Hacking About apparent firmware update via gamecards

[ninjaapple]

I heard something about Nintendo planning on having firmware updates stored of 3DS gamecards and that if you don't update you can't play the game.

But, I mean, isn't that sort of illegal. You already bought your game and now Nintendo is more or less forcing you to update your 3DS.

Please explain/elaborate.

 

[Rydian]

Every other system does it.

The DS/i is the only one that doesn't.

 

[Deleted User]

Doesn't the PSP already do this.

 

[jceggbert5]

The Wii does it too, dude... We just have homebrew-based bypasses now...

 

[Rydian]

And the PS3, and the 360.

 

[jceggbert5]

And the PS3, and the 360.

I don't have either, so I wouldn't know...

 

[nintendoom]

They do that so you can play the game smoothly and so it can install the needed ios's (if it has any) to your 3DS system.
and of course to break your flashcart : P

 

[3020]

Ya making the game you bought both, be able to run and making the system itself run smoother via an update is illegal... >.>

 

[Nollog]

I heard something about Nintendo planning on having firmware updates stored of 3DS gamecards and that if you don't update you can't play the game.

But, I mean, isn't that sort of illegal. You already bought your game and now Nintendo is more or less forcing you to update your 3DS.

Please explain/elaborate.
It's a choice. So it's not illegal.
You can play your game and accept the contract it displays when you put it in and it asks you to update, or decline it.
When you decline it, you can go back to the store and request a refund.

QUOTE(3020 @ Apr 27 2011, 04:09 AM) Ya making the game you bought both, be able to run and making the system itself run smoother via an update is illegal... >.>

It isn't. but then, you're being sarcastic...

 

[FAST6191]

"The DS/i is the only one that doesn't. "

Just to be a bastard the DS had the wifi component of the firmware added via in game update- there even had to be a rejigged flashme to accommodate it. See also some of the older homebrew release notes saying things like "you need to run a commercial game with wifi first at least once".

 

[nintendoom]

Ya making the game you bought both, be able to run and making the system itself run smoother via an update is illegal... >.>

WTF?!? It Isn't Illegal!!!!
if it is illegal then installing a game in a pc would also be illegal, Downloading softwares so you can play your games is illegal, downloading pc drivers is illegal, Changing your OS is illegal, brushing your teeth is illegal, and everything that has to do with doing something good to a thing is illegal.

 

[sprogurt]

"The DS/i is the only one that doesn't. "

Just to be a bastard the DS had the wifi component of the firmware added via in game update- there even had to be a rejigged flashme to accommodate it. See also some of the older homebrew release notes saying things like "you need to run a commercial game with wifi first".

I always thought that had a placeholder and at first nobody could work out what the hell would be stored there.

 

[Snailface]

"The DS/i is the only one that doesn't. "

Just to be a bastard the DS had the wifi component of the firmware added via in game update- there even had to be a rejigged flashme to accommodate it. See also some of the older homebrew release notes saying things like "you need to run a commercial game with wifi first".

I always thought that had a placeholder and at first nobody could work out what the hell would be stored there.

That's fascinating. I didn't know the original DS had an optional firmware update!

(and why didn't they continue firmware updates for AP purposes? Hmm.)

 

[Oceanborn712]

That's fascinating. I didn't know the original DS had an optional firmware update!

(and why didn't they continue firmware updates for AP purposes? Hmm.)

I guess because that would have reduced sales even more. You can't get a pirate to use a legit cartridge if he doesn't want to and those firmware updates would have led to many "half-time pirates" stoping to buy games completely.

 

[FAST6191]

They did make a few revisions of the firmware that they used on newer models that blocked the passme and wifime (two early homebrew modes long since surpassed by nopass type cards and general DS slot devices). Not sure why they did not carry on with the DS lite unless it is as Oceanborn712 says.

The other side of it might have been technical- we did have to short pads on the board (hmm I probably should mention that in the hacking techniques thread) to allow it to write the first part of the firmware or in the case of the DS lite pretty much any part of the firmware (see stuff like the DS bricker not really working on the DS lite).

@sprogurt if I have misunderstood I apologise in advance but I understood it to be a blank spot as you said but most people hypothesised it to be wifi as pre release specs mentioned it and later analysis of the wifi packets and hardware made it obvious it could support it at some level- the DS, believe it or not, was a risky venture and if they could dodge having to pay wifi licensing fees for a failed console they would. It was however caught fairly early on in a conference or something like that and flashme was then fixed prior to any real problems happening.

 

[ByteMunch]

Ya making the game you bought both, be able to run and making the system itself run smoother via an update is illegal... >.>

WTF?!? It Isn't Illegal!!!!
if it is illegal then installing a game in a pc would also be illegal, Downloading softwares so you can play your games is illegal, downloading pc drivers is illegal, Changing your OS is illegal, brushing your teeth is illegal, and everything that has to do with doing something good to a thing is illegal.

All the tech related stuff is (i think) illegal if you do not accept the EULA and hack it to run anyway... But I dunno.

 

[Rydian]

Hunh, didn't know that about the early DS firmware.

 

[yifan_lu]

I heard something about Nintendo planning on having firmware updates stored of 3DS gamecards and that if you don't update you can't play the game.

But, I mean, isn't that sort of illegal. You already bought your game and now Nintendo is more or less forcing you to update your 3DS.

Please explain/elaborate.

To be fair, it's just rumors. Nobody is sure that this is true. Secondly, it is 100% legal to do this. When you agreed to the terms of use, you basically allow them to do whatever they want.

 

[djricekcn]

EULA is NOT THE LAW. It's a simple rule. Rules do not equate to Law.

Also, having specific firmware to play specific games are not illegal. it does not fall into legality but you can however sue them if they claim something like works 100% on all 3DS!!! without them having a specific disclaimer, but where it goes in court is another story

 

[LDE]

This is rubbish, its unfair to those who don't want to update the firmware at all. Being forced to jump through hoops just to play 1 game is wrong.

Its like going to buy a burger but you have to answer a 100 question quiz before you eat that burger otherwise you can't eat it nor get your money back.