Dev-Scene Nintendo Wii News

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2008-02-17 - Wii Timeline
Wii Timeline

Follows the released videos, binaries and interviews.

This is a side project and might be moved in the near distance future.

http://wii.dev-scene.com/

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2008-02-11 - Twilight Hack
Twilight Hack - Wii ELF Loader v0.1-alpha1 by tmbinc, segher and bushing

A demo of the Zelda Twilight Princess exploit has been released.

http://wiibrew.org/index.php?title=Twilight_Hack

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2007-12-28 - Wii Homebrew Preview
Wii Homebrew Preview

Thanks to Crediar for this Video.

'Console Hacking: State of the Wii' by Ben Byer+others

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H5YB1Mmx7E4

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2007-08-20 - WiiCade Remote API
WiiCade Remote API

Access the remote using the Opera webbrowser.

The WiiCade Wii Remote API is a software interface that provides Flash programs with the ability to read and access the features of the Nintendo Wii Remote controller when they are run on the Internet Channel web browser.

Features Include:

• Support for all four remotes
• Pressed/Released status of the controller buttons
• X/Y coordinates of the screen cursors
• Computed distance from television
• Rotation angle of remote/cursor
• Automatic detection of connected remotes
• Automatic detection of the "browsing" remote used to interact with the webpage
• Ability to selectively enable/disable browser features (e.g. Zooming, Scrolling, Shortcuts)
• Dynamically change the background color behind your Flash movie
• Initial support for the Nunchuk attachment controller*

Only the C & Z buttons are currently supported and only on controllers 2, 3, and 4. Thumbstick is not currently supported.

http://labs.wiicade.com/

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2007-08-20 - Wii Media PLayer DVD Edition (MFE)
Wii Media PLayer DVD Edition (MFE)

Team Symbiote (the makers of Wii-Boss) have release a linux based DVD player.

When menu comes up then the hit "z" to unmount, change disc to DVD movie and hit "start" to play.

Keep in mind that you’ll want to have a modchip that supports Dual Layer DVDs!

Creators of the Wiinja mod, have issued a warning "The use of DVD PLAYER Software for GC MODE can cause harm to your laser in the long run. Apparently the wii lens isn't made for continuous loading, and using that app (on DVD5 or DVD9) will; cause the lens to deteriorate quickly over time."

http://forums.nintendo-scene.com/index.php?topic=643.0

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Wii Menu

• The weather forecast will now be displayed on the Forecast Channel icon in the Wii Menu.
• Headline news will now be displayed on the News Channel icon in the Wii Menu.
• The current time will now be displayed in the Wii Menu.
• The area around the Wii Message Board button will now flash when a message arrives..

Wii Message Board

• You're now able to rearrange the order of your Wii Friends in the address book.
• You're now able to go into the Wii Friends registration screen by pressing the A Button on a blank spot in the address book.
• Envelope message icons will now appear on the calendar only on the dates when a message is received.
• Your message sending history will now be displayed in Today's Accomplishments.
• You can now scroll the message text by pressing the B button on the message screen.

Wii Shop Channel

• The search function on Virtual Console has been enhanced.

In addition to changes to the gui - they seem to have also included a warning message against hardware mods. *it seems that all hardware mods still boot GC homebrew after the update*

It seems that some unofficial GameCube discs such as the Action Replay, Freeloader, Datel’s SD Media Launcher and the Wiikey update fail to boot after the update.

It seems to allow basic support for USB keyboards as it only works in the Shop Channel, Settings Menu and the Message Board - Not the Internet Channel.

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The WiiTracker is a Serial Number database that will allow anyone to plug in a Wii serial number and receive accurate estimates as to the hardware that is inside the console, including which drive chip the console most likely has, and whether or not the pins on the drive chip are cut. There are many factors recorded and there are provisions for many more, meaning that once new versions of the Wii start popping up, the application can easily be modified to start accepting new types of data.

The serial number search and lookup tables are driven by data provided from the community, because of that Nintendo-Scene would like to ask each and every Wii owner, and installer in the community to help the project out by entering the serial numbers and known hardware information about your Wii consoles. We’ve already got a good start to the data collection but the more data the system gets the better the results will be. The data you enter will never be shared publicly and only used by the system to calculate serial number ranges and probability.

http://nintendo-scene.com/wiitracker/

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We've made a simple test program to help us in that task: it checks if both the first and the second layer of a dual layer disc could be read. You can also find it in the support section, burn it on a regular DVD+/-R disc

The laser power may have to be tuned before beeing able to read DVD+R DL media (as with DVD-RW media). Less than 50% of test Wii we have can read those discs without any tuning. There is a variable resistor on the optical pickup head itself, that needs to be lowered. In our tests, the original value was typically around 700-800 Ohm, and we had to lower it to around 500 Ohm, but this might be different on each drive. Just make sure you don't go below 50 Ohm or so.

By the way, the test tool is not CycloWiz specific and can be used to test any modchip, it'd be interesting to see which ones are DL compatible. As of today, all of the commercial Wii games are released on single-layer discs, but the drive firmware supports dual layer discs.

http://www.cyclopswiz.com/

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We have finished the design for the Xecuter Wiip v2 modification for the Nintendo Wii.

The Wiip open source community has garnered some amazing support over the last month or so and we can see this being the definitive upgrade to any Wii console.

We are currently in the final stages of testing the USB programmr and then it will be released. RRP has been set at NO MORE than $39.95 - however that may change and could be cheaper depending on demand.

http://www.team-xecuter.com/forums/showthread.php?p=232195&posted=1#post232195

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I made a nice change to the current Wiifree source. LCD support is now added. It doesnt do much yet except display that "WiiFree 2.50" is "loaded". If ppl are enthusiastic about this, ill figure out what else is possible (or someone leeter than me).

Displaying stuff like 'loading...' 'Booting Wii game' , when u actually are should be possible i think. I'm no expert so i dont know what info can be fetched from dvd drive ;o

Would be cool if we could read game title from it, and display it :>

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Since we announced the Xecuter Wiip2 project (finished design should be next week) we have had many requests to make an easy to install kit for the excellent WiiFree project that was cheap, reliable and good quality.

This kit will come in 2 flavours with and without a PIC programmer. Both kits will include a blank 12F629 PIC of which we have secured 10,000pcs at an excellent price.

http://www.team-xecuter.com/forums/showthread.php?p=231979

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We figured that the Wii mod scene was done. You had the Wiinja & Cyclowiz first. Then the Wiikey came out along with its multitude of clones. The Wiifree Project then rose from the ashes as an excellent homebrew setup with a great following. However after all these advancements we still see boot problems, disc loading errors, instability, temperature problems, slow updates or even no updates at all etc etc etc

It's been known for some time that we were involved with the highly regarded TCNiSO team in developing a new advanced version of their amazing opensource Wii Project (Wiip) however we have kept quiet on the matter until things were progressing to its final stages. Our goal was to team up with a dedicated Wii team and apply our own expertise to create a rock solid, professional yet affordable mod that had every feature that you could ever possibly ask for - the main being that it had to be absolutely reliable, future proof and simply that it just works with no fuss or frills.

We are pleased to announced that the project is pretty much complete. Currently codenamed "Wiip 2", this will be the most advanced and most stable mod to be released thusfar for the Wii console.

The feature list is quite extensive and is always ongoing due to its massive 8k upgradeable capacity.

• Legal Distribution - Mod Is Blank From Point Of Sale
• Boots All DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW
• Boots All Wii Backups
• Boots All Gamecube Backups & Homebrew
• Supports All DMS, D2A and D2B chipsets (D2C is almost done)
• Supports NTSC/PAL/JAP
• Easy Install - Only 5 Simple Solder Points
• 100% Upgradable - Massive 8k Flash
• First Mod To Upgrade Via DVD, LPT & USB !
• Ultra Fast 20Mhz ATMEGA8 CPU
• Huge 8KB of Flash Update Space
• External Clock to Control Read/Write Timing Protocol
• Diagnostic LED's
• Extra Features Via Dip Switches
• No More "Disc Loading Error" That You See On Many Other Mods
• Rock Solid In All Temperatures (Wii Gets Too Hot = No Problems)
• Massive OpenSource Support
• Can Be Used as a Universal Microcontroller Device - Many Future Uses
• Mod Is Not Locked In Anyway Way - You Are In Control
• This List Is Not Exhaustive - Many More Options & Functions Soon...

We are sure that this will be THE definitive Wii Mod Project. We are not interested in working overtime to protect against clones or hiding developments in fear of those who want to make a fast buck on our work. If people want to do that they will do it, the only thing that stops them is if the official product is high quality with great support and is smartly priced.

The issue at hand here is to make a rock solid Wii mod that will once again have input from the community so YOU can play a role in its development (or not - where you can simply use the latest updates as a complete package as and when they are released). We will make sure the design is optimized to be as cost effective as possible so there will be no need go shopping for clones knowing that your investment in the Wiip community is the very best choice when deciding on your Wii Upgrade.

http://www.team-xecuter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45770

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Update (June 5th)

As you may have noticed, we have updated the Wiip and the new version that is now shipping. The PCB 1.3 (schematic) is the same as 1.2, expect that the board is now 25% smaller. We have 250 of these beautiful chips and we estimate that all pending orders will be shipped by this weekend! We have updated the software to release 1.3.4 which includes better driver setup support.

Also, many people have been emailing us in regards to Wiip 2. This new modchip will not replace Wiip 1.x but will give users more options and choices. We will still maintain Wiip 1.x because it is cheap and a lot of people like that! And because it is also backwards compatible. Wiip 2 contains more expensive components, especially the USB programming cable, and it is over 50% smaller than Wiip 1.3 (about the size of a postage stamp!). Availability for this item will be soon as we are having a thousand being manufactured. We will let you know on pricing as soon as we have them in stock.

http://www.tcniso.net/Nav/Wiip/

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These new boards feature:

• Ultra-small, SMD design. Less than 4cm tall. Can be installed inside the Wii.
• New ATMEGA8 CPU, 20 Mhz and 8KB of FLASH!
• White colored PCB board to match the Wii case.
• Bright LED and 2 feature on-board switch.
• Supports all Wii units and plays all games on all media.
• External programming port; includes programming cable.
• Updatable via CDR/DVDR, LPT and USB!
• Can be used for other applications (other than Wii mods)

Big thanks to Team Xecuter for contributing to this project.

http://www.tcniso.net/Nav/Wiip/

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This is a clean and very cheap solution, who make the the installation of PIC 12F629/675/683 in your Wii console extremely fast and easy.

Allowing the upgrade of the WiiFree code without any problem.

DEV-SCENE are against piracy and doesn't condone piracy for any reason! - This product currently allows booting of GameCube based homebrew on the Wii.

http://www.wiifreeeasyconnect.com/

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The trouble with most games consoles, is you can't modify the game code when it's running. Sure, you can use tools such as Datel's own Action Replay game enhancers to input all sorts of cheats and enhancements, but there's no straightforward way for amateur programmers and techie tinkerers to get inside the disc drive's memory, investigating how it works and trying out modifications and tweaks you've programmed yourself. Thankfully, if you're a Wii owner Datel has come to the rescue with Drive Doctor, the ultimate aid for the hardcore tinkerer and amateur programmer. With Drive Doctor for your Nintendo Wii, you can gain a unique insight into the under-the-bonnet operation of your console, examining, analysing and altering the Wii drive's memory...

Drive Doctor connects to your PC via a high speed USB (cable supplied). It allows you to view and modify the DVD drive’s memory in real-time. Drive Doctor's powerful ARM7 processor, running at 60MHz, makes read and write operations quick and easy. You can then review its innermost operations, watching your Wii software in action through Drive Doctor's PC application.

Knowledge of programming and soldering required. Fitting Drive Doctor to your Nintendo Wii will invalidate the console's warranty!

http://uk.codejunkies.com

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Different groups seem to have already started investigations into the contents of the dump.

It is believed that the Wii NAND flash Dump contains the BIOS, Firmware and Dashboard aswell as user information.

Could it be possible that in the future we'll see a custom BIOS replacement for loading Wii homebrew?

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Update (March 18th)

Many people have now received the Wiip! For those of you who have not, please wait and be patient and remember that we are providing this product at cost and are not making any money from selling it. Anyhow, some users have reported programming problems with using the original software setup. After looking over some of the symptoms, we believe it may be a timing issue related to the software on some faster PCs. Therefore, we have put together a second install file that uses the highly portable UISP engine. Also, here is the solder schematic for those who need it:

Update (March 19th)

Updated the Wiip Setup software to version 1.3. This version fixes slow video problems and also added full PAL support!

Update (March 20th)

Shipping update; all Wiip pre-orders with order ID up to and including #8960 is shipping out on the 3/23/07. We are also going to work on an alternate production line this weekend that utilities the SMD version of the ATTINY2313 as a possible production line replacement of the current chip to speed up the process.

Update (March 24th)

Another batch of fifty Wiip boards have been assembled and shipped out! Also, we have made some important changes to the product line. First off, all of the new boards (including the ones that were shipped today) have been pre-flashed (setup 1.3) and fully tested prior to shipping. This has helped us identify any possible damaged or corrupted AVR chips. The second major change (if you can notice from the picture) is that we are now installing LEDs into every Wiip. By doing this, you can now quickly determine if a firmware update was successful as the LED will blink at a constant rate when connected to the programming cable.

Update (March 30th)

Good news, we have updated the Wiip Setup software to version 1.3.2. This version now supports the ATTINY series AVR that will be shipping on all of the new Wiip boards. We have a huge batch of 100 Wiip orders shipping out on Monday with these new chips. This batch will full fill all of the orders from order ID 8997 to 9200. And yes, these new chips have the same functionality and capabilities of the previous AT90S series.

http://www.tcniso.net/Nav/Wiip/

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Update (March 14th)

Confirmed! We got 50 more Wiip boards shipping out on the 16th. We have the second batch planned to be assembled this weekend and ship out on Monday. We only have confirmed quantities of AVRs for the first run batch, but we may get those in as well and of course we will keep you all updated.

Update (March 15th)

Good news everyone! We were able to process and assemble the final production of the Wiip boards and have shipped a large quantity of the first run production pre-orders. Big thanks to all everyone who has waited! Check out what the new Wiips look like, you should notice that they are very small, about the size of a new one-dollar US coin.

http://www.tcniso.net/Nav/Wiip/

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Update (Feb 26th):

Everything is running at 200%. Our first run production boards are arriving soon and we will be shipping them immediately. On the official launch day of the Wiip, we will also release the source code for the Wiip so you can build one yourself. For all of those who can't wait, here are the parts you will need: an Atmel microcontroller (we recommend the AT90S2313), a 4-MHz resonator (or crystal), two 22pF capacitors and 4x 220 ohm resistors, along with a DB25 case and solder cup, some pref-board, low gauge wires, etc.

Update (Feb 28th):

As promised, the first production boards of Wiip have arrived! We only have a small quantity of them at this time, but they look and work great! Take a look at what the package contains. We are sending out a few samples to various people for review, so keep checking back. Don't worry though, we have a lot more boards that are going to be available really soon!

Update (March 7th):

For people who have preordered Wiip, our production is delayed a little because we are awaiting the arrival of more Atmel ICs. In the mean time we are busy working on further advancements of our Wiip software and additional features. We hope to have the first run production completed over the weekend.

Update (March 8th):

Our newest PCB board design (version 1.2) has now arrived! These boards are destined for production runs one and two and we have lots of them! Now we are only waiting on the large shipment of microcontrollers to solder on. I am sure you will like the new PCB over the previous one and they are more than 50% smaller! Check them out!

We would also like to thank the people over at Team Xecuter for their work and help during the Wiip production process. People should know that they do good things especially when it comes to open source projects such as Wiip!

Update (March 8th):

We're still waiting on more Atmel 2313 chips. However we have updated the files below to include full support for Gamecube homebrew.

http://www.tcniso.net/Nav/Wiip/

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Wiip is a hardware mod for the Wii system that allows you to boot gamecube homebrew on your Wii. This mod works by utilizing a cheap and simple microcontroller that communicates with the serial port of the Wii's hybrid DVD drive and overrides certain parts of the media's data stream. Allowing you to do all sorts of wonderful things (like boot GC homebrew).

The most important part of this project is that it is open source! In addition to releasing the Wiip chip, on this page you will soon be able to download the PCB schematics, Wiip firmware and documentation! We hope by creating this project, other users will make modifications to our code for newer updates in the future (if needed).

• Actually upgradeable! Device is bundled with an easy to use programming cable.
• 20 MHz AVR microcontroller with 2KB of EEPROM (SMD type)
• Customizable (via open source code)
• Boots Wii games (DVD+R / DVD-R media)
• Boots GC games and homebrew
• AudioFix (naturally)
• On board DIP switch (enable/disable mod, enable/disable stealth)
• Works on DMS / D2A chipsets (sorry, we haven't worked on D2B yet)

http://www.tcniso.net/Nav/Wiip/

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2007-02-06 - Current Incompatible drivechips
Current drivechips Incompatible With New Consoles

It seems the recently released Wii drivechips are not compatible with the newest revision of Wii drive chipsets, the "GC2-D2B" Panasonic DVD-ROM Drive Controller. The Wiinja, the Wiikey and the cyclowiz are so far completely incompatible with the newest revision hardware but I'm sure it won't take the pirate monkeys braintrust very long for them to fix this issue.

While Dev-Scene does not support the functionality these chips provide towards running questionable "backups" - They do seem to allow booting GameCube homebrew.

Make sure that you have a compatible drive before installing a drivemod.

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Opera Software today announces that a trial version of its Web browser for Nintendo Wii will be available on December 22, 2006. The trial version of the Opera browser for Wii is available for download, free of charge from the the Wii Shop Channel.

http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2006/12/19/

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2006-12-15 - Linux Wiimote Driver
Use Wiimote under Linux

Our friend e-Hernick has set up a website for his Python script WMD, which will talk to a wiimote, and allow it to emulate a keyboard and mouse under Linux. In addition, it can provide realtime graphing of the force data from the accelerometers.

It is very configurable, easy to map which button performs which action (keypress, mouse click). It also supports using the IR sensor for point & click action!

http://ForTheWiiN.org/

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2006-12-05 - GlovePIE Wiimote
GlovePIE now supports Wiimote

GlovePIE (Glove Programmable Input Emulator) is a program which allows you to use various 'different' input devices. Control Games with Gestures, Speech, and Other Input Devices!

Now you can use your Nintendo Wii Remote (Wiimote) to control PC games (or emulated games) and can also control MIDI or OSC output.

http://carl.kenner.googlepages.com/glovepie

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First Nintendo Wii News
First Nintendo Wii News

I've setup the templates for Nintendo Wii News!

I'll start grabbing Wii related news but Id like someone to moderate the Wii section.

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Categories: Wii News | Main Page