Twilight Hack reinstated, new patch for Wii menu 3.3

by Ross Miller { Jun 21st 2008 at 11:30PM }

It's about time. Less that five days after Nintendo released the Twilight Hack killer known as Wii menu update 3.3, the folks at HackMii have released their previously tested workaround, giving new life to the homebrew community. We can only assume the next menu update that tries to thwart the hack will be itself thwarted in record time.

[Via Engadget; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Tags: homebrew, twilight-hack, wii-menu, wii-menu-update, wii-menu-update-3.3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Monkeys Suck @ Jun 21st 2008 11:40PM

They had a workaround 6 hours afterward...just nothing public, since there was no time to test it.

Arturo @ Jun 22nd 2008 12:34AM

"It's about time. Less that five days after Nintendo released the Twilight Hack killer known as Wii menu update 3.3"

keyword: released

the point isn't about when the fix was completed, but when it was available publicly...

Monkeys Suck @ Jun 22nd 2008 5:13PM

The point I was trying to make is that the fix was faster than 5 days...it may have not been public, but to know that it could have been available then is more amazing than being released in 5 days.

A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Jun 22nd 2008 10:13PM

So, in less than 5 days all the new update has done is shaft importers who use the free-loader? I refuse to believe Nintendo is stupid enough to think it wouldkeep away the hackers for any large amount of time, so i can only assume that it was primarily to stop people from accomplish region-freedom with a disc. Well, fuck, what wankers.

Sora267 @ Jun 21st 2008 11:40PM

Wonder how long it'll take for Nintendo to patch this.

Roto13 @ Jun 21st 2008 11:47PM

Well, it took them a while to do it the first time. xP

Noshino @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:16AM

Nintendo is new to the whole firmware update thing, their previous ways of fighting piracy have always been through hardware changes, so it doesn't come as a surprise that it didn't take long to hack a Wii, but also to find a workaround the latest patch in so little time (hell, even faster than the PSP's)

There was a comment by a hacker some time ago about how once they get to crack the device, there is no way to completely protect it, since they already know their way around....

It should take them a few weeks, and then a workaround will be found within a day or 2

Ghen @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:54AM

Pretty much correct Nosh, once anything is cracked you can't lock it down again. Same thing that holds true for the Wii OS as for Diablo 2 and basically any other piece of software.

Mr Khan @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:19PM

Well, the GC's means of fighting piracy was by having no way to communicate with outside, unsigned code, unless you picked up a broadband adapter and PSO I & II, then figured out how to emulate a Sonic Team server on your PC...

mr mobius @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:49PM

So they're now going to try and waste my time by getting me to download an update every few weeks? It takes up precious memory for VC games I assume so get the storage solution ready.

Lockichu22 @ Jun 22nd 2008 12:31AM

And let the tug-of-war begin.

Chase @ Jun 22nd 2008 12:59AM

I'm surprised Nintendo has not yet send the hounds to their mailboxes.

Chase @ Jun 22nd 2008 12:59AM

sent*

Being tired sucks. x[

Ghen @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:55AM

Nintendo still has no way of knowing who is hacking their console

FSK405K @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:13AM

Thank you, internet. Bad, bad Nintendo.

matt @ Jun 22nd 2008 10:20AM

Why are you saying bad Nintendo? You should be saying bad hackers who have nothing better to do with their lives than hack a game system. Hacking a system is good for only 2 things, cheating and piracy. Besides the more they hack the faster the industry will fail and then you will be left with nothing to play with but yourself.

4MyFriends @ Jun 22nd 2008 10:28AM

It's not just comments like these that upset me, it's everyone here plus'ing them. Why is it "bad bad Nintendo" when they are trying to stop the impeding widespread piracy and hacking on the Wii that was so detrimental to the PSP? Do you want the Wii to be the next PSP, a system that has all but been abandoned by 3rd party developers because people would just pirate their games instead of buying them?

Why are people defending these hackers instead of crucifying them?

snarfoogle @ Jun 22nd 2008 10:37AM

Twilight Hack doesn't let you play Wii games though, just WiiWare and VC, and anyone who is informed enough to hack their Wii for frii ViiCii isn't the target audience for the VC anyway. It might hurt WiiWare sales but that's about it.

Lord Bowser @ Jun 22nd 2008 10:48AM

"It might hurt WiiWare sales but that's about it."

That's about it.

Noshino @ Jun 22nd 2008 11:30AM

"hacking a system is good for only 2 things, cheating and piracy."

So this is just for hacking and cheating?...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_homebrew

"Besides the more they hack the faster the industry will fail and then you will be left with nothing to play with but yourself"

Well, Homebrew is good, but with every good thing, a bad thing comes...

...the piracy matter is really complicated, it is bad yet still good in a way, you shouldn't see things as just black or white.

tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 22nd 2008 12:54PM

Hey 4myfriends it's ok don't have a stroke. I really doubt all the little kids, soccer moms, and old people are going to start pirating their wii games. Your company is safe.

Jakka @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:33PM

@ Tmac

"little kids, soccer moms, and old people"

Are you aware of doing this or is Wii-bashing just subconscious?

Noshino @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:37PM

""It might hurt WiiWare sales but that's about it."

That's about it. "

Its not like there is that many titles that are worth purchasing...and even then, the people that would most likely buy something from WiiWare (casual uninformed gamers), are those that don't really care much about hacking/homebrew...so yah, this doesn't affect them as much as you think...

matt @ Jun 22nd 2008 3:25PM

Nosh,
I'm guessing the wiki link was in reference to "capabilities outside the box". Well, name some pieces of software besides a calculator and a calender that have been developed by these Hackers? There are none because again HB is good for nothing except piracy and cheating. And piracy does not have a good side. If you have a job, imagine if someone took 30%+ out of your pay each week and then tell me that is okay?

Vidikron (FU) @ Jun 22nd 2008 4:29PM

@Matt

I don't know much about the homebrew on the Wii, though I can tell you that on previous systems, especially the Xbox, HB was used for much more than piracy. XBMC was one of the greatest homebrews of all time and was very widely used. I grant you that the majority of people do induldge in piracy to some extent, but your statement that "HB is good for nothing except piracy and cheating" is pure bullshit.

Monkeys Suck @ Jun 22nd 2008 5:42PM

@Matt

I'm sure that you haven't even looked at the stuff that's been developed, because they've only developed stuff like internet updating, front SD loading, USB hard drive support (currently still being tested), little games, media players, all this stuff that regular developers haven't come out with yet (No, I'm not counting Photo Channel as a media player).

Homebrew is not about piracy. It's about programmers, like myself, who don't even think about piracy, but rather what we can create. We look at this as a very interesting development platform with an interesting control scheme. I'm 100% positive that once we get more libraries and time, we will see awesome games that are amazing.

I wouldn't like having 30% of my paycheck being taken out, but then again, looking at what they have done in such a short time, I would be impressed and would certainly like to learn what they've done.

Monkeys Suck @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:00PM

Matt,

I guess you really haven't seen what they've been able to accomplish so far: internet updating, front SD loading, USB hard drive support (currently testing), and much, much more that hasn't been seen from Nintendo or any 3rd party developers yet.

Homebrew isn't about stealing, it's about programmers, like myself, who want to see what they can accomplish on any given system. You can see, with a little research, how much has been done already, and how much has been done on the DS. It's admirable to see what can come from a community.

If you think homebrewers are hackers and thieves, then I think you need to read this wiki page...oh wait, since you didn't look at the other one, you might not look at this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotype

datwig @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:18AM

Viva la revolution!

Tiptup300 @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:27AM

Dude, once there's a hole, there's frickin a crater! Nintendo, you lost your chance.

007craft @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:00AM

So nintendo just paid 3 or 4 people to code up a fix to their mistake, which probably took like a week, then had to go through testing, which took longer and in the end they probably spent over $100 000 In fees and bandwidth and everything to get this patch out to its customers, only to have it broken in 6 hours by some kid who is paid $0 and just doing it for kicks.

Seriously, piracy, homebrew, cracks, etc etc is here to stay. I dont know why the companies spend $ trying to block it. Its gonna happen anyway, Might as well save your money instead of throwing it in the garbage trying to beat the crackers.

Stuff like this just makes me picture a guy trying to save his sand castle from the incoming tide.

Dark Archon @ Jun 22nd 2008 3:56AM

Tell that to the yet-to-be-hacked PS3. This one seems pretty solid.

Slayer @ Jun 22nd 2008 5:14AM

It's probably never a good idea to hack the ps3 anyway. Think about it, when you hack a psp there are some cases you can't play newer titles because you have wait for the hacked versions of the official firmware update. Newer firmware updates mean more features, better stability and in some cases performance increase.

What happens when hacked updates start being released slowly or hackers start getting lazy? Hell, what if hackers lose interest all together? There's a lot to consider when hacking any system. Especially one that cost 400+ dollars.

Nick the Hero of Canton @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:01AM

Not fighting it sends a bad message towards third party developers, sadly.

Ghen @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:57AM

The PS3 isn't hacked because blu ray burners are too expensive which means once you hack it there's nothing much you can do with it.

Jakka @ Jun 22nd 2008 7:53AM

"Tell that to the yet-to-be-hacked PS3. This one seems pretty solid."

There's was Linux but I think that they blocked the main graphics engine back in 2.10 so you can't play games on it.

Anyway as everybody mentioned, hacking a PS3 is pointless considering how fragile that bloody thing is.

nealbailey @ Jun 22nd 2008 8:41AM

"The PS3 isn't hacked because blu ray burners are too expensive which means once you hack it there's nothing much you can do with it."

Wrong, you don't need a blu-ray burner at all. You'd run the game directly from the hard drive or external storage media.

The reason the PS3 has not been hacked is because Sony allows you to run Linux on the box directly and thus the hackers are not challenged to get Linux running on it. Piracy an unfortunate by-product of having to crack the system to run a new OS or homebrew code.

Noshino @ Jun 22nd 2008 9:43AM

Rofl, lies...a hack for the PS3 is on the way...

Here is some hacker's comments about the PS3:

"Not only has Sony made the PS3 much more secure, but its use of Blu-ray makes it significantly more difficult to hack. "It's not using a DVD drive it's using a custom Blu-ray drive, we can't simply copy the disks, and we don't know enough about the firmware on the drive to accomplish a 'debug mode' even if it's on there." Of course, all of these hindrances aren't stopping the hacking community. They're going to keep on trying, and will probably one day succeed. However, it's clear that this time around, Sony isn't going to be taken off-guard."

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/03/08/why-hasnt-the-ps3-been-hacked/

And this is proof that a PS3 hack is on its way...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOljyBuNKxI

Lord Bowser @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:27AM

This stuff is so complicated to install.

Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:44AM

any estimation how long it would take to code USB mass storage support for external hard drive? and ISO loader?

lack of Wii demos is getting really annoying...

Ghen @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:59AM

One can only hope. As for now they haven't been able to crack anything remotely close to that... Everything is done through 'channels' which means the core OS including hard drive support is still way off.

Its akin to being able to install a game on a computer but not being able to add a printer.

Jakka @ Jun 22nd 2008 8:00AM

Yeah...because people will use an ISO loader solely to play demos.

The HDD hack is a good idea though.

SKI @ Jun 22nd 2008 11:01AM

Want to demo? Get Gamefly.

Mr Khan @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:25PM

Personally, i'm waiting for them to develop DVD Channel through homebrew. Shouldn't be that hard, really, just modify some standard DVD Codecs to run on Wii

I've always wanted another DVD player, and not one on my laptop where the resolution is so high as to render everything horrible looking in full-screen. Wii's 480p would be ideal for optimal DVD viewing

KirbyMeister @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:20PM

I would also like to point out the really weird fact that the update also contained a patch for the "Tweezer Attack" which was a one-time hack done by Twiizers (hence the name) in order to get some encryption keys from the Wii in the first place. We don't even need it anymore, but what's funny is that Nintendo is actually putting in measures to fix the one hack we don't even need anymore. And their fix is actually quite clever unlike the fix for the Twilight Hack.

Maybe Nintendo has their priorities in the wrong place? I can't imagine what sort of obscure useless feature we'll get when they implement the bugfixes to break the latest Twilight Hack. Mabye we can copy the little Mii icons you put on Wii mail into the Mii Plaza? Of course by then we'll probably have some more savefile hacks for OTHER GAMES. Twiizers actually hinted at it in one of their blog posts.

X @ Jun 26th 2008 10:20PM

A one Gigabit encryption per line over a 512-compiled encryption frameware matrix would really slow things down. That would be some nasty stuff. On the other hand, a new system processing bios all together would slow things down.