Nintendo Kills Wii Softmods?

[webyugioh]

Nintendo Kills Wii Softmods?
Several users have reported purchasing new Wii consoles that will not allow any of the current Wii softmod packages to be installed. WiiNewz has confirmed with a member of Team Twiizers that these consoles contain a new version of boot1 (as mentioned in the HackMii blog post HERE) and will not work via soft modding. There is no "fix" forthcoming.

Quote:

A modified boot2 will not run on them, period.

At the time the HackMii article was written, it was speculated that only 10% of current Wii stock contained the new boot1. More systems are now showing up. It would appear that Nintendo is now working to completely block softmods. This will not have any effect of soldered or solderless modchips or the majority of homebrew... yet.

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I used the search and did not find this anywhere yet,
so if this is already posted than sorry.

Either way, this makes me really glad for my modchip.

 

[noONE]

huh.. how ambitious of them..

Just hope i dont need to buy a new Wii sometime..

 

[Satangel]

I'm glad I got my Wii a couple of months ago instead of now

I'm looking forward to seeing some more developments.

 

[Rock Raiyu]

hehehe my year old Wii is becoming useful.

 

[War]

Great job, Ninty! Now you need to work on shutting down the Wii consoles that are already using soft mods. They've had it too good for too long.

 

[Sstew]

Won't be needing a Wii anytime soon, my launch Wii is holding up fine.

 

[UltraMagnus]

Makes me glad I got my wii for Christmas, still have not modded it yet, but at least its moddable. however I think another exploit will be found in time

 

[Dr. Canuck]

Woo I got my Wii only weeks ago, it appears I lucked out for once.

 

[jaxxster]

I also have to say good job nintendo!

 

[WB3000]

Honestly, I have to say this is all a big misunderstanding.

Boot1 has nothing to do with softmods or homebrew. It loads boot2. That's it.

Softmods do not interface boot1 in any way. All this boot1 info was collected for BootMii. Just look at the quote used as "evidence" for this claim.

A modified boot2 will not run on them, period.

This will only affect BootMii, as BootMii is a modified boot2. Homebrew runs on at most an IOS module, it is way at the end of the boot sequence.

boot1 -> boot2 -> System Menu -----> (Other programs/homebrew).

 

[Maikel Steneker]

Honestly, I have to say this is all a big misunderstanding.
I don't get it either... I mean, even if this mysteriously killed all softmods, how would that differ from installing the homebrew channel? As far as I know, both are essentially unsigned WADs that can be installed with the signing bug. If boot1 is a way to block this, the Homebrew Channel will not be installable either. Yeah, they use another bug, but theoretically softmods could use that too, so I don't see the difference.

Edit: has anyone read this post: http://www.tehskeen.com/forums/showpost.ph...mp;postcount=22
QUOTEI think we're playing a game of "telephone" here -- dCiSo hit me up on IRC and said that he had received an email asking "have you seen or worked with the new Wii NAND yet? Some people are saying that you can no longer dump it with homebrew apps or use any type of homebrew with it".

This is a surprise to me, but only partially. We know that the latest updates to IOS not only fixed the fakesigning bug everywhere, but that they went back and fixed it in boot2v4 (where it doesn't affect anything) and a new boot1, present on Wiis made within the last few months. So when someone asks me "hey did you hear about the new Wiis that can't be hacked", I think to these Wiis that come with fixed versions of boot1, boot2 and IOS. I wrote back "did you see this? http://hackmii.com/2009/02/bootmii-and-the-new-boot1/ ... I don't know why the HBC wouldn't install using the Twilight Hack, though ... next time you run into someone like that, ask them to try to come find me on IRC"

(Nintendo did finally figure one thing out -- when they release a whole bunch of changes all at once, I / we don't have time to go through all of them and figure out what they changed and what bugs they fixed.)

So, that explains why it's hard to dump the flash (/dev/flash is blocked in most or all of the installed IOSes). I would expect the Twilight Hack to still work (at least on menu 3.4 and earlier; maybe they will fix it right the third time). I would expect the HBC installer to still work, since it uses an undisclosed exploit (for this very reason). I don't know anything about whether "softmods" will work -- dCiSo didn't ask me about that, and honestly, I've never looked too closely at them.

Hopefully that answers the question of "what does boot1 have to do with softmods"? Answer: Nothing, but the new boot1 implies that Nintendo is getting better (or more serious) at fixing bugs.

 

[Brian117]

Who's honestly surprised?

We all knew Nintendo was going to do this to us someway or another.

Look at how long it's taking them to make a new firmware. I mean, we're still at 3.3, but with just a version 2. Unless I'm mistaken. Please correct.

My Wii, which was bought used back in December of 07, is still up and running with hacks and exploits. Pretty happy myself. Sucks for the people wanting a Wii for their birthday and Christmas this year. Hopefully people will look into this boot1 addition, and buy an older console from eBay instead.

Nintendo will lose sales on this.

Also, lol'd SO hard at Wars post being marked as trolling. I mean cmon.

 

[Commadore64]

Nintendo will lose sales on this.

Do you think so? It prevents homebrew from being loaded. How many people outside of members of this site know that homebrew can be installed on Wii prior to the purchase? I am going to say 99%.
So them being unaware of a feature that was not part of the intended line of programs for the Wii is really effecting No sales. Except the people who have homebrew running and need a replacement because the Wii got damaged.

Now that 1% of new people that KNOW about homebrew on the Wii are most likely going to get the Wii for the ability to play backups (not saying they will own the original in the first place). I mean if you talk to most people and say:
Hey if I rig up yoiur Wii, you can play Wii-Tac-Toe and Wii Space Invaders made by people like us. Also use SD Explorer to look at the contents of your SD Card.
...people are like "Huh, what? SD card... "
*Not much of a selling/buying point

If you say:
Hey I can rig up your Wii to play backups that you can download from the internet. Just download them from {insert site name} and bingo...you got game X
...people are more likely to be "No Sh!t..really? that is cool"
*More of a selling/buying point

So preventing homebrew is actually saving money NIN money in the long run.

 

[Brian117]

How many people outside of members of this site know that homebrew can be installed on Wii prior to the purchase? I am going to say 99%.

Wow, who told you that?

It is way less than 99%.

If you had been following some post from threads, you would see that Nintendo is actually making more money off the Wii FOR Homebrew use. And no. Trust me. The 1% is not the people that installed Homebrew and bricked their console and bought a new one.

Just look at how many threads are made saying, "Just got a new Wii: Want to softmod it" and, "Bought a Wii. Now where do I start with homebrew?"

 

[Commadore64]

you are correct - that was a typo (if you look at my intent)... I meant to say
"How many people outside of members of this site are unaware that homebrew can be installed on Wii prior to the purchase? I am going to say 99%."

So them being unaware of a feature that was not part of the intended line of programs for the Wii is really effecting No sales. Except the people who have homebrew running and need a replacement because the Wii got damaged.

blah blah blah

People that come to this site or any site looking for HOW DO I SOFTMOD already in the know. Wii does not include in the manuals that SOFTMODs and MOD CHIPS enhance the Wii playability.
If homebrew was something they knew for a fact was generating sales, why would they start creating this type of update to prevent that?
Ok - shooting themselves in the foot for NOT realizing some feature is missing or expandability for the future is one thing. Preventing homebrew, which one of the key features is playing backups, from loading is another thing.
If this update they made ruins some older games - that is a problem. If it prevents, lets say backup copies of Madworld playing on the newer machines, people will buy the game. Revenue for NIN - they sold the machines and sold some games. Win for NIN.

you would see that Nintendo is actually making more money off the Wii
Just look at how many threads are made saying, "Just got a new Wii: Want to softmod it" and, "Bought a Wii. Now where do I start with homebrew?"

Seriously - homebrew channel enables homebrew applications.
Now you have to admit the biggest homebrew application/feature is ability to play backups.
*I know some countries allow backups of media that you purchased and .....
But do you honestly believe that people who are aware of the homebrew/softmod are going to go thru this routine just to setup "Turbo Grafx emualtor", "Rebooter", "Mii Extractor", "Alarmi", "MyLittleBall", "Wii Quizz" or "Red Square"?

If people really are looking for those games or feature above and do not play backups then....
the new update only effects the sales generated from these games. Since there is no marketing done for these, it is word of mouth so there is no effort by Nintendo to sell these.

I dont mean to show the math but

Unmodded Wii...
1 system $250...5 games @ $40 =200
so $450 to NIN .. and potential of buying another game

Modded Wii
1 system $250... 20 games @ $0
$250 to nin and possibility of no more income generated from these

Chances are people with the unmodded wii will want to go buy more games
Modded wii is really based on
1% of 49.96 million sold - or ~500,000 people
and those 500,000 that are only looking to use a home application and not for play unpurchased backups is pretty unlikely.

 

[jrom]

Revenue for NIN - they sold the machines and sold some games. Win for NIN.

What's Nine Inch Nails got to do with this?

 

[Zyenet]

Good...at least they're putting some effort out now. But it's not affecting those who have older consoles, like myself. However, I do run only legal homebrew software...I'm strongly against Wii piracy.

 

[Commadore64]

They are not out to punish the honest.
If you buy a Wii for the fact it is a Wii then this version does not effect you in the slightest
If you buy a Wii to because some of the homebrew is cool (and you arent playing bootlegs) then you will be disappointed... Fraction of a percent effected
If you buy a Wii to plop homebrew on and play bootlegs and this version prevents you from doing that, then being aware of what you were going to do with homebrew and knowing this feature of playing bootlegs was your goal and you should have studied up on this.
--are you going to return this wii now because it does not have the value you were expecting out of it?
--are you going to keep it and purchase the the games from now on?

I think honest homebrew user would be aware of this possibility and the "I want free games" homebrew user will not be aware of this.

What's Nine Inch Nails got to do with this?

Hehehe
Well Glen Danzig wasnt quite the fit here
*ba-da-boom...tissssssssssssss

 

[Heran Bago]

Calm down dude you can still put a mod chip on it.

Kids these days are afraid of soldering irons I swear.

 

[Commadore64]

I dont think the issue is stopping chipped Wii's but stopping homebrew
Hard mod will always (figuratively speaking) let you play a copied DVD game
But it wont let you play/use "Turbo Grafx emualtor", "Rebooter", "Mii Extractor", "Alarmi", "MyLittleBall", "Wii Quizz" or "Red Square"...for example