Wii update renders Freeloader useless

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Aug 8th 2007 at 7:45PM }

And don't expect Nintendo to do anything about it. The recently released and pointedly punctual Wii system update 3 added limited USB keyboard support but removed the system's ability to run Datel's Freeloader discs. Originally intended for Nintendo's previous console, the Freeloader would (usually) allow the user to play Gamecube games from other regions, an ideal tool to help pass the time between those lethargic localizations. Nintendo told Eurogamer that due to the Freeloader's status as an unofficial product, there was nothing they could do to "fix" the problem.

If you still hope to play your imported Gamecube titles, you can either dig your old system out of the closet or stare at that new Wii clock while you wait for Nintendo to abandon its draconian console region encoding policies.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Tags: Freeloader, Imports, Regions, WiiSystemUpdate

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Fernando Rocker @ Aug 8th 2007 7:55PM

Joystiq readers:

I have to leave now, Im going to a bar with friends.

I just want to say, you are very cool, sheppy, Jody, Kye, Jack, Jonathan and everyone. I love Joystiq, is my favorite and most visited webpage.

Im proud of be a gamer, and proud that all my friends are gamers. I may be a little troll sometimes, but Its to make you guys laugh a little bit.

And sometimes, we all have very differnets opinions, but in the end, we all are gamers.

Peace.

Ignatius @ Aug 8th 2007 8:01PM

What, are you going to die at the bar or something?

hvnlysoldr @ Aug 8th 2007 8:21PM

He's really drunk already... I'd say hold an intervention but I don't know where he is.

JanJan @ Aug 8th 2007 9:03PM

well said nando
Say it loud and say it proud

Matt B @ Aug 8th 2007 9:39PM

LMAO

We'll be here when you get back..

Did you turn 21 today?

megapenguinx @ Aug 9th 2007 1:46AM

Noooo Fernando!
Eh well

Kye @ Aug 9th 2007 8:30AM

Fernando,

Don't stay out too late Ok? And watch your drinks.
We should be here when you get back. Have fun and be nice.

Kye.

Captain Jody Anthony XVIII @ Aug 9th 2007 8:45AM

rock on

joystiq is great

Almack64 @ Aug 9th 2007 9:54AM

Yep I wonder if Fernando actually made it home by now.

t_m @ Aug 9th 2007 10:12AM

I love you!

Whirlo @ Aug 8th 2007 8:04PM

Dangit. I was just about to buy Mr. Driller: Drill Land too.

Roddie @ Aug 8th 2007 8:34PM

I think that game doesn't actually let you save with a Freeloader anyway.

Xizer @ Aug 8th 2007 8:07PM

Uh huh...

*goes back to playing modded Wii*

X_Arre @ Aug 8th 2007 8:11PM

*goes back to playing Wii that hasn't been connected to the internet for 5 months, with a gamecube upstairs anyway with Freeloader inside*

t_m @ Aug 9th 2007 10:15AM

Well, it looks like nintendo just forced me to mod my Wii too. sigh.

How well do the Wii mod chips work? Easy enough to mod?

Skippy @ Aug 9th 2007 2:15PM

Until the next upgrade kills mod chips...

hvnlysoldr @ Aug 8th 2007 8:22PM

Insert catch phrase here

4cr JaXs @ Aug 8th 2007 8:39PM

Lame.

Mats @ Aug 8th 2007 8:48PM

Now your only way to play import games is to mod your Wii.. I'm sure Nintendo is proud of this.

Matt B @ Aug 8th 2007 9:42PM

Mr. Khan,

There is no reason for games not to be on HD DVD. It's just that MS said they wouldn't use it. I bet they wil soon.

Curmeo @ Aug 8th 2007 8:49PM

Blu-ray FTW! dont worry, next-gen Wii 2 and Xbox 720 will adopt Blu-ray ;)

Mr Khan @ Aug 8th 2007 9:21PM

I bet they will, whether or not BluRay is relevant as a movie medium at that point

whether or not its better than HD-DVD for movies, games just need storage space, which Blu-Ray has.

Oh, and X_Arre: sadly enough your trick will only work for so long, if you plan on buying the game your avatar came from, it'll probably have the disabling firmware in it

James @ Aug 8th 2007 9:01PM

Oh well, I'll go back to playing my PAL region games on my PAL system.

Adv2k1 @ Aug 8th 2007 9:33PM

i never understood the love for importing games. whats wrong with waiting? If it never comes to America than whatever I don't care, I don't know any language outside of English. People with modded Wii's are Extreme Losers and are all lame

Matt B @ Aug 8th 2007 9:43PM

As opposed by un-modded Wiis?

michas_pi @ Aug 8th 2007 10:00PM

what

Emceay @ Aug 9th 2007 5:25AM

Sarcasm in text falls on deaf ears.

t_m @ Aug 9th 2007 10:20AM

Well. there are various reasons. But mostly:

I live in tokyo. My Japanese isn't very good yet. It'd be ok for games like Wii Sports and Warioware.. but no use for things like Resident Evil 4 or Zelda.

Therefore I, fairly i think, would like to play UK, Aus or US games, IN ENGLISH, on my Wii.

As it is, 'm gonna have to go to all the hassle of modding my Wii just to pay MORE to play games in my own language.

As for my xbox.. I modded that so i could turn it into an AWESOME media centre that has dozens of tv shows, hundreds of movies and thousands of mp3 on it, can browser internet video sites and the web, can tell me the weather, and ccould basically do everything that WiiConnect24 or the other online next-gen systems can do about 5 years ago.

Mighty Shockwave @ Aug 8th 2007 9:58PM

Hmm. My Wii is out on loan, but could anybody check if the freeloader function on an action replay disk (not a Freeload disk) is still functional? If not, then I'll just have not upgrade.

Admiral_Mike @ Aug 9th 2007 3:46AM

Action replay doesn't work either, nor does datel's SD media launcher thing.

TWiNKiE @ Aug 8th 2007 10:03PM

The Freeloader would be useless for me anyways.

zeh @ Aug 9th 2007 1:44AM

lol should I ebay my wii now or next week......

CNash @ Aug 9th 2007 6:57AM

This is Nintendo's vengeance against Datel et al, who got away with making third-party discs in the GameCube era and thought that just because Nintendo didn't care enough then, they wouldn't care now. Guess what - now Nintendo can update console firmware any time they want, I'm guessing Datel's profits are going to descend...

At least you're lucky that Nintendo aren't forcing you to update, like Microsoft.

Captain Jody Anthony XVIII @ Aug 9th 2007 8:45AM

nintendo wont let you access anything online without updating to the latest firmware. and games will come with the latest firmware (at the time the game is pressed) right on the disc, like sony does with UMDs

t_m @ Aug 9th 2007 10:22AM

looks like we'll all have to splash out $50 on one of those stealth modchips.

Jamar @ Aug 9th 2007 4:51PM

"and games will come with the latest firmware (at the time the game is pressed) right on the disc"
The question is when. I have a modded Wii and I accidentally ran an American update on it, so I can't get online because my settings page is down. I need the Japanese version of this update so that my Wii returns to normal (or here in China I can also take it to some shop and have them pull out the IC and flash it with 2.2J again, but at $12-$15 I'd rather not if I can help it).