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Wii Update 3.3 Defeats Twilight Hack, Freeloader
Richter X writes "The newest update to the Nintendo Wii's Menu, version 3.3, contains code specifically designed to find and kill the popular Twilight Hack used by homebrewers to play unauthorized code on the Wii. The update also prevents the Freeloader software used to play imported games on the Wii. However, it does not seem to affect the Homebrew Channel in Wiis that already have it installed. The updated code is currently being researched in order to find what code has been changed. So far it has been confirmed that Nintendo included specific instructions to target the Twilight Hack. Work is also being done to update the Twilight Hack in order to bypass this new code."
I wonder how long it will take to get around the newest most securest(tm) DRM EVER?!
I say it'll be cracked within 1 week of release.
For those of us who have a modchip (and haven't added homebrew yet) what's the deal? I'm new to this and want to add homebrew, but not sure if I need to find a copy of Zelda and install that way, or if because of my chip (D2pro9), I'm okay to install anyways. There's seems to be a lack of information for people with chips wanting to do homebrew.
I knew I would regret installing this upgrade, but I can't help myself and not install an upgrade. I have an obsessive-compulsive upgrade installing disorder.
alias possession='chmod 666 satan && ls
But.. but.. the update includes kick-ass-awesome-super-cool functionality too, to make up for the (now comparatively insignificant) loss! I mean, who wouldn't want to move Miis from the Plaza to the Parade? Exactly.
Doesn't the allowance of "unauthorized code" increase the usability of a particular device? Regardless, I'm getting pretty sick of the trend of buying a physical product and being limited in what I'm allowed to do with it.
What's the sort of timespan between when an update like this gets pushed out and when it shows up in systems on store shelves? 3 months? 6 months? I still don't have a Wii, and I'd really like to take advantage of the Twilight hack.
The functionality of the Homebrew Channel is unaffected by this update.
"Who modded this informative? Whoever it is must've been smokin' some of that martian pot!"
Yeah, disable the Freeloader. Can't have Europeans get games for 33% cheaper and months earlier, can you? Everyone, bend over!
I recall something about the developer promising updated Freeloader versions for free if your version gets obsoleted by the Firmware, anyone know if that's true?
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
and why won't you share you stingy bastard?
A flaw in an internet-aware OS: one thing.
A flaw that requires someone to load a hacked savegame, and do something specific in a specific game?
Further, the only difference between the two being that in the second case, the "flaw" is actually the FIX for the broken and stupid nature of the OS?
Really now. I have right of first sale on my side. I bought *hardware*. If I want to load linux on it, that's my fucking business and Nintendo can go fuck themselves. The worst they can do is void my warranty and refuse to contract with me for servicing if the hardware fails.
It's odd that we can't take them to the WTO for price discrimination and region-locking like you can for all other non-digital products.
Mind that this *likely* has less to do with homebrew and more to do with the ability to pirate virtual console titles, which is trivial to do at this point.
That said, there is some cool stuff being done with the virtual console files (wads). You can inject normal roms into the wad file and play games that nintendo hasnt yet released (or never will) on the virtual console. That said, its a lot easier to simply play the roms in an emulator on the homebrew channel...
Personally, I dont condone the VC piracy, but nintendo wont allow me to purchase and play Dracula X: Rondo of Blood on the VC (because i have a USA wii and the game was only released on the JPN VC), so i 'had' (yes, i can live without it) to grab the wad, region-free it, and install it on my USA wii to play.
Lastly, there are already workarounds that have been found, though not yet released. Apparently this fix against the twilight hack was so specific in its implementation it will only break this *exact* exploit. It still isnt a good idea to update you wii right now, but this is more interesting a development (that this was the primary reason for the patch) than a show-stopper.
Am I the only person here who doesn't really care about this? I mean, let's ignore pirated games and actually playing (gasp!) the games released for the console. In terms of homebrew games, the Wiimote has had fairly fully-featured modules on most major operating systems for quite some time, so one could, in theory, write games on said operating systems using the Wii's most notable feature (inventive accelerometer-based controls with IR tracking). With far more processing power and storage space, too, and a much wider distribution for...
Oh, wait, I forgot, I'm doing it wrong again. I forgot that the sole use of any video game console is to endlessly play Chrono Trigger on an on-console emulator l33tly hacked on it until the next emulator-console is released. Silly me.
I keep hearing from people that Nintendo can do as they wish because it's their console. Isn't it my console to do what I see fit with, since I bought it and own every single transistor in that machine?
Homebrewers need to start hacking the server side first. By setting up their own servers, they can filter out problems like this, and still maintain the networking capabilities of their devices.
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
Normally I'm against companies attempting to limit what I do with my hardware, but here I don't really see the problem. It's not like Nintendo completely bricked my Wii when I used the Twilight Hack after updating.
And to the "they force the patches in the games" people, quit your bitching. You don't have to download the patch. You are welcome to use your hardware as you please, now your bitching that you can't use a piece of software on an unsupported platform.
If it means that much to you get a second one to just play on. Unless you really think Nintendo is obligated to support our hacks. I don't think they are, in fact, I'm overjoyed that I don't now have a completely useless bricked piece of hardware since i updated.
would have prevented Mario Kart from running except for a little "check for OS version X" flag.
It was Nintendo's way of trying to force updates.
I call foul.
...when right in the update notice text Nintendo says it will destroy "invalid" save files, referring indirectly to the TP chainloader?
The Wii has a dual-CPU arrangement much like that of the PlayStation 2: an overclocked GameCube CPU (Broadway) and an ARM9 I/O processor (Starlet). I/O to the USB ports, SD slot, Bluetooth chip, Wi-Fi chip, and built-in NAND flash run through Starlet. Each Wii program depends on a particular version of Wii IOS, the kernel that runs on Starlet. System updates from game discs contain the version of Wii IOS, and you have to perform an IOS update if the IOS version used by the game isn't already installed on your Wii console.
IOS updates do not change the homebrew compatibility of your Wii console because a version of IOS is only loaded when a Wii program requests it. The signature verification bug was fixed in newer IOS, but older versions of Wii Menu still depended on an old IOS susceptible to Trucha signing. Only an update to Wii Menu, like this update, can block homebrew because 1. it depends on a newer IOS that blocks Trucha signing, and 2. it has the code to delete broken Zelda saves.
sources: Starlet, IOS, and IOS Questions and Answers.
I have a laptop for playing things like MAME, and said laptop has an HDMI output to my TVYes, you are in the minority. Most households that I visit don't have a laptop, nor do they have a PC within 13 feet (4 m) of a TV. I wish your situation weren't the minority, as independent video game developers would finally have a market for multiplayer party games.
, so it can carry higher resolution than the Wii.Most arcade games run in a "standard resolution" (usually 240p or 288p) raster format, which is smaller than the 480p supported by Wii.
When you go out and create and release your own gaming console, then let everyone do whatever they want on it... Nintendo is going to be REALLY sorry!
You go, girlfriend!
Control of a consumer device should belong to the end-user, not to the corporation that produced it.
+++ATH0
i completely agree with nintendo's right to block any and all hacks with newer firmware if they can.
:)
what i have a hard time understanding here however is, why would they care? for that matter why would any console maker care if their system gets hacked by the user who paid them money for it. it doesnt belong to the company anymore it belongs to the user. if the user wants to run something other than the games that were designed for it then thats his right, just as its anyones right to use a chair to sit down on or to stand on and reach something higher up, not an intended purpose but its useful and does the job well and no one is complaining.
i dont get why nintendo would spend money counteracting this sort of thing when they could just use the same money to develop more games or maybe an sdk for people who are more interested in the system and its other technical capabilities.
counteracting piracy of games is the only thing i can see but thats not exactly what i seem to see going on here. at least not pirated wii games anyways...
really i find it a waste of money on nintendo's part but more power to them for employing more people just for the sake of playing the game!
Until now I had no plans on hacking my Wii. Now that Nintendo is trying to prevent me from using my hardware as I see fit, I think I will. I can't be the only person who thinks this way.
http://www.hackaday.com/2008/06/19/wii-menu-3-3-already-circumvented/ [hackaday.com]
This reminds me of the PSP...wow...history repeats itsself =)
While I agree that in principle I cannot really demand that nintendo support hacked consoles, I believe you are looking at from the wrong perspective. If nintendo wants my business, they had damn better meet my expectations.
The only way to change the status quo, which in this case is a ridiculously restricted console, is to complain loudly. That's how capitalism is supposed to work - not by quietly accepting anything that nintendo is prepared to give you and being grateful if they don't destroy your purchased euqipment.
Customers should not be afraid of the companies, it's the other way around.