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Nintendo Penalizing Homebrew Users?
An anonymous reader writes "Bricked your Wii? Not only will Nintendo charge you for the repair, they will now add an additional fee if they detect any homebrew software. 'Should Nintendo have to pay to repair hacked Wiis under warranty? Maybe not, but they have no (moral) right to gouge customers out of spite for having the HBC installed. This actually poses a technical dilemma for us with BootMii. As currently designed, BootMii looks for an SD card when you boot your Wii, and if it finds the card and the right file, it will execute that file. Otherwise, there's no way to tell it's installed.'"
First of all, I don't read German, but "softwarehack" is only one line of that receipt and I doubt it has the same meaning in German and English. Even so, if they were charging additional for hacked Wii's, it would probably be an extra line item. I would expect to see a normal repair fee on the invoice *plus* a "hacked wii fee".
Second, the email is a poor fake. It's anonymous, with typos and grammar mistakes. And what company ever refers to the possibility of their policies being illegal in a corporate memo? I quote: "yes we are aware of a small legal risk to be claimed on this in the court, but NOE more than willing to take the risk."
Doesn't Europe have the equivalent of the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act ?
Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.
How much do they charge when they discover the BSOD
Microsoft charging more if they discover Ubuntu on a separate partition.
Windows 7 upgrade, $50, $200 if you have firefox installed? ..
Sorry, no deal. Won't even install it if you pay me $400 because I run firefox under linux. There ain't enough money in the WORLD!
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
I do understand German, and this receipt says that the internal software (i.e. firmware) was modified.
Realistically, if someone voids their warranty by modifying the firmware on a device, regardless of whether it was done directly by the user or by the homebrew software, then they should expect to pay to have that repaired.
Why? because it takes time. Usually companies have very specific procedures for quickly re-flashing using their existing boot firmware. However, if that boot firmware is modified (i.e. the device is 'bricked') then that procedure needs to be changed. In this case, the engineer would need to 'hack' their own device to get it up to usable standards again (i.e. 'unbricked').
In the non-wii-world (i.e. reality), people that fix things also need to be paid adequately.
This customer should be happy that their bricked wii was even serviceable and that they weren't forced to cough up an extra 40€ to buy a brand-new Wii for 250€.
I do speak german and softwarehack is NOT a german word, it is a borrowed word and therefor means the same thing as you would expect it to. Never DOUBT. CHECK!
Your entire argument starts to look shakey because you asumed.
You then go on to claim that it is a seperate line. It is not, it is a wrap around of the previous line. Failure two.
You then go on to make your final claim. The email being fake. 2 strikes, is the third a hit? We already know you leap to conclusions, so might you have struck out completly?
The email indeed seems suspicious. The english in it is piss poor and that is coming from me. Could there be a reason? Nintendo is a japanese company, could we be dealing with an advanced case of engrish here? Maybe someone low in the hierachy whose native language is not english went outside the official channels to send this email?
It is important to remember that many internal emails would make any language teacher cry like a britney spears fan. I have seen worse.
The grammar itself is not enough to label the email a fake. That it came through an anonymous source, well that doesn't mean anything.
Finally, the wording. It isn't very proffesional but I am sure we all remember the halloween documents. If Balmer can throw chairs why can't a nintendo flunky send out this email?
So, two strikes and one questionable. I think you put to much faith in proffesionalism in individual employees. While I have no proof this email is wrong, it being stupid and badly written does not guarantee it as a fake. Really, read more leaked documents.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
The warranty states that you cannot modify the system yourself either by opening up the console or installing custom firmware. By not following these conditions you're voiding agreed conditions. It's not illegal or immoral (gotta love the irony of accusing Nintendo of that in this case), you go against the contracted conditions, the contract is void.
If firmware has been modified they may not be able to use the utilities they have to detect faults or may not be able restore it as easily. It could take extra time and require extra effort.
It's hard enough giving support to customers when you know the software on their systems, let alone when they've got a modification which could be doing god knows what.
Bricked your Wii?
I would not take bricks to my Wii. It's too painful to even contemplate!
Take bricks to your own Wii...out of my sight!
Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
Engineering is pure because we seek a truth. There is only one answer. Business is corrupt. They seek themselves in money. Simplicity is beauty. That is your engineer's answer.
My softwarehack is full of eels.
Squirrel!
Anyone has the right to charge whatever price they want for any product or service they are selling. If you don't like it, don't pay it. It's as simple as that.
Yeah, I know you'll mod me down for this, it seems to happen every time I point out an utterly obvious truth.
If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
This kind of sucks and all, but how the hell do you even brick your Wii installing Homebrew? Are there any actual cases of this happening or do most of the mod makers say it is possible and all that just to CYA? I mean seriously, I've done this a few times and I have to say...it's pretty well idiot proof unless I guess...your Wii gets powered off in the middle of something?
:p
Doing it on my XBOX back when was a little scarier but the Wii mods seem like child's play to be quite honest.
I guess I'm just wondering how common this actually is and how screwed people are getting with their Wii's bricking for one reason or another and Nintendo finding the Homebrew channel on there and charging them. Then again, I can't really think of many reasons why your Wii would get bricked in the first place.
"Those who would sacrifice essential liberties for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - BenF
the M-M Warranty act says essentially 2 things:
1) Warranties must be written in clear language. ("Full and conspicuous disclosure of terms and conditions")
2) Manufacturer's may not, as a condition of the warranty, require the purchase of name brand parts, unless they can demonstrate that such parts are necessary for proper operation. ("No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name;...")
A manufacturer can, as long as they spell it out clearly, void a warranty if unauthorized modifications are made to a product. An auto manufacturer could provide an engine warranty which is void if you hang fuzzy dice from the mirror, but they can't require you to use their brand of fuzzy dice. The MM Act does not put "the burden on the manufacturer to prove that an aftermarket part or enhancement caused the defect."
Feel free to read it.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
Since Nintendo cannot reasonably be expected to evaluate whether a mod is a source of problems, a repair will necessarily involve restoring the system to its stock status. It is not unreasonable for there to be an extra charge for this extra work.
as a condition of the warranty, Nintendo can certainly require that the user run only Nintendo provided, unmodified, operating system software, since that is an "article or service provided without charge" during the warranty period.
I believe that would preclude running any homebrew stuff. Doesn't installing the Homebrew Channel involve breaking the chain of trust by installing a modified IOS?
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law