First Wii Mod Chip Shipping Out

Via Ars Technica's Opposable Thumbs blog, and their commentary on the device, a review of the first Wii mod chip at the MaxConsole site. The review offers step-by-step instructions for putting it in place, and then rates the resulting options opened up by the device. Most interestingly the chip is apparently updateable via a DVD, allowing for new functionality to be released for as time goes on. At $50 and with just a little soldering to get in place, the Wii CycloWhiz sounds like a great deal for anyone looking to do some outside-the-box thinking with Nintendo's console.

Comments

Unfortunatly

[Tainek]

There is still no chip for imports, as much as i love my Wii, i Refuse to pay $80 a game (UK)

Hopefully a *>Pal Chip will come soon...

I love the smell of BIAS in the morning

[twistedsymphony]

I would suspect the Max Console review is a bit inaccurate... considering the shop that manufactures and sells the chip also runs the servers that host Max Console... No conflict of interests there or anything.

Also Firmware upgrades via DVD was supposedly added to the CycloWiz at the last minute, you're right on your other accounts though.

Re:Updateable via DVD?

[Anonymous Coward]

Hopefully they've put some type of restriction on this (like you have to jumper it to enable the updates). Otherwise it would seem Nintendo could just have games wipe the chip on bootup.

Re:Custer's Revenge

[DrXym]

If it wasn't pulled by Atari the morning it appeared on store shelves, it probably would have been blocked by local or state action. And might have stopped sales of the game console itself. Things are a little bit looser now, but still there is the opportunity for an independent developer to release something so utterly vile as to enrage people.

Surely the same could be said for DVD players though?

Seriously though, copy protection is there to stop piracy. Mod chips are there to aide piracy. All this bullshit about "backups" or imports etc., is simply that - bullshit. While there may be people who actually do play backups, it's pretty clear what the vast, vast majority are sold for.

I wonder if Nintendo and MS wouldn't be better off doing what Sony did and dropping regional controls altogether. It's one less excuse for modchip makers to hide behind. That's probably one good reason Sony did it in fact.

Re:Fact check: summary, articles all inaccurate

[ProppaT]

I would be somewhat hesitant about a modchip like the WiiKey that can be firmware upgradable via DVD. What's to stop Nintendo from including a flash in future games and/or WiiConnect24 update that would flash the mod to render it useless?