and other stuff on it to save the time of searching for a dvd out of my cabinet or waiting on netflix. I can also boot it into Linux and use it as a temporary computer if mine's down. But the Wii doesn't have much modding possibility since it's just as powerful as the original Xbox, just with a beefier video system, faster memory but it lacks device support so I doubt it'll get me interested.

 

[paintba||er]

See, that's in Spain thought. By the way, that is one very beautiful country. If you live there, I envy you. But in the US, where the FBI put you on the terrorist watch list if you sneeze during the pledge of allegiance, It's illegal to circumvent any software/hardware copy protection on the original medium. And either now or real soon, it'll be illegal to use any hardware or software to circumvent any type of security or hardware copy protection mediums in place.

So there's no real motivation to do it now in the US. I mean sure, I'll still mod my consoles if they can be modded to meet my need for them. Such as my media center Xbox. It's got a 250GB drive in it, and I put movies, music and other stuff on it to save the time of searching for a dvd out of my cabinet or waiting on netflix. I can also boot it into Linux and use it as a temporary computer if mine's down. But the Wii doesn't have much modding possibility since it's just as powerful as the original Xbox, just with a beefier video system, faster memory but it lacks device support so I doubt it'll get me interested.

But aren't the modchips and stuff only illegal if the sole purpose is to circumvent the copy protection? (in the US)

 

[OmegaForte]

Well...If they do it solely or not they're still illegal/going to be. I also figure it will extend to the normal operation of the device, since there's no reason to half-ass anything.

 

[paintba||er]

Well...If they do it solely or not they're still illegal/going to be. I also figure it will extend to the normal operation of the device, since there's no reason to half-ass anything.

From what I have read it is legal as long as you can prove that it has a substantial noninfringing use. I don't really know if it will be legal in the future (as no one does) so that doesn't really matter.

Link

 

[OmegaForte]

How would a modchip not modify the console? I'm not understanding your direction here....

 

[paintba||er]

How would a modchip not modify the console? I'm not understanding your direction here....

Umm....did I say that it doesn't modify the console?

 

[OmegaForte]

Well, if a mod chip is used, the first function of each one has always been the circumvention of the disk security methods. Why do you think they came about? To enhance the gaming experience? It's not like making a mod chip that will increase the clockspeed or bus speed of a console has ever existed, and if they did, people wouldn't get them since the games are designed to run on the hardware as is, just like overclocking the xbox made games play too fast to run, for those who could keep the core stable after increasing it's clock...

Sorry, it just seems kinda stupid to make a mod chip that does nothing. And from your post, it would appear that the mod chip would add functions to the console it didn't have. I tell you what. You show me one that does that, and I'll stop stereotyping the entire industry.

 

[paintba||er]

Well, if a mod chip is used, the first function of each one has always been the circumvention of the disk security methods. Why do you think they came about? To enhance the gaming experience? It's not like making a mod chip that will increase the clockspeed or bus speed of a console has ever existed, and if they did, people wouldn't get them since the games are designed to run on the hardware as is, just like overclocking the xbox made games play too fast to run, for those who could keep the core stable after increasing it's clock...

Sorry, it just seems kinda stupid to make a mod chip that does nothing. And from your post, it would appear that the mod chip would add functions to the console it didn't have. I tell you what. You show me one that does that, and I'll stop stereotyping the entire industry.

Example: Homebrew.

If a modchip allows for homebrew, then that is a substantial use that doesn't infringe on copyrights. Ya, it can still be used illegally, but it has a substantial legal use so the modchip would be legal.

 

[thisisgil]

Why do you think they came about? To enhance the gaming experience?

Just a quick point -

When mod chips first appeared, the original mod chips were actually fulfilling a need around the time of the 16 bit consoles, and the sole reason was to play multi region games and NOT to play backups. In fact, I installed one myself on a Megadrive, and it even had a cool little dip switch to change between PAL/NTSC 50hz and 60hz, and to set region between JP, US and EU.

The pirating stuff came later, but to say that the sole purpose of mod chips is, and always has been, to pirate games, is very misleading.

 

[toxigenic]

Well, if a mod chip is used, the first function of each one has always been the circumvention of the disk security methods. Why do you think they came about? To enhance the gaming experience? It's not like making a mod chip that will increase the clockspeed or bus speed of a console has ever existed, and if they did, people wouldn't get them since the games are designed to run on the hardware as is, just like overclocking the xbox made games play too fast to run, for those who could keep the core stable after increasing it's clock...

Sorry, it just seems kinda stupid to make a mod chip that does nothing. And from your post, it would appear that the mod chip would add functions to the console it didn't have. I tell you what. You show me one that does that, and I'll stop stereotyping the entire industry.

Uh, didn't you already answer your self about 3 posts up? I believe you said you have a modded Xbox to allow you to host your DVD collection on a 250GB HD. Last time I checked a fresh Xbox didn't allow this.... You also said you run linux on it, last time I check this wasn't a standard option either? What about streaming media from your PC to the Xbox, XBMC also made this possible. I think you proved that right there.

Homebrew is such a basic term we could break it down even furthur. What about aspiring game developers? Who don't/can't afford a development system, or dont have access to one? If I didn't have mod carts for my Nintendo DS, I wouldn't be able to practice my skills at crafting games for the handheld......

I'm not going to disagree with you that the modchips first and foremost existance is to circumvent security, but I will argue that the first and foremost reason would be illegal.

Case and point, Wii mod chips. The end goal is to be able to run Wii homebrew. This isn't possible yet, however the side-effect is that backups can be run, because of the method that would need to be used to run homebrew.

How about we visit the Dreamcast? The console without hardware modification needed. To run homebrew, one simply needed to pad the disc with a blank audio track. Which incidently also worked for running backup games. Does this count as copy protection? Placing a blank audio buffer track, and data on the same disk?

 

[tripleheli]

Are you in the US? Have you read the news on FBI crack down on modding services last week? Or you are collecting info for the federal agents? :lol:

Thats for services and distributers... Theirs nothing illegal about buying modchips. The hardware is your property and you can modify it accordingly as long as you don't cross the line into legal proceedings. you can put a modchip in your system, voiding your warranty but not making you a criminal. now Modding your system for the use of pirated games is illegal, and I never use my wiikey for that :wink:

I would recommend getting a modchip like the wiikey that has no firmwire changes at all (I dunno about the more recent modchips if they change any firmwire or not) I've done all my updates with the technical alterations warning on them and havn't had a single problem. bricking is a firmwire altercation that is a result of flashing your software. I have a wiikey which does nothing but make it so i can run homebrew and game emulators on burned dvd's. (hoping for a dvd playback homebrew soon since the other one turned out to be a fake)

As far as instalation is concerned, find a conputer engineer or an electrical technition amoung your friends and ask them to solder the chip for you with their soldering iron. I payed a friend of a friend $20 to do mine. Good luck and although there isn't a lot of homebrew and good stuff like that yet, not a day goes by where I regret buying my wiikey.