Unofficial Homebrew Channel For the Wii

marcan writes "The Homebrew Channel is a tool that can be installed on any Wii (no hardware mods required) that lets you run unsigned homebrew software from an SD card, or upload executables via WiFi or a USBGecko. We've tried to make it friendly for users with a simple GUI, and powerful for developers with direct upload features and reloading which we hope will make testing less painful. The channel can be installed using a DVD if you have a modchip, or using an exploit in Zelda: Twilight Princess which only requires an SD card (or any future hack or booting method). Once installed, it simply shows up as a Channel on the Wii Menu, just like any official channel. Hopefully, this and other recent developments (such as the upcoming devkitPPC r15 toolchain, much improved and with many bugs fixed) will help make the Wii an appealing platform for DIY software. And yes, it also runs Linux."

And so it begins.

[Awptimus Prime]

And so it begins, watch as the Wii goes the way of the Dreamcast due to "no hardware mods needed" to run unsigned software.

No, I'm not being negative. This is just how consoles seem to die off quickly. You know, when the business model breaks down due to a large number of console sales (usually a loss) and a low number of game purchases due to them being free on P2P or usenet.

Re:And so it begins.

[Grakun]

That's good. Let's hope the profit persists and allows for more to be made in the future. Let's hope game developers don't get their panties too twisted and continue to make games for it, knowing a softmod is out there ready to take a chunk out of their end of the cut.

Do you really think any major game development companies are worried about competition from a bunch of geeks writing their own games that people have to jump through hoops to play? Even though the game devs companies have documentation and an SDK, while the geeks have neither? Are you a troll, or did you just fail to read the title?

Re:And so it begins.

[Rhapsody Scarlet]

According to the Financial Times, this direct profit per Wii sold may vary from $13 in Japan to $49 in the United States and $79 in Europe.

This always pisses me off. Assuming these figures are in any way accurate, this effectively means gamers in the US and Europe (especially the UK) are effectively subsidising lower costs in Japan. How the hell is that legal? Or am I missing something?

Re:And so it begins.

[LiENUS]

Economics 101, you charge what the market is likely to bear while still giving you a profit.

And then you get into the 200 level courses and realize thats not true.

PS3 didn't goe away

[DrYak]

Dreamcast wasn't the only console designed to be able boot 3rd party disc out-of-the-box (although the feature was designed with karaoke discs in mind. Not homebrewer nor pirates).

PS3 is also designed to be able to boot Linux out-of-the-box. But the PS3 doesn't seem to be tanking because of it.

The first Playstation was one of the most widely pirated console. Yet, it was also one of the most successful.

After the first couple of years, emulation of the Gameboy was widely available. During the life-time of GameBoy Pocket, Light and Color. Emulation has been available in parallel, with a flourishing underground traffic of roms, yet you can't call the GameBoy "not successful".

You know, when the business model breaks down due to a large number of console sales (usually a loss) and a low number of game purchases due to them being free on P2P or usenet.

I disagree. First, few hardware maker actually sell consoles at a loss (even if they have smaller margins on the hardware compared to the software).
In the case of Dreamcast, how much of friend do you know how only bought the console (first hand from a shop) and never ran anything but burned CD-R on it ?
Everyone I know who had a Dreamcast had at least bought couple of games. Usually the same quantity as they also had cartridges for older less pirated game consoles.
It seems to me that DC piracy hasn't as much lowered games sales, as it has mainly allowed users to play that they wouldn't have bought in the first place.

What really caused the DC's downfall is a mix of not loud enough marketing (SEGA has often showed understated stats of its console, whereas most competitors used to inflate the specs), a silly price war later in the life cycle against its competitors, lots of 3rd party developers putting their project in the hold in expectation of the next playstation, and past financial disasters (the Saturn definitely tanked in the US, and only had limited success in Japan and even more limited in Europe).

The Wii is not sold at a loss. It has a lot of success in most market, out-sellling its main competitors. It's primary market is more geared toward casual and family players who aren't going to go through the hacking hassle to get the pirated software work anyway. (They usually buy on the spot the Wii and couple of fun multiplayer games Ã-la WiiSport. Then only occasionally buy additional games). It's not even in direct competition in its own market (whereas both of the competitor fight for the "hardcore player" segment).

I just can't see the Wii tanking because of this hack.
That hack will just enable creative use of the hardware by homebrewers.
And maybe enable some player to play games they weren't interested in buying in the first place.

Nonetheless, given Nintendo's past, they will probably go with great rage after all makers of such hacks, and sue them for piracy. With the net result being to so much raising sales, as mainly killing homebrew creativity.

Re:This combined with 20G memory expansion is grea

[hiruhl]

How about "Funny", "Interesting", and "Insightful"? Funny, as you intended it, insightful as it is insightful satirically, and interesting because it is just so danged multifaceted? Congratulations.

What can I do with this?

[Anonymous Coward]

I am a developer and have a Wii at home. Now let's say I install the homebrew channel and the toolchain on a Linux/Windows PC, what can I do with it?

The FAQ and youtube videos show me how to install things and how to run some kind of older Nintendo emulator... nice... as a developer I would like to develop and run software. Here some specific questions:

* Which programming language can I use? I am guessing C/C++ is supported?
* Which UI library exist? Is there support for input devices, can I also output text and images?
* Which network library exist? Can I use internet/WLAN connection, can I use Berkeley sockets API?
* Are there existing example applications? Not only "hello world"... maybe something more complex?

Thanks in advance for help and documentations

Re:DVD Player?

[fyrewulff]

It was probably implemented early on, but actual support dropped because the Wii can't even be DVD licensed anyway.

Re:Emulation on the Wii Already Came a Long Way

[Anonymous Coward]

Except emulating commercial SNES/GBA/GBC/etc games IS piracy...

Re:And so it begins.

[dogbowl]

Like the D-pad novelty, the shoulder button novelty, and the analogue stick novelty??

The only thing cyclical is Nintendo pushing the market/possibilities in new directions and everyone else following.

Re:And so it begins.

[walshy007]

I agree charges different amounts in different locations makes sense, but sometimes it's just plain stupid, e.g. US vs AU prices on a wii, $250USD in the US, $360 USD in AU (about $400 AUD)

*sigh* least it's not as bad as the games, hear most of them are only $50, $100 is the standard, some up to $130, that's some nice pal tax

in the end it's cheaper and faster for people here to just import their console and all the games, still comes out cheaper than buying locally