Wii Firmware Update 3.3 Blocks Freeloader

By Shane Jury 17.06.2008 28

Nintendo have issued the latest Firmware Update for Online Wii owners, and whilst the changes are minimum in number, they have profound effects.

The most well-known feature of the update is the ability to move your Mii creations from your regular 100-maximum storage to the Mii parade. Doing so deletes key features of your Mii, such as the name of its Creator and birthday details.

Behind the scenes though, the update has far more effect. According to GoNintendo, 3.3 is the one that kills the Wii Freeloader, the disc used to play import Wii games. Freeloader users had best be wary of this update.

The infamous Twilight Hack, a glitch in Zelda; Twilight Princess that allowed Homebrew to operate on the console, has also been blocked. Anyone with a Homebrew Channel already on their Wii will still be able to use it, but the primary method of obtaining the channel is now gone.

Have your say on this news below.

Comment on this article

You can comment as a guest or join the Cubed3 community below: Sign Up for Free Account Login

Preview PostPreview Post Your Name:
Validate your comment
  Enter the letters in the image to validate your comment.
Submit Post

Comments

Jump_button is offline. Jump_button 17.06.2008#1

good bye Freeloader? from what i hear

My ART Gallery la la la la!
 
Phoenom is offline. Phoenom 17.06.2008#2

Yep, seems that way. I updated the paragraph a little.

Datel previously said that they would update Freeloader discs if they get blocked. I wonder if that offer still stands. Smilie

 
JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 17.06.2008#3

I hope it does. I still plan on getting ToS2 and Rune Factory you know!

Thankfully Brawl comes out soon. Until I have matching data (characters and stages all unlocked) in the PAL version, I will not be updating my Wii.

Twitter | C3 Writer/Moderator | Backloggery
 
Mandown is offline. Mandown 17.06.2008#4

I certainly will not be.

 
mooojc is offline. mooojc 17.06.2008#5

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Smilie

 
jb is offline. jb 17.06.2008#6

Jeeeees. Damn you Nintendo. I can understand Freeloader, but the Homebrew scene would really have been awesome. Let us create, damn you!

I'll definitely not be updating unless it forces it to. Don't think I'll be shelling out for a PAL copy any time soon, flogging the US game will be very hard.

Cubed3 Admin/Founder & Designer
 
russraine is offline. russraine 17.06.2008#7

I reckon this firmware update will be on the Smash Brothers Brawl Disc and be required before you can play it. Whilst I am dissapointed about the homebrew, they need to close the piracy loopholes so I'm not too worried.

 
tiamat1990 is offline. tiamat1990 17.06.2008#8

And this is exactly why I didn't import Brawl, No More Heroes etc.

 
JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 17.06.2008#9

russraine said:
I reckon this firmware update will be on the Smash Brothers Brawl Disc and be required before you can play it.

Now that would be incredibly annoying. That way I can\'t keep my old data to play alongside my new one.

And this is exactly why I didn\'t import Brawl, No More Heroes etc.

Can\'t see why this is reason enough. If you ask me those extra 4 months of Brawling were well worth it. Not to mention Datel might bring out a new Freeloader anyway.

( Edited 17.06.2008 12:38 by SuperLink )

Twitter | C3 Writer/Moderator | Backloggery
 
BlueRocks is offline. BlueRocks 17.06.2008#10

Never used imports/freeloader/homebrew or parading Miis for that matter. Updated it last night. Just cause my Wii was pulsing beautiful blue. Can't resist that blue.

Blue.

Look unto me in every thought. Doubt not. Fear not.
 
A_man_92 is offline. A_man_92 17.06.2008#11

AAAARRRGGGHHH i read this only hours after i updated and lost brawl!!! SmilieSmilieSmilie

Can brawl anytime now.....if you want an easy win
BOMBERMAN code: 2879 2176 8600, or just find me in a random match I think it might be time for Newspapers to look over their sponsorship contracts...
 
Canyarion is offline. Canyarion 17.06.2008#12

Super Smash Bros. Brawl launches next week.

Coincidence?

 
Mason is offline. Mason 17.06.2008#13

I won't be upgrading my firmware until they give me something worth upgrading for, then.

 
PoRtCuLLiS is offline. PoRtCuLLiS 17.06.2008#14

Booo! Not gonna update, at least until I'm finished with Okami and Elebits.

Hope Datel does something to counter this.

 
jb is offline. jb 17.06.2008#15

Canyarion said:
Super Smash Bros. Brawl launches next week.

Coincidence?

Very very true, lol, they probably could have fixed the problem months ago.

Cubed3 Admin/Founder & Designer
 
JoshSL is offline. JoshSL 17.06.2008#16

Would I be correct in saying the US Freeloaders have been blocked too? I see no reason to put that off TBH...

But you're right. Maybe Nintendo tried to avoid a "European Brawl outcry", but want to make sure that Brawl still sells to everyone who already bought it. Greedy bastards. Smilie

Twitter | C3 Writer/Moderator | Backloggery
 
aburnett is offline. aburnett 17.06.2008#17

Nintendo should lose no money on their European sales just because some people decided to buy the American version. Thats money the American division makes instead, and now they're losing out and their figures suffer.

Having said that, I am dissapointed about the homebrew...

 
James2t3 is offline. James2t3 17.06.2008#18

I'd be suprised if the homebrew community didn't find a workaround, and when it does it has a region free application in it so theres at least some hope for people who have imported games.

 
Ikana is offline. Ikana 17.06.2008#19

ARGH.

Well, I certainly won't be updating. Smilie
Though I have 2 Wiis, so I might update one of them.

 
ohm is offline. ohm 18.06.2008#20

What was this Twilight hack?

 
Jump_button is offline. Jump_button 18.06.2008#21

so them who not updateing what u going to do when they add a HDD?

My ART Gallery la la la la!
 
Kamakaze is offline. Kamakaze 18.06.2008#22

if the brawl disc does have an update, you can use the freeloader to stop it anyway.

 
LKR000 is offline. LKR000 18.06.2008#23

Well we all knew this was coming, in anycase not updating wii till pal brawl comes out Smilie

Nintendo Network ID: LKR000               PSN: LKR000     
3DS: 1246-8696-120                              GT: LKR101
 
delete this account please is offline. delete this account please 18.06.2008#24

Fear not! Region Free gaming is still possible with 3.3!

For those of you who don\'t know what the Twilight Hack is or how to use it... Twilight Hack
As long as you use the Twilight Hack to install the Homebrew Channel (here) BEFORE updating to 3.3, you will still be able to run homebrew when you update.

There is a homebrew application available called Gecko Region Free which functions just as the Freeloader and allows you to play import games!!!

However! the current version (1.5) of Gecko Region Free doesn\'t support Brawl... but the next version will and its coming out very soon.
Version 1.4 does support Brawl, but it doesn\'t work on the Homebrew Channel... so yea... useless.

Gecko Region Free is available here. Keep an eye on that link as 1.6 should be released soon.

EDIT: The new version won\'t be called 1.6, it will be called GeckoOS

( Edited 18.06.2008 16:01 by auroreon )

 
A_man_92 is offline. A_man_92 20.06.2008#25

WHY did I have to have the latest??? WHY?! Smilie If i had've left it for at least another 4 hours, it would have been fine. Oh well, i'll just have to trade in some games for the PAL version on the 26th.

Can brawl anytime now.....if you want an easy win
BOMBERMAN code: 2879 2176 8600, or just find me in a random match I think it might be time for Newspapers to look over their sponsorship contracts...
 

Subscribe to this topic Subscribe to this topic

If you are a registered member and logged in, you can also subscribe to topics by email.
Sign up today for blogs, games collections, reader reviews and much more
Site Feed
Who's Online?
Azuardo

There are 1 members online at the moment.