and All Consoles

Nintendo has already had great success with the release of its new Wii gaming console. Of course, as soon as the first games were released and popularized, hackers started trying to find ways to create “backups” of these titles. Of course, by backups, they really mean “illegal copies”. Besides being illiegal and unethical, creating bootleg copies of games undermine the efforts of hard-working legitimate game developers and raise the cost of production for new titles. Fortunately, Nintendo has made it very difficult to crack their games, as the following recent efforts prove.

Attempt #1: The “GOD/WOD Unscrambler”

Recently, someone claiming to be an engineering student released what was supposedly a Windows application that could copy Wii games. He says that the app will take the data from any Wii title and dump it onto your PC as an ISO file. Supposedly, his program works similar to DVD ripping programs and if you doubt it you can check the source code as he released it publicly.

The problem? Since there’s no Wii mod chip or emulator, there’s no way to test and find out if the ISO files created work. Furthermore, anyone who downloads and runs his app takes the risk that he’s actually just trying to poison your PC with malicious code.

Attempt #2: The So Called “Wii Disc Dumper”

Any fool brave enough to use a trademark as powerful as one owned by Nintendo in the name of a program that claims to steal content certainly deserves a mention here. This program is supposed to be able to rip your Wii titles straight to a DVD-R for playing later on.

Of course, the developer states that it only works with several specific models of LG DVD drives. Also, it takes at least 50 hours – that’s right, more than two full days – to dump one title. Then, once you’ve wasted all that time, you still just have a DVD with data on it that you can’t test, because again, there is no mod-chip for the Wii that will allow you to play burned games.

If only you spent those fifty hours doing legitimate work at a real job, you would have earned enough to buy all the latest Wii titles legally. Also, you would have been supporting all those game developers whose hard work and creativity provide this form of entertainment for you.

Attempt #3: The SD Card Hack

There’s also a popular video over at YouTube that supposedly shows someone playing a burned copy of Zelda: Twightlight Princess. Apparently, they use a combination of a burned DVD-R dump of the original title, plus an SD card with some special mod on it that tricks the Wii into playing the ripped disc.

This video was quickly debunked though by those watching it. Turns out, the guy likely had another Wii plugged into the TV set that was running a legit copy of the game. So much for that illusion.

Eventually of course, the hackers will likely find a way to quickly and easily rip illegal copies of Nintendo Wii games, and develop a mod chip that will allow you to play the burned copies on your Wii. Hopefully though, Nintendo will make life as difficult as possible for these thieves and do their best to protect the hard work of the game creators.

If you have been trying in vain to get your hands on a Nintendo Wii online, you are not alone. The demand for the gaming console is so high that almost every retailer is sold out within minutes of any new inventory arriving. Fortunately, with a bit of planning, you might still be able to get your Wii. Read the following tips to prepare for your next attempt.

Tip #1: Sign Up For Wii Alert Lists

Online retailers run out of Wii almost as fast as their offline counterparts. Lucky for you, there are several services that monitor the major online retailers 24 hours a day to keep track of any new Wiis that arrive. You can sign up with these services and they will send you an email whenever new units appear in stock. Then, you just have to be ready to click over to these online stores and be the first to purchase. Although you still have to monitor your email regularly to catch these alerts, it still gives you an edge over those who spend the day refreshing the Amazon page for the Wii. MySimon has one of the more popular Wii alert by email services.

Tip #2 – Buy Through eBay

The Nintendo Wii continues to show up regularly on eBay auctions. Unfortunately, the demand is so high that there are some real downsides to purchasing through this popular online auction site. First off, even though eBay does a fairly good job of enforcing its rules, a few unsavory individuals still manage to list fraudulent auctions for the Wii. That is, they’ll take your money, but you’ll never get your console. Before you can do anything about it, their account has disappeared and you have no recourse.

If you buy from eBay, make sure to check previous feedback so you know you are dealing with a reputable seller. Once you have that base covered, there’s still one more big hurdle to overcome – the cost. Auctions for the Wii on eBay typically end with prices much higher than the retail price. For those who can’t get their hands on one any other way, the extra cost may be worth it though.

Tip #3 Buy From Japan

Japan is the home of Nintendo, and although initially stock of the Wii was sold out frequently, it has started to become much easier to get your hands on one there. Most of the major electronics retailers have Wiis in stock on a regular basis. Combined with the fact that the US dollar is very strong against the yen now, coming to Japan and buying up a couple of Wiis, one for yourself, and one to resell for a profit back home might be an opportunity to consider.

Alternatively, if you can find a friend who writes or speaks Japanese, you can bid on the Nintendo Wii on Japan’s top auction site Yahoo Auctions Japan. Here, Wii’s are regularly available for just over $200.00. Even adding in the extra shipping cost, this can still be cheaper than purchasing through eBay thanks to the power of the current exchange rate.

Two weeks after it was released in the US late last year, the Nintendo Wii came out in Japan, and consoles literally flew off the shelves. Reports received from areas such as Akihabara (the major electronics district of Tokyo) and Shinjuku (another massive shopping location) said that it was nearly impossible to walk down the sidewalk anywhere near an electronics store.

Without doubt, the most popular choice of games console by the Japanese people is the Nintendo Wii, although the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have sold quite well in Japan. You couldn’t escape the ads for Wii anywhere last year, and it seemed to be all Japanese video games were talking about. So, why is the Nintendo Wii, loved so much in Japan?

To start with, the Nintendo’s have always outsold the other gaming systems in Japan. A survey noted that the Nintendo games tend to contain subject matter that was interesting to Japanese gamers. They said that the Nintendo games appeal to all ages and tastes.

The interactive features of the Nintendo Wii have become extremely popular. The Nintendo Wii makes use of a new remote sensing technology, which means that while playing a game, such as golf you can actually take a swing to hit the ball. Naturally, this technology has caught on with the non-gamers as well as gamers. Recent studies have discovered that more woman and older adults, demographic groups that don’t normally go for games consoles in a big way, get a big kick out of the Wii’s interactive features.

There was tons of promotion and advertising. It was almost impossible to get anywhere near an electronics store in Japan at the end of last year without noticing a guy dressed up like a giant remote controller, of kids of all ages crammed around a Wii demo console. The Wii was witness just about everywhere last year, much more so the any of the other consoles. With such a big push off, it had to be popular.

One of the main strengths of the Wii console is it sports games. Lately, sports games have become more and more popular in Japan, and they have started to outsell the more traditionally popular adventure games such as Legend of Zelda. The Wii offers great quality, realistic golf, baseball and tennis, among others. For the Japanese gamers, these are a great step forward from the sports games of yesterday.

Then again, maybe the massive popularity of the Wii in Japan is due to those wacky pictures in its safety manual. The Wii has been stirring up headlines worldwide mainly because of the Wii strap related incidents, and the Japanese safety manual covers everything. It’s packed with comically rendered pictures of housewives whacking their husbands around the head with controllers, Wii-motes stuck halfway down a child’s throats, and people injuring themselves in a variety of outlandish ways. Do a quick internet search yourself and see if you can find some pictures!

While the Nintendo Wii is undoubtedly the most popular new gaming system in Japan, the PlayStation 3 does come in as a close second. Some sources on the web believe that the PS3 does actually sell better, but it’s hard to say for sure. Certainly, the new interactive features are a draw for Japanese people, who are always searching for something new to enhance their gaming experience.

Published by Darren Lintern