Wii update blocks piracy, Freeloader

Wii News | Importers beware.

This morning Nintendo has made a new system update for the Wii available. The update appears to be quite small, and brings the Wii system to version 3.3E.

The update has added some features to the Mii Parade section of the Mii channel, but it appears it's main use is to block some methods that allow piracy on the system. Unfortunately for importing gamers, this means Datel's Freeloader device has been disabled, as the method it used to boot imports was the same as that used by pirates, a method of booting called 'trucha signing'.

The update also appears to cover an exploit that used a hackers Zelda save file to run unauthorised code on the Wii.

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71 Comments

BlackMamba

3 years ago

I have heard it also kills imported game save files so people with modchips are also affected.

Buttmouth

3 years ago

^ Apparently saves are safe - just a rumour.

mcerto wrote

saves are safe, it just disables a hack that was in twilight princess, which allowed for homebrew.

Capoeira

3 years ago

It's a good thing the internet connection to my Wii has long since been disabled.

It really sucks that Nintendo had to be total pricks and **** us over like this but so long as my Wii remains offline, they can't get to me. **** 'em. I'm about done with them anyway.

El Taco

3 years ago

Playing Gamecube games are the only things keeping me Wii plugged in... ( I had in sitting in my cupboard for 6 months

)

Also, good one Nintendo, you guys sure are good.

renegadesx

3 years ago

Do they even realise they went out of their way to screw their most hardcore audience? I'm lucky I haven't picked it up yet nor any imports.

genxevo

3 years ago

VOOK wrote

TheAnswer wrote

genxevo wrote

hopefully brawl doesn't have the 3.3E update, so i can still play no more heroes and buy brawl in a week

Knowing Ninty it's probably an "added bonus" on the Brawl disc

Guess that's why there is a 4 month delay.

i don't think it'll be on the brawl disc, i remember reading the news on the update that made Gamecube freeloader useless, i didn't have broadband then, but i was sh*tting bricks everytime a game i put in updated my wii.
Passed the test with Metroid Prime 3, Super Paper mario and Mario Party 8, but then i put Mario galaxy in, that was the update that killed my old freeloader

Psy Storm

3 years ago

Isn't this against Australian law?

legend166

3 years ago

It sucks, but it's understandable. The same exploit being used for the Freeloader was being used for piracy. Can't expect them to keep it open.

Unlucky_Owl

3 years ago

Looks like i'm not updating my wii. Had an imported SSBB and Freeloader for about 2 months now and i'm not shelling out another $100 just to keep playing the game. They can shove it as far as i'm concerned.

Benza

3 years ago

legend166 wrote

It sucks, but it's understandable. The same exploit being used for the Freeloader was being used for piracy. Can't expect them to keep it open.

Cause making it harder to get games legaly is really going to bring down piracy?

Hell I would pirate first party Nintendo games now just out of spite.

legend166

3 years ago

Benza wrote

Cause making it harder to get games legaly is really going to bring down piracy?

Of course not, but you can't expect them to leave such a hole open?

Benza wrote

Hell I would pirate first party Nintendo games now just out of spite.

Well, that's dumb. Why just not buy them?

Benza

3 years ago

legend166 wrote

Well, that's dumb. Why just not buy them?

Because now that the free loader doesn't work, I can't.

Sinthesys

3 years ago

I knew this would happen and now I'm that much happier that I sold my Wii. Does Nintendo hate their customers or something?

Looks like in terms of customer care, Microsoft and Sony are the real innovators.

teashades

3 years ago

**** this ****. I was literally just about to import no more heroes for the blood factor, and now that idea is ****. **** I hate nintendo. I used to love them so much but they keep on trying to make me loathe them.

notsofat

3 years ago

The Wii update 3.3E

Removes the Zelda TP hack
if you dont know what this means this was a way of running homebrew code on the wii without a modchip, it couldnt be used for piracy, so boo nintendo!

Removes the Trucha Signer hack
- Any game that has been resigned to work in another region (what the freeloader does), or had its information altered to bypass censorship (not sure if this is illegal but i did it to my original copy of manhunt) now wont work either.

Almost laughably, actual modchip based piracy and most modchip based import play is unaffected.

Special thanks to Datel for f***ing everything for those of us who were prepared to manually sign our SSBB copies to work by forcing nintendo's hand.

For people feeling ripped off, the scene community has already discovered (but not released (except a demo in video form) yet) a method of reversing your wii version, and is working at finding a new hack to allow legitimate homebrew again.

edit

to the spastics saying that the trucha hack is used for piracy,
it does nothing of the sort, a drivechip is used for piracy, the trucha hack is only necessary for very special circumstances to play backups, and these are only when trying to backup import games, every single PAL game can be pirated on a PAL console.

to clarify: without a drivechip you cannot run backups, thats why you cant play backups with a freeloader

Capoeira

3 years ago

notsofat wrote

Almost laughably, actual modchip based piracy and most modchip based import play is unaffected.

Are you serious?

Well, that's is pretty much typical isn't it? Those of you willing to buy your games get boned while those dirtbags who are costing Nintendo cash in sales sail by without a hitch. It's same thing again and again.

You try to do the right thing and all you end up with is the temptations of piracy. How wonderfully ironic

notsofat

3 years ago

yes its pretty retarded pretty stoked i bought a wiikey instead of freeloader.

before you guys start hating and calling me a dirty pirate:

DigitalDogPound
Item Description Qty Price
--------------- --------------------------------------------- --- ----------
280207271040 SUPER SMASH BROS. BRAWL Wii NEW SEALED brothers mario 1 $52.25
Shipping U.S. Postal Service First-Class Mail International
Tracking Number
Insurance 1 $15.00

Sub Total: $52.25
Shipping: $9.95
Insurance: $15.00
Discount: $0.00
Total: $77.20

i have these for all my import games.

edit: also for those of you will a freeloader ill report back if i find out if theres any hope for you, although its not looking good.

IISpacebreakII

3 years ago

Nintendo are seriously being quite stupid on this issue, of course though they do want to win developer support because lets face fact, most developers are having a hard time and are struggling with profits and stuff. A move like this means people will be forced to pay.

But I don't care what Nintendo do no more,...360 is comin' ^^

David

3 years ago

Basically, this update kills a method of piracy (called trucha signing), and unfortunately the Freeloader used the same method. It was stupid of Datel to release a disc that used a method that pirates were already using, of course it was going to be blocked.

Eyce

3 years ago

David wrote

Even then, they're still cutting out a chunk of their sales by removing the entire option for people from 3rd Nintendo World Countries to import from the more Developed Nintendo Nations.

And to the guy who commented about the thing being against Australian Law, I doubt it is, but I'm also sure the ACCC would listen if you went ahead and filed a Class Complaint. Public pressure rules.

critter2003

3 years ago

If you use the Zelda trick to get the homebrew channel on your console and then update, does the channel still work or will it block that too? Because to my knowledge it only uses the hack to install the channel to the menu, not run it after that.

kaerlis

3 years ago

It's been stated on various sites the update only affects the twilight hack used to install, not the homebrew channel. So if you have it allready installed it's fine, and if you install before updating to the latest version of wii firmware you're also fine.

EDIT:
" 17 June 08: Bushing has already announced a workaround after just 6-8 hours of work! Big thanks to all involved! (Note that the workaround is not yet available publicly)"
source: -http://www.wiibrew.org/wiki/Main_Page

So it looks like when publicly released in future, you'll be able to install homebrew channel even with the new firmware, but i'd still avoid the update.

Is the gecko region free thing with homebrew effected?

legend166

3 years ago

notsofat wrote

From what I've read, the Trucha signing stuff was used to pirate VC and Wii Ware games.

Benza

3 years ago

I was wondering last night. So the only people that use this for piracy would be the hardcore right, a minority right. So by blocking the freeloader they may have stopped them but they've also stopped the people using the freeloader to buy legal games.

But wich group would be bigger? I mean its all well and good to stop piracy, but if you also stop a whole tonne of people buying your product, make a **** of your biggest fans hate you, and convince basicly an entire country to tell you to go **** yourself was it really worth it?

ugh the boot

3 years ago

Wow, It was only the day before this news I was saying how i'm just gonna try and stay away from Nintendo stuff cuz it's been frustrating me hard and that I was gonna give stuff like No More Heroes a miss, I was however still planning on buying Shin Chuuka Taisen and Shikigami No Shiro III with the Freeloader (infact I still have it in my play-asia cart) so this is really bad news for me aswell.

Atleast this way it'll be easier to stick to my guns and just leave the Wii alone for a while. I still plan on buying Super Smash Bros but I haven't even turned my Wii on since Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, I even leave it unplugged cuz of constant messages and updates which set the blue light off (yea I know you can turn it off).

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