Without access to the virtual console, any region cracking software for the Wii is going to be a half-assed affair for importers.

I'll just import a console this time. Having a friend overseas helps out on stuff like this. :)

...or if you don't want to wait - you can stop by your local used games establishment and pick up the GC Action Replay on the cheap. It works flawlessly.

Would...would Nintendo DO that? I mean with every previous iteration of their hardware they didn't have any choice, they couldn't stop it. Would they go the extra length to be super assholes to their fans across the world? I'm heading to Japan in a couple weeks and plan on picking up several Wii titles. If Nintendo updates their firmware to block out freeloaders they won't really give me any choice but to eventually put up the flag bearing a skull and crossbones, because I'll be damned before I buy a Japanese-region console to play a Japanese-region game.

Nice! This si great news, we'll finally get to play de game that only japan gets! Can't wait! :D

Oh, and if they block it with firmware updates, I'm totally in favor of the crossbones and the skull like Fozzibab said! ;P

That's awesome... now how about an action replay for us sucky gamers?

"I mean with every previous iteration of their hardware they didn't have any choice, they couldn't stop it."

Don't forget the NES/SNES/N64 days, Nintendo would change the internals of new machines and add new security chips to cartridges all the time to stop importing. I think I had about 2 converters for the NES, 3 for the SNES and 4 for the N64 to keep up with new security chips. And IIRC there were 4 or more iterations of the Freeloader to combat newer games that wouldn't work.

I could easily see Nintendo shafting the Freeloader with an update if they can. Personally I'd prefer a modchip or hacked firmware as that's more convenient than swapping discs to boot a game. That might mean having to keep the Wii offline, but I'm not a big online fan anyway.

@Fozzibab
If they didnt want to enforce region locking, the Wii's hardware wouldnt be locked. I'm sure they will go the Sony way to enforce the securities via firmware updates.

Nintendo knew about the Cube Freeloader and never did anything to stop it. So it basically was unofficially Nintendo approved. AFAIK.

@Stakker
Well, it's not like they could do anything..
Now it is different

Why hasn't anyone said it yet?
"Shouldn't it be called a Wii-loader?"

"Nintendo knew about the Cube Freeloader and never did anything to stop it."
Not to mention that the Cube was insanely easy to mod such that it would play Japanese games. Two solder points. Four if you wanted a switch.

Plus if I recall the older systems were even easier. NES was actually just a different pinout fixed with an official adaptor (found in certain games). N64 was a bit of plastic cutting. Though I don't know about the SNES. still, this is all based on second hand information and could be wildly wrong. Except the part about the Cube being easy to mod for imports.

It's like they care about region lockng, but not much.

The main reason for regoin locking is

Thank you, Datel. Now please make it quicker than with the Cube version. I don't want to wait two more years.

And Yes, Nintendo could have done something: They could have changes new Consoles so Freeloader wouldn't work anymore. They didn't do that. They haven't done it with the DS, either, to prevent all the "homebrew" hardware. Hopefully, they won't do it with the Wii.

(oops, got cut off)

The main reason for region locking now-a-days is to make sure that the console doesn't violate local laws by allowing to play games which are illegal in a specific region. (Each country has different standards in violence, sex, religion, and policital issues) As long as Nintendo can't be blamed of facilitating games with illegal content (in that country) it doesn't need to try hard to circumvent region locking :)

azel0111
The main reason for region locking now-a-days is to make sure that the console doesn't violate local laws by allowing to play games which are illegal in a specific region.

If that's the case, then how come the DS and the PSP aren't region-locked for games?

Region-coding is a money grab, pure and simple. I'm in support of anything that defeats it.

If that's the case, then how come the DS and the PSP aren't region-locked for games?

Most portables have never been region locked, especially in the case of the GameBoy. I'm not sure about other portables such as GameGear, NeoGeo, TG-16 portable, etc. I still have fond memories of playing an imported R-Type on the original GameBoy.

Well I've always thought that Nintendo might atually UN-region lock the Wii themselves. Since it's barely hardware related and more software (as these freeloaders simply bypass) why wouldn't Nintendo make it region free at some point once the whole launch madness is gone and distibution has calmed down in all parts of the world?

Region locking creates piracy, pure and simple. If you want people to pay for your games, let them be able to play them!!!

There is no viable reason for region locking in the global environment we have today. It's ridiculous.

I go with what dvd said,freeloader for wii isn´t as useful as it used to be on gamecube.
There you could play all games from any region,with the wii it would only be equally great if it allowed to access other regions´ VC games/shop,too.

Imho region lock on home consoles is mostly done to reduce easy importing of games from regions which are known for heavy copycat manner.
Still,yeah,it sucks. For the VC titles it makes even less sense,i mean here in Europe we have to wait longer (if we´re lucky and get em at all) for VC titles,what´s up with that?
I think the Wii is great but come on Nintendo,that´s lame.

Exactly. That's why I've got about $450 sitting in a friend's bank acct over in Japan and I'm waiting until launch fever has died down. Then I have him get a Wii, a stack of import games and VC Wii Points cards and send 'em over. It's decidedly lowtech compared to what people are willing to go through for an import game, but it works and keeps me from having to worry about firmware updates locking me out of my rightful purchase.

Do PAL games work on north american TVs? And are Japanese games...in English? If you answer yes to both of those questions, I will one day consider importing a single game, ever.

All Datel have said is "All we can say at present is watch this space - we're working on it, and if it's possible, you'll be the first to know."

Still kind of ironic that the European site's main news is "Freeloader works on Wii!!!" when all us PAL games know that it won't.

So for you guys who decide to get Japanese Wii along with US Wii:

Wouldn't you guys spend almost as much as for PS3? $250 US Wii + $250 Japan Wii = $500

Another $100 and you get yourself a PS3. So the argument about PS3 pricing will be rather moot now that Wii would cost almost as much (if you wanna experience all region gaming).

@dowingba

Why...would Japanese games be in English? O_o

Nintendo obviously went out of their way to make the Wii region locked while it's portables have never been (and even the PS3 is region free) so I don't see any device like this being feasible because they can just break them with firmware updates.

PhotoBoy: There was an extremely simple mod for both the SNES and N64 to allow import carts to fit into the slot? The "region coding" on those systems was a piece of plastic :p

As far as the comments about a Wii-loader not being as good as the GC one if it doesn't allow VC imports, that doesn't make any sense. The GC didn't have downloads so as long as the Wii-loader lets you play disc based games, it is just as good.

"And Yes, Nintendo could have done something: They could have changes new Consoles so Freeloader wouldn't work anymore. They didn't do that. They haven't done it with the DS, either, to prevent all the "homebrew" hardware."

The cube didnt sell near enough for it to be worth their while. DS game access routines are CONSTANTLY being revised, its just that flashcart suppliers are updating their firmware/patch software to compensate. With a software loader on disc, this wont be possible unless you keep buying newer version discs. I would be very surprised if nintendo didnt update their firmware once in a while to break freeloader compatibility.

So the argument about PS3 pricing will be rather moot now that Wii would cost almost as much (if you wanna experience all region gaming).

Actually the pricing argument remains valid since if you actually want to make a realistic point you have to go with the base price for the common user. I've argued this with a friend when the PSP and DS were first out. He was trying to make the point that the PSP was only slightly more expensive than the DS, but only after about three different discounts that not everyone could get. Not to mention that what if I never want to play import games. With the Wii I don't have to pay extra for a feature I'll never ever use unlike the PS3.

Figures they'd announce this - the day after I broke down and got Zelda in Japanese. (>.<)

Oh well. I got it for free with store credit, and I'm sure I'll get plenty of enjoyment out of it before the Wii-loader ships and I order the English version.

PLEASE LET THIS BE TRUE!!!! :)))

"@dowingba

Why...would Japanese games be in English? O_o"

And if you want to import Japanese games, why do you care about PAL? Japanese TV's are NTSC, just like in the US.

Another $100 and you get yourself a PS3. So the argument about PS3 pricing will be rather moot now that Wii would cost almost as much (if you wanna experience all region gaming).

Although Sony has declared that the PS3 is region free for gaming (not video of course), the final decision on whether a game is regionally locked or not is left up to the publisher I believe... Furthermore, I don't know how much faith I'd put in a company that installs rootkits and exploding batteries to honor their promise.

Because if I'm importing, I'm either getting a PAL game or a Japanese game. Try to keep up.

bestbuy hp has been showing Datel Action Replay for Wii for awhile now, with an ETA of mid-Feb. I wonder how valid this is....

"Why...would Japanese games be in English? O_o"

I don't really expect them to be (because I have no idea if any / how many are) but a lot of games here have options to change it to Spanish. I've even seen things as far as French, German, and Dutch. StarFox had Japanese, I think.

Given that Japan likes America so much, and tons of people know English, they might want an English option on games.

And I know tons of screenshots I've seen of a Japanese game has SOME English on it. "POWER UP!" and "START", and so on.

I'm super happy because as someone living in Japan there are certain games which I want to play in English. Like Zelda. Which is the main reason I didn't wait in line for a Wii at my local game center. I guess I now don't have any excuses to not buy a Wii over here, and import the one or two games from the US that I want to get. (Thanks DS for being region free. Nintendo, get your act together and unlock the darn Wii!)

My problem with this idea has to do with different region game data being saved on the Wii. I have a freeloader for my gamecube and I have to use a separate memory card for imports. What kind of option is there if I wanted to store import game data without it erasing my current game data?

The biggest problem with this sort of software is that it eventually gets used by pirates to play copied games. It happened with the PS2 and gamecube versions of pro action replay, and there's no doubt hackers will at least try to exploit the wii version.

I have sympathy for those of you who live in Europe, what with your multitude of different languages and censorship laws that hamper gaming. But if this software does lead to wide spread pirating, Nintendo would be wise to do whatever they can to squash it.

"Another $100 and you get yourself a PS3. So the argument about PS3 pricing will be rather moot now that Wii would cost almost as much (if you wanna experience all region gaming)."

the PS3 plays Wii games?

if you wanna talk moot points.....

I find out about the freeloader and action replay work only on the older gamecube unit any other gamecube unit that came in a bundle with mario kart or game bundle the system doesn't read freeloader, action replay, and also gamecube gameboy advance player disc too (if anyone care about that)Including as now with each gamecube out there. Because when the price drop to $99 I bought my little brother and sister a platium gamecube for christmas so they could play naruto 3 I try with my action replay disc and freeloader disc it doesn't read ..the screen asking disc error ...switch to my older gamecube which i bough when it first came out and it read perfectly fine ...so that was suck to find out about the gamecube releasing now days. Still they still have that Gameboy advance player out there on sale at 50.00 when all gamecube as right now does't read that too.

The action replay depend what vision you have it will read on the nintendo wii and also load import game so that all.... I was just wondering if any one out there recoginzed that problem with the new gamecube system out there as now..

One year later and we still have no news of progress

@animemecha:

I emailed them and they told me it was still in the works but they couldn't give me any info or dates.

is there still no news on the freeloader??? and does anyone know were i can get mod chips to play imported games???.........