23 December, 2006

Nintendo Wii HACKED?

A video surfaced on you tube showing a normal disc being played by a normal Wii using a boot loader on an SD card.

Now, The GC/Wii discs use a different data frame structure than a standard DVD so that is why they don't read correctly and the disc's files are normally inaccessible. However, There is a utility that essentially decrypts raw image dumps (via brute-forcing the encryption keys)- meaning you can then access the files within the image. Therefore it is possible (but very difficult) to dump Wii images properly in Linux, this image has been dumped via PC with modified drive Firmware and custom code to obtain the Wii image. And so, PARADOX released thier first dump of Red Steel on 45 splitfiles.
Paradox is a well known group that pirates games and distributes them online. the NFO file for red steel read:


___ _ _ ___ \__\\\ \ . R E L E A S E N O T E S . / ///__/ Here
we are again bringing you another world first, a full DVD image of one of the
best Wii games to date, RedSteel. Thanks to all our friends who helped make
this release possible Let the hacking and exploration of the Nintendo Wii
begin! As is often the case with these scene firsts, it could be a while
still until this image is playable. So in the meantime be the envy of your
friends by loading this image into your usual dvd recording software and
burn it as a data dvd. This game is worth buying, and you currently have
no choice, so go out and support the company that brought you this great
game! LEGENDS MAY SLEEP, BUT THEY NEVER DIE!!


Nice.
This boot loader is supposed to be released 1/1/07, here is it's video:





I strongly urge all readers to treat this as RUMOR only. Basis of my skepticism is that 1) the boot loader was loaded from within the image viewer? For all I know it could be an image that says boot loader.

And most importantly 2) We can see that after the boot loader was added, the words [AV1] springs up on the TV. Which means he switched AV input to another Wii running a legitimate game or to a video playback device that played a recording of a normal Wii game booting up.

On a personal note I do not wish for the Wii to be hacked. Its their best advantage, good games will come out on the Wii if no one can play it for free (meaning the company releasing games will make sure to earn money). Piracy hurts consumers more than they are aware of.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you look at the start, he starts on AV1, so that is not why it is fake.

Redbelt said...

Hi Anonymous
True, I noticed that, but note that in the time 1:17 - 1:19, the screen goes dark. All of it.
Basically it means two videos stuck together to look like one. Go ahead, look at that moment again. This is definatly a rumor IMHO.

Anonymous said...

yes, i have noticed that there is fading effect from blank at 1:19, that indecates editting, that concludes that is a possible fake video. but regarding an image is boot loader that might possible. for example the PSP eloader is utilitizing a Tiff image hack.

Anonymous said...

DUDES U DUDS GOTTA STEP OFF & GIVE CREDIT WERE CREDIT IS DUE YHIS IS EXTREEMLY POSSIBLE AS THE LAST COMMENT EXPLAINED WITH THE PSP JUST ALIKE A LITTLE MORE COMPLEXED BUT SAME HACK LINES ON LOADING AS A PS2 AS WELL CHILL ITS TRUE AND AUTHENTIC...

Anonymous said...

He has 2 wii Consols pluged in and uses a flick swith, 14sec into the clip the wii menu has a lip just above the date (A little mod on the wii update), 1.29 into the clip the
wii menu does not have a lip. Check it Out!!!