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Wii FreeLoader emerges News
Wii News by Tom Bramwell
Datel has launched the Wii FreeLoader, which allows you to play Wii games from any region on your PAL Wii.
There's also a version for US Wii owners.
The disc is the follow-up to the GameCube version, which did the same for Cube discs - and indeed the Wii FreeLoader will continue to perform that function, all without system modification.
It costs GBP 9.99 here and USD 19.99 across the pond.
"Wii FreeLoader is really easy to use. Simply insert your FreeLoader disc and load it in the usual way," says the website description.
"When the drive stops, eject the Wii FreeLoader disc and insert the game, which then loads and plays just like it would on its own region of Wii. It's as simple as that!"
The disc appears to be available right now (update: we now understand it may not be delivered until mid-March), which is good news for those of you with speedy couriers who can't be bothered to wait for Super Smash Bros. Brawl - due out in the US in just over a week (update: and, er, now isn't!).
No idea what the boys and girls at Nintendo makes of it. They probably can't hear us from behind all their piles of money.
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Comments: 1-47 of 47 in total
Poster
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Patcharoonie!
It is seriously time for console manufaturers to realise that (in a global market) there shouldn't be any region locks on games or films. I think anyone from china or india could make a solid case for discrimination simply by pointing out that they are unable to get games for their language when they live in the USA or Europe. Pointing the finger squarely at the region lockouts while they do it. |
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DonnieDarko333
29/02/08 @ 09:03
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Greats news for European Wii owners. Problem is, Nintendo probably already know about this and a new firmware will stop it from working!
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While a new Freeloader is indeed welcome (and very tempting), a cheeky Wii update will render the disc useless. Nintendo did it with the Gamecube Freelaoder and I see no reason why they wouldn't do the same here. Pity, as I'm thinking of all the US and Japanese games that either don't see the light of day over here, or take fucking months to appear in PAL regions.
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seasidebaz
29/02/08 @ 09:23
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i seem to remember a while ago nintendo said that if a freeloader came out they wouldn't bother patching to stop it, as it's still a minority of users that import. (no sources cos i can't remember if i heard it correctly...)
and why would nintendo patch it anyway? they had to sign the code for the disc in the first place, and supply a devkit to datel, so they know it exists! |
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£9.99 makes the firmware risk irrelevant, in my opinion. (At least for playing the NTSC Cube games I already own - actually buying new NTSC Wii games is for it is another issue though...)
Here's hoping the firrmware updates leave it alone. @seasidebaz I wouldn't be so sure that Nintendo supplied Datel with devkits. Those Datel guys are pretty damn smart and a lot of their stuff in the past has been reverse engineered without any official dev hardware. The fact that the website lists this new freeloader as "100% unofficial" suggests they've done the same again. (Heroes!)
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 29/02/08 @ 09:55
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"I agree... Nintendo could easily block this from working/booting thru a firmware update."
Not necessarily, seeing as how Nintendo blocked the previous freeloader from working, and how it took Codejunkies over a year to come up with something new, it could be that they came up with something very nifty that's difficult for Nintendo to trace and block. Then again, Nintendo could just perform an upgrade where they stop the exact signature of the Freeloader from starting up in the first place. |
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@lavalant:
You can refuse firmware updates, sure but some of Nintendo's first party games comes with an update on the disc. Whether this is something specific to the game or it's actually a way of getting firmware updates to people without wireless internet connections I don't know. All I know is Metroid 3 and Mario Galaxy both updated my firmware in addition to the usual updates. |
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It's very tempting, especially as it'll mean my US Cube games will stop being useless again, but I just can't help but feel that Nintendo WILL patch it again, and that'll be another tenner down the drain, just like it was only a short time after I bought a second Cube Freeloader, only for them to patch it out of operation.
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HyperShadow
29/02/08 @ 11:41
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Thing is, if Nintendo didn't take forever to release games in Europe, the need for this type of disc wouldn't be as high.
I mean, you'd still buy one to play the games that would never be released over here, but you wouldn't need it to play SSBB. |
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monkie_king
29/02/08 @ 11:52
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phew, can break out the NTSC 'Cube games again.
edit: kinda weird that they persist with regioning when their experiences with the non-regioned handsets presumably tell them that it does no commercial harm.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 29/02/08 @ 11:55
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The problem with this is that while NOA will make more money, NOE will be out of pocket and push to get the freeloader zapped by an update. Who'd pay 40 quid for a game delayed by months instead of 40 bucks for the latest releases hot off the US shelves? Admittedly, most of Nintendo's customer base will be clueless about things like regions and importing; but you can bet a significant number of savvy people would take the import route given the choice.
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grandmaster
29/02/08 @ 12:48
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and why would nintendo patch it anyway? they had to sign the code for the disc in the first place, and supply a devkit to datel, so they know it exists!
You are joking right? Datel reverse engineers code and protection systems - it's what they do. Nintendo will see it the same time you do. |
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Muddtallica
29/02/08 @ 13:43
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Awesome! This might be actually worth buying just for use with Smash Bros...if only I wasn't scared that Nintendo would just kill it with firmware again, leaving me with TWO useless discs. Hmmm...maybe it'd be worth the risk anyway...
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Landmaster
29/02/08 @ 13:45
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It wouldn't be a waste of just a tenner though would it?
You'd also lose out on what games you've bought (Brawl, NMH etc.) Then the fun begins with online refunds and the like :D x x x |
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Well, I've order NMH region 1 in anticipation anyway. And it may be the only instance I ever use the freeloader, but it's worth it. (without tax and the dollar as it is, I've got the game for about £25 anyway).
I'd only use it as a means to get games that have been altered for Europe audiences in a negative way. I'm not really bothered about release dates, as such. |
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The GC freeloader (2006 pressings) works fine on 3.1E, i've found. Just works.
What's that now? Well, that could well be a tenner saved for me. Doubt I'd import any Wii games, but if I can get my US Cube stuff going again, that'll be quite enough. Why, with that information, you've become a veritible French Polisher. |
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Rpt81:
Yeah, it does, my freeloader disc (bought it last week before this was announced for my US GC Twilight Princess) which has the latest packaging, with the numbers '07110701' on the reverse side, works on my PAL Wii with 3.1E. I don't know if it works with 3.2E, and i don't really want to check either! |
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Landmaster
29/02/08 @ 21:25
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PC World say this -
*No word yet on whether the FreeLoader comes with its own inbuilt firmware blocking or workaround mechanisms. And no, this won't let PAL (phase alternating line) players run NTSC (national television system committee) games or vice versa, though it is possible to buy TVs that handle both signals.* Anyone wanna clear that up, far as i'mk concerned they reckon it hasn't been confirmed if it works... x x |
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scouserfuller9
01/03/08 @ 12:02
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With the massive wait we've got for SSBB brawl I think £10 is worth the risk.
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Landmaster
02/03/08 @ 00:33
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Just ordered the freeloader from GameSeek - said it's be whacked out my way on the seventh of march for £12.
Also ordered No More Heroes (US) from Play-Asia - said fuck all, probably rape all of the 20 pounds stirling i should have left :( Well, we'll see eh? x x x |
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"Could anyone recommed some reliable e-shops in US to buy the games with our strong Euro? That would come at the end pretty cheap for me :)."
http://www.tronixweb.com is a very good store. They have ridiculously low FedEx express service: $15 for up to three games. You'll receive your stuff within three business days (as long as someone is at home when they deliver). I had some trouble with the postal services in the past when ordering through movietyme (not their fault though, same thing happened with an order from a UK eBay store) so I prefer the guaranteed and fast delivery of FedEx. FedEx will make your package go through customs though and send you an additional invoice if the amount of your order is above the local threshold. Tronix will decrease the price on the invoice a bit, I had to pay €20 VAT on a €200 order (local value would have been €300) and I didn't have to pay anything at all on a €100 order. |
Comments: 1-47 of 47 in total
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