RPG Dreamers Forums > Wii Free Loader

cloudycat

Mar 1 2008, 01:13 PM

I just noticed this on Eurogamer

QUOTE (Eurogamer)

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.

Well I'm sold - I can see myself picking up a Wii before the year is out now because there'll no more worrying about whether or not the new Tales Of Symphonia game will be released in Europe anymore - or any other Wii RPG for that matter.

Here's a link to the Freeloader site if anyone is interested http://uk.codejunkies.com/Products/Wii-Fre...__EF000595.aspx

Athrun

Mar 1 2008, 01:45 PM

Yeah I read about that a few days ago. But what I'm wondering is what causes the chance of your system being bricked by playing other regions if you have a modchip? Shouldn't the same thing apply to using this disc? If not then it's good. But otherwise I'd be cautious.

Eva

Mar 1 2008, 01:56 PM

Don't you save money importing America's game since their cheaper there than in Europe?

Athrun

Mar 1 2008, 02:07 PM

Yeah, definitely cheaper since the dollar is so week. But I don't know how much of a difference it makes after shipping and handling. Probably quite a bit still, but I haven't imported in a while, so anyone mind filling me in?
This would be a good opportunity to import Smash Brothers.

Coldbird

Mar 1 2008, 02:21 PM

I don't own a Wii and never will probably... but non the less I dont see a problem in any hacks... be it Hardware or Software wise...

It's merely a alteration of Data - often done by manipulating the Stack via Runtime... or adding a little extra memory via the flash chip you implement that contains a altered Machine Code Piece that gets shifted inbetween the running code and the target Check Code - be it a regioncheck or similiar...

As long as the Stack is reproduced in a way its identical to the Stack before the Alteration such things should always be safe...

Anyway its nice to see things are moving in the next-gen front...

cloudycat

Mar 1 2008, 02:40 PM

QUOTE (Athrun @ Mar 1 2008, 10:07 PM)

Yeah I read about that a few days ago. But what I'm wondering is what causes the chance of your system being bricked by playing other regions if you have a modchip? Shouldn't the same thing apply to using this disc? If not then it's good. But otherwise I'd be cautious.

It's basically doing the same thing Swap Magic did on the PS2 only you don't have to fiddle with the disc drive cover, you just pop the Freeloader disc in, wait for the prompt to change discs and bobs' your uncle - so I seriously doubt there would be a risk, Datel know what they are doing - I would rather do that than have it chipped anyway.

QUOTE (Athrun @ Mar 1 2008, 10:07 PM)

Yeah, definitely cheaper since the dollar is so week. But I don't know how much of a difference it makes after shipping and handling. Probably quite a bit still, but I haven't imported in a while, so anyone mind filling me in?
This would be a good opportunity to import Smash Brothers.

Dvdboxoffice ship out for free but are pretty slow in my experience and VGplus cost around £3(3.93 euros) if it's a normal sized game(not a boxset) and about 9 times out of 10 if I've ordered a game on Monday I would get it on Friday.

The Evil Dead

Mar 1 2008, 03:02 PM

I don't see why it would brick or cause you not to be able to play online ( Can you do that on the Wii yet? ) since it's a soft mod and not a hardware mod.

Should be fine.

Coldbird

Mar 1 2008, 03:15 PM

It CAN stop you from playing online...
Just because its a softmod doesnt mean its not detectable...

Lets take the PS2 and its DNAS Auth System for example...
If the Game-Region is different than your Consoles' Region - it won't let you online... no matter if you bypassed the initial booting process using a disc or not.

And if they ban you for playing imported games aswell... it sure could have an impact on wether you are still capable of playing online or not...

How Nintendo handles such affairs though - I do not know.

PAL RPGamer

Mar 2 2008, 05:24 AM

Had Fire Emblem RD (PAL) not been announced a couple of weeks I would have been praising your name right about now.

Even though it now means i'm guaranteed to be able to play ToS:DotNW regardless of what happens with the EU launch so this is a good piece of news indeed. Have been expecting something like this for a while now, but still thought it would have had a ways to go before release - so yet another pleasant surprise regarding the Wii.

Good to see that it's compatible with the import GC titles, glad I didn't waste my money on the GC version a few months back now, which has been out for sometime without any issues of bricking and the likes so i wouldn't expect any major problems with the Wii, online play non-withstanding.

The Evil Dead

Mar 3 2008, 08:50 AM

QUOTE (Coldbird @ Mar 1 2008, 06:15 PM)

Lets take the PS2 and its DNAS Auth System for example...
If the Game-Region is different than your Consoles' Region - it won't let you online... no matter if you bypassed the initial booting process using a disc or not.

I'm not talking about playing online with the game you're trying to load with it though.

Still has the same effect if you're not using it at the time you play online? I don't really know any better, just curious. I'd just assume a soft mod wouldn't get in the way of anything if you don't make use of it while attempting to access the online features but if there's a check for that sort of thing by the system then yeah it'd be no good to use.

Athrun

Mar 3 2008, 11:48 AM

Well the thing about the Wii chips is that they are apparently safe to play when using backups or imports from your own region. But when you play a game from a different region, it can brick the console. (Not a complete brick, because if you send it to Nintendo they can fix it) So it seems like it doesn't look for a hardware modification, because if it did you'd think that it would also find it when playing games from your own region (PAL games, in my friends case). Possibly it checks and compares the region of the game to the console. Or something else.

What I do know is that Nintendo are very strickt when it comes to importing games. My friend imported a DS game from Japan, and when he wanted to sell it online after playing it and getting the US version, he was sued by Nintendo for about 300 dollars. He convinced them to shave off about $100 because he said that money would go into buying their Wii at launch anyway.

QUOTE (cloudycat @ Mar 1 2008, 11:40 PM)

Dvdboxoffice ship out for free but are pretty slow in my experience and VGplus cost around £3(3.93 euros) if it's a normal sized game(not a boxset) and about 9 times out of 10 if I've ordered a game on Monday I would get it on Friday.

Sounds good. I don't mind waiting a few days extra some times.

cloudycat

Jun 19 2008, 02:36 AM

Well it didn't last long Nintendo has rendered the latest Freeloader obsolete with their latest Firmware update - With their usual #### treatment of Europe this shouldn't have surprised me. Even if you hold off updating the firmware, the update will arrive on a future game anyway.

Source

Unfortunately even if CodeJunkies come up with a new Freeloader in the near future, it just simply isn't worth chancing £10 on a disc that will only last 3 months tops I personally think purchasers of the Freeloader should be entitled to a refund but that's me.

Seems like importing a US Wii is the only way to go if you don't want to risk not be able to play games which aren't getting released in Europe - which I'm guessing is the way Tales Of Symphonia 2 will go.

Eva

Jun 19 2008, 02:49 AM

This also damaging to people that import games from Japan that never make it out of Japan.

What's the point of blocking the FreeLoader. To be honest, the Wii should have been region free, but that would hurt European market if their consumers go to U.S. for their games instead of their market. It would have been helpful if European market did not take a number of months to release a game that's been out in U.S.

cloudycat

Jun 19 2008, 10:58 AM

QUOTE (Eva @ Jun 19 2008, 11:49 AM)

This also damaging to people that import games from Japan that never make it out of Japan.

What's the point of blocking the FreeLoader. To be honest, the Wii should have been region free, but that would hurt European market if their consumers go to U.S. for their games instead of their market. It would have been helpful if European market did not take a number of months to release a game that's been out in U.S.

Yeah exactly sometimes they don't even make it out of the US at all. When they do get a Euro release we've often got some god awful PAL conversion that's about 25% slower and has big black borders in comparison to the NTSC versions.

Looks like I've no choice but to import a Wii eventually - I just hope it doesn't get a whack from the courier like my US PS3 did.