Nintendo raids Wii modchip factory.

[omgwtfbbq]

Words Of Wisdom said:

omgwtfbbq said:

Thanks, just pick a number that I couldn't possibly do. Legal uses*:

1) Playing games from a different region
2) Playing backups of legally purchased games
3) Using homebrew software
4) Developing your own software
5) Modifying legally purchased games

As opposed to the illegal uses:

1) Playing games that you have not purchased

*IANAL. Laws vary by country. No responsiblity taken if you are arrested taking my advice.

1) Simple solution, buy a console from that region instead. For example, one could buy a Japanese console to play Japanes games.

2) This has always been a gray area in law. Certain products will let you make one backup for personal use only. I'm not even sure if games are in that category.

3) Homebrew software to do what? Legality here all depends on what it is used for.

4) I would guess that 98% of the public doesn't know the first thing about writing their own software for a computer let alone a console. Again, another legally gray area.

5) This is a new one to me. Can you provide insight into how you've modified your legally purchased games?


As a more direct question however, how many people who have modchips do you think actually use them for what you consider legal purposes?

1) sure. I'll just spend AU$1000 on three Wiis (PAL, NA, and Japan, not including shipping), and hook them up, organise my games based on where I bought them from, etc. Or I can spend AU$480 and buy a brand new Wii with mod chip installed. Which is the easier solution? This is a stupid argument. You know as well as I do the only feasable way to have region-free playback is to use a mod chip.

2) In many countries, backups are perfectly legal. Depends on how retarded the copyright laws are. Many people who have kids with sticky fingers back up all their games and only let the kids touch the backups.

3) Of course. But the point is, there should be no restrictions on the running of homebrew applications, just because they're homebrew. If you have software and do something illegal with it of course you're breaking the law.

4) So? You didn't say "name things that Joe Public will want to do with his modified console". You said "name things that a mod chip allows that is legal". I would personally love to write some software for the Wii. Unfortunately, Wii homebrew has not been cracked (hopefully soon)

5) I haven't done it, I prefer to play my games as they're meant to be. One example is the action replay (although it's debatable whether this can be included as a mod chip, since it's just something you plug in rather than an actual hardware modification) which allows cheat codes and other things to be done (arwing in OOT)

The point is, hardware modifications make all these things possible. There are many people who mod their consoles for these reasons, just as there are many people who mod their consoles purely to play pirate games. In practise, the act of piracy is illegal, it should not be necessary to make the means illegal too. Just like it is here in Australia.