The Wii

[Gazza]

Out of the blue a bizzare new channel was sent to us unnanounced, the Everybody Votes channel. Basically it is just a collection of local polls as well as a few worldwide ones, with the choice of two answers. It seems a little weak for a single channel and nothing paticularly revolutionary considering web polls have existed for ages, but i suppose its features make it interesting enough, and gives people another exuse to turn on the console and check on it every day. Basically you can register 6 Miis in the channel as voters, and as every poll appears you just go into it and drag and drop your mii to the side of the screen corresponding to your response. What makes it interesting is the fact you can then guess how everyone else will vote after casting yours. I guess this is where the game element comes in because in the long term it tracks how good you are at guessing. Also in the long term it tells you how often your voting matches the majority. A couple of other little things is the ability to submit your own polls, as well as the channel having some very catchy music. So far they are pretty politicaly correct questions (boiled or fried eggs?, cats or dogs?) but it will be interesting to see if they ask the sorts of questions that you see in newspolls, or market research questions to do with Nintendo.

[lisalila]

Super Mario World is awesome, you should def get it It's one of the few games you can actually save hehe.

[Dylaan]

Yeah, got it, definitely worth the cash/points! I'm checking for updates now, I managed to accidentally unplug my USB Connector somehow, so hopefully it won't take too long... I've seen some trailers for the Rayman game, and it looks hilarious. Is it worth getting, or is it too short like WarioWare? Who else has pre-ordered Excite Truck?

[lisalila]

Speaking of updates they updated Mario Kart 64.

[dreamworld_rulz]

For those that have the Wii. You can get a FREE Wii Remote Jacket. I ordered 4 today. Here's the details. Or you can Click here. Information for "Wii Remote Jacket" Nintendo is committed to ensuring an innovative and unique game play experience on the Wii. To help players adapt to this new style of play and provide additional protection we have created a protective cover for the Wii Remote - the "Wii Remote Jacket". We recommend to fit the "Wii Remote Jacket" to the Wii Remote in order to enhance your grip and provide additional protection if the Wii Remote is accidentally thrown or dropped during game play. The "Wii Remote Jacket" is being offered free of charge to all Wii owners. To request a "Wii Remote Jacket", contact NINTENDO CUSTOMER SERVICE on (03) 9730 9822 Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm (EST) Please have your Wii console serial number ready when you phone.

Edited November 7, 2007 by dreamworld_rulz

[Dylaan]

They're strange little things, I kinda prefer my 3rd party ones, but these were free so I ordered anyway! Took around 10 days to arrive, unlike my wrist-straps which took 30+ days and then some idiot stole them out of my mailbox... Oh, and I'm not sure if I should say this, edit it if needed, but I got a WiiKey (try Google) installed and it works a treat! I'm currently playing Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Full region free for Gamecube and partial support for Wii. Only about $75 for the chip and installation, saved me a damn lot of money! (I tried to install myself, but had a few 'glitches' so I took it to a 'professional').

[lisalila]

Look like something alien's made haha. You paid $75 for it? my friend paid $50 and got free installation.

[WalleyWorld]

So what does this "Wiikey" actually do. I looked it up and all I can get out of it is that it can let your Wii play some sort of Game Cube file/disc. Is it a chip that will let you play burnt games? And is it illegal? If somebody could give me an answer, that would be great!!! CoAsTeRbOy8

[dreamworld_rulz]

So what does this "Wiikey" actually do. I looked it up and all I can get out of it is that it can let your Wii play some sort of Game Cube file/disc. Is it a chip that will let you play burnt games? And is it illegal? If somebody could give me an answer, that would be great!!! CoAsTeRbOy8

That's what I'd like to know.

[lisalila]

Yes it lets you play downloaded games..like Super Mario Galaxy isnt out until the end of the month but if you have the chip you can download it and play it.

What is a mod chip/Wiikey? A mod chip is an electronic chip that get attached to the DVD drive to “hack” it and allow it to run games from any country (PAL or NTSC) it can also play backups/downloaded games and emulate old one (like SNES). The Wiikey features “Stealth” mode, which means it works in write only mode, so you can't read the settings on the chip. If there is no response from the chip it can't be detected.

Are these legal? How about the games? Installing a mod chip is legal in Australia. Doing so however will void your warranty because the case is opened during the process. Importing games is legal, backing up a game is supposedly legal but copying one is illegal...by backing up you're making a copy so I don't know lol, downloading from torrent sites etc is illegal.

Edited November 11, 2007 by lisalila

[Dylaan]

At this point in time, the only use for a WiiKey, or any Wii modchip is to play burnt copies. Hopefully in the near future, it will be possible to run 'homebrew' software using one, but most of the stuff on the Wii is encrypted and is yet to be broken. You can use 'homebrew' software made for the Gamecube though. It's debatable whether they are legal or not, in Australia it's frowned upon but nothing like in America, people who install them for others' houses have been raided and all sorts. It's fun to get games early, and if you can remove the chip without leaving any traces then you might be able to claim warranty. I damaged a few screws opening mine, so I've gotta hope for the best, but it's probably not hard to get replacements. If you're technically minded, it's probably worth it provided they don't suddenly crack down on piracy, but you have to make sure you don't install updates from other regions etc. I don't regret having one a single bit. EDIT: And they are easily detectable, all they'd need to do is try to run 'unsigned' code. Normally this wouldn't execute, but if a chip was present, it would be able to run.

Edited November 11, 2007 by WnW_Rocks

[mickey_079]

You need to be extremely careful when chipping a Wii to ensure you get the right chip. There are many imitations out there that work for the first month but than poo themselves and dont even play burnt games. $50 and $75 is heaps to cheap for a genuine working chip. For a good chip that allows to you download games for free and play burnt games expect to pay $90 ish. Don't buy them from computer fairs, none of these work. Also if you pay a few bucks extra you get a modification which gives you more blocks I had mine done 6 months ago P.S however my chip was a prototype and I have no yet experience any problems, so I could be wrong... its also very illegal

Edited November 11, 2007 by mickey_079

[WalleyWorld]

I've heard of people chipping their PS2's and PS1's (being a person who has done their PS one), but I thought that these newer consoles were more secure and are very hard to crack into. It seems like they're not. So where would you go to get these chips installed?? Could you just rock up to a computer/console fixer and ask them to chip your console? CoAsTeRbOy8

[mickey_079]

nope. you have to get it done privately. Although numerous Wii chippers and ps2 and xbox chippers in newcastle advertise. my uncle's friend did mine, and all my other consoles... apart from ps2, thats not done

[Dylaan]

I did mine myself, but took it to an installer because I wasn't satisfied with my job as it didn't work 100% of the time. There are different types of consoles. If you have a later model, with the 'D2C' chipset, you'll need a special chip called 'D2CKey' which has about 30 wires as opposed to normal chips that only have 6-8 wires. You can get a fairly accurate estimate of your chipset here. It depends where you buy your chip, some internet stores charge a fair bit for a genuine WiiKey. There are imitations out there, but so far they're almost as good as the real thing. If you google for 'Wii Modchip Install' or 'WiiKey Install' you should find something. There's plenty of information out there if you're willing to look! EDIT: XBOX 360's don't even need modchips, you can fool the copy protection with a cable and an old computer. PS3's can play burnt PS2 and PS games simply by swapping the disc while it's running. (Without pressing eject, you need to remove the case). They're getting more secure, but all I needed to open my Wii was a special screwdriver.

Edited November 11, 2007 by WnW_Rocks

[mickey_079]

I wish there was a way to install a hard drive and just install the games on it... like x-box But to solve the problem simply just purchase a PS3 Oh I bought a new Wii game today... and well personally I think the Wii was my biggest waste of money, it simply just doesn't compare to the other gaming consoles. Try playing a driving games, its very hard and takes a while to get use to the corner and braking. Oh well it looks good in my room lol

Edited November 11, 2007 by mickey_079

[Dylaan]

...But to solve the problem simply just purchase a PS3

Explain. I never knew you could copy games onto a PS3... There are decent games for the Wii, there's just so many poor ones it's not funny. It's cheap to produce games for, and arguably has the largest audience. Therefore, you're always going to end up with a load of dodgy titles.

[mickey_079]

when i say buy a ps3 i dont mean because you can copy it, I mean because PS3 is the the best gaming console, for the best gaming experience though simply go a gaming PC Oh yeah I know theres heaps of dodgy ones, what I don't like is the price you have to pay a Wii game when it really isn't worth that much

[Dylaan]

what I don't like is the price you have to pay a Wii game

Hence why I have a WiiKey...

PS3 is the the best gaming console, for the best gaming experience though simply go a gaming PC

I wouldn't call the Wii a 'Gaming Experience'. Not in that sense anyway...

[Gazza]

So, who is going to order a Vii from the Chinese imitators?

[mickey_079]

Does anyone have the Wii DVD HACK yet? I'm getting mine put in just before christmas... I don't need it but hey you can never have enough dvd players lol. Also.. custom cases... are there any out on the market yet do you have to make a fully custom one yourself? I uh hope thats not serious gazza... damn the chinese, invent your own things and stop making cheap imitations that cost more to keep running than the what the product originally cost. EDIT... I just installed software on my computer so I view all files from my computer on my Wii... its actually pretty good especially if the Wii is the lounge room and I wanna check a file on my computer http://corp.orb.com/gamers/wii.htm

Edited November 11, 2007 by mickey_079

[Dylaan]

Xecuter Australia are the way to go for Wii case mods... Some impressive stuff, but I don't want to open my Wii again in-case I wreck the screw heads. I've heard playing DVD's on the Wii wrecks the laser, as it's not meant for extended use... But hey! Go for it!

[mickey_079]

Meh if it plays up I will just replace the laser in, easy fixed:) wanna know whats a pain to work on... the fat PS2... the ribbon cables keep coming out when you reassemble them. Thanks for the link

[dreamworld_rulz]

There's a new channel. It's called "Mii contest" It's free.

[dreamworld_rulz]

Got the silicon jackets today.