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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.'"
Doesn't Europe have the equivalent of the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act ?
Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.
Microsoft charging more if they discover Ubuntu on a separate partition.
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.
Really? Seriously?
A lot of people say that (and I hate MS as much as anybody), but if I was offered even the insult of $1,000,000 USD to install Windows 7 .............. I have a feeling that there will be a few machines with Windows 7 on it.
Then I would hire a few dozen Japanese hotties with pig-tails and school girl outfits to do all of my actual work on other machines and I would just have to *suffer* through it. At least when I get pissed off at the Windows 7 machine when it starts screwing up (inevitably of course) I can have a bunch of my "employees" come in sucking lollipops to give me my "tech support".
Ohhhhh, and I am sure some of that $$$$ will be used to buy several well placed poles in my office......
Anyone has the right to charge whatever price they want for any product or service they are selling. If you don't like it, don't pay it. It's as simple as that.
Yeah, I know you'll mod me down for this, it seems to happen every time I point out an utterly obvious truth.
If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
the M-M Warranty act says essentially 2 things:
1) Warranties must be written in clear language. ("Full and conspicuous disclosure of terms and conditions")
2) Manufacturer's may not, as a condition of the warranty, require the purchase of name brand parts, unless they can demonstrate that such parts are necessary for proper operation. ("No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name;...")
A manufacturer can, as long as they spell it out clearly, void a warranty if unauthorized modifications are made to a product. An auto manufacturer could provide an engine warranty which is void if you hang fuzzy dice from the mirror, but they can't require you to use their brand of fuzzy dice. The MM Act does not put "the burden on the manufacturer to prove that an aftermarket part or enhancement caused the defect."
Feel free to read it.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
Ohhhhh, and I am sure some of that $$$$ will be used to buy several well placed poles in my office......
Finally!
Someone who didn't forget Poland!
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!