Crisis averted: CycloWiz now works with all Wii chipsets

We were a little afeared for the burgeoning Wii modchip community with the revelation that the current crop of Wii modchips wouldn't work on the newer Wii systems running the D2B Panasonic chipset, but have no fear, TeamCyclops has already cleared that hurdle with a new version of its CycloWiz chip. So if you've been holding off on purchasing a modchip to make certain sure it could run on your shiny new Wii, it looks like you're in the clear. Now if it could only handle Wii imports...

[Via DCEmu]

[Jeff @ Feb 13th 2007 4:06PM]

Huh... oddly enough I was researching this half an hour ago and was disappointed that there my Wii was too new for one of the current gen mod chips.

[CowboyGA @ Feb 13th 2007 4:21PM]

Dang, these boys are fast. I'm constantly impressed by their ability to crank out (supposed) quality this quickly, but I have to admit, I was also happy to hear that Nintendo made a moment of breathing room for themselves with the different chips. I love seeing the modding community pull their tricks, but doing it before most people can even get their systems is a little worrisom.

[Brad @ Feb 13th 2007 4:43PM]

i am still confused, what are wii mod chips for, what can you do and how do they help. I am such a n00b, sorry.

[Tristan @ Feb 13th 2007 5:20PM]

Brad: they allow you to play backed up versions of your original dvd's and homebrew gamecube programs.

[Tristan @ Feb 13th 2007 4:58PM]

Brad: they allow you to play backed up versions of your original dvd's and homebrew gamecube programs.

[Osiris @ Feb 13th 2007 5:04PM]

Oh come on, Nintendo have made so little effort in protecting the Wii it's a joke.
It's like they don't even care.

The DVD protection is almost identical to the GCs and the modchip works in the same way they did on the GC.

The fact that the chip didn't work on D2B chipset probably wasn't even an attempt to spurn modders.

I suppose you could put it another way and give kudos to Nintendo to realising that nothing is unhackable, or perhaps even they're getting enough profit from hardware sales that they care less about software..

[MrWhite @ Feb 13th 2007 5:11PM]

Don't feel like a newb Brad, cause I have no clue either. Someone fill us in.

[Greg Thompson @ Feb 13th 2007 5:19PM]

No offense, but until I read that D2B has been overcome on the http://www.teamcyclops.com/news.html site, I don't believe it. This might just be a marketing ploy to sell more chips from the Diveno site.

[kitt2112 @ Feb 13th 2007 5:30PM]

WOW! mod chips galore,every week i hear of more and more of theses things popping up. the wii is turning out to be the most modded game system to date, i feel bad for all you nintendo fan boys, this is going to be the death of the wii, guess thats what you get for using gamecube. tech. And dont even try and bullshit me that your only using it to back up your own games, bc we all know thats a load off crap. anyone thats that concerned about having a replacement for a game they own legit, would be taking care of there games to beginning with, I have NEVER damaged a game i have owed, im more careful then that!!

[August @ Feb 13th 2007 7:08PM]

Oh, fanboys. Gotta love 'em.

Now I don't really have a stake in this either way, as I don't own any console made in the 21st century (just barely snuck in with the Dreamcast), but maybe you could explain to all of us, seeing as how you have a masterful grasp of this whole modchip thing, how new modchip technology "is going to be the death of the wii", and further how that is the result of Nintendo "using gamecube. tech", as opposed to other "tech.".

This should be enterntaining.

[Greg Thompson @ Feb 13th 2007 5:55PM]

kitt2112, do you still blame Daddy for touching you while you slept?

[kitt2112 @ Feb 13th 2007 6:23PM]

No not really. But you can tell your dad that your mom really liked playing with my wee last night!
P.S. You go ahead and belive your marketing ploy all your want, but i tell you the Wii is DOOMED! DOOMED i tell you HAHAHAHAH!

[Demaar @ Feb 13th 2007 6:12PM]

According to the site it DOES handle imports, but only US and Japanese games. The question is, can it be installed in a PAL Wii to play all three? Or does it need to be installed in a US/Japanese Wii and can only play those two regions?

[Ry @ Feb 13th 2007 8:34PM]

Good question demaar... anyone have an answer for this?

"According to the site it DOES handle imports, but only US and Japanese games. The question is, can it be installed in a PAL Wii to play all three? Or does it need to be installed in a US/Japanese Wii and can only play those two regions?"

[david @ Feb 13th 2007 6:46PM]

man, before even considering this i still have to find a console....
anyone else having the same problem ??

[Alexander @ Feb 13th 2007 7:56PM]

The fact remains that no store--and yes, I have called them all--within the 50 miles of me has a Wii. Stores have stopped making a waiting list, as they were getting too big to handle.

I REPEAT: NO STORE WITHIN 50 MILES OF ME HAS A WII.

I have a list of over 400 stores that I have called--and continue to call--to see if they have any in stock. THERE ARE NONE. N. O. N. E.

Whereas there are PS3 and XBOX360 sitting on the shelf. One store even commented that they have moved the PS3's out into the shelving units (out of the locked cabinets) as it has been so long since someone actually bought one that they needed the room for Wii accessories and games.

In case that didn't get through to you: People are stealing ANYTHING to do with the Wii. Even gloves and other wacky crap, so they have to lock it up.

Sony blew it BIGTIME with the PS3. Yes, it looks better. Yes, it has a funky-fresh BluRay optical drive (which I now hear the 'master key' or something for the discs have been found) for massive games.

So what? They are SITTING ON THE SHELVES, son. Consumers don't want it. Everybody who is going to buy one already bought one, so there is no more being bought.

The plain and simple fact is that 2% of the population in the USA has a properly set up HD TV and all the bells-and-whistles to properly view BluRay discs in it's true resolution--and those people bought the systems, or dedicated hardware to do it already.

Two reasons why it failed: Price, and timing. I'll tackle price first.

Sony should have made the console more affordable, or made another console that was cheaper. PC programmers have to make games that will work on thousands of computers--game programmers can do it for TWO different versions. Just release a console with HALF the Cell CPU's and a DVD-Rom. There. Instantly cut the price of the PS3 in half. Now it's on par with the Wii and the 360, and there would have been a HUUUUGE amount of people buying the console.

You make your money on the cheap ones, and then when the really cool games come out for the 'ultimate PS3' then they buy the new one. TWO SALES IN ONE. You've doubled your sales numbers, with one person. The ultimate dream of anybody in marketing.

Second, the console took way too long to actually manufacture and get into the hands of game devolopers. There were so many bad chips coming off the fab line--that's what delayed it, BTW--that they coulden't make them fast enough to get to developers. So while they were working out the fab line, they should have been selling the 'half-cpu' chips in the lower-priced version of the console. Bam. Done.

Intel, AMD, ATi, nVidia, do it all the time. It's called 'binning' and you basically take your CPU that you would normally throw away as it was faulty in one core, and you disable the core that is faulty. Sell it as a cheaper version of the CPU and remake some money. You've got nothing to lose. All the money in getting the chip to the end of the line (where you can test it) has already been invested. Touch cost. So sell it and make something off of it.

But no. Sony, in a way that only makes sense in the fact that it was from Sony, decided to scrap chips and refine the process. Which is a good thing--they can pump out the chips now, just fine--but they lost millions in those chips. Both in development time, and in scrapped units. And now they have to sell these units at this price, as the cost to get that unit out went up.

If you make 100 units, and 50 of them fail—you have to add in the cost of those units that failed on to the ones you can sell in order to make money.

[Greg Thompson @ Feb 13th 2007 10:16PM]

Try www.itrackr.com.

[humanmeat @ Feb 21st 2007 5:20PM]

I love that you're expecting the developers to build a completely different build of every PS3 game, one full power version and one half powered version. Double development cost forever but Sony saves a bit of money on Hardware for just the first year. That stupid plan would double Sony's burden.

[Ry @ Feb 13th 2007 8:25PM]

What about playing DVD movies, is there any of this capability?

[joshpaurini @ Feb 13th 2007 9:09PM]

The Nintendo Wii WILL succeed because it is FUN. Thats it. Why other companies were trying to make better graphics and faster processors Nintendo (being the brilliant company that they are) REVOLOUTINIZED the controller. PS3 = Woop de doo who wants games that are just better looking ps2 games? I want to be in the game and swing a tennis racket and throw a googly (cricket game perhaps?)
The Wii will destroy SONY in a few years. Why because it is HEALTHY for their (fat) kids!! Holy crap.... a video gaming system that can improve your fitness and get kids doing exercise. GAME OVER. I am still an xbox fan (chipped) because I can play all the old school games. I live in NZ where my flatmates XBOX 360 fried itself and it has to be sent all the way to USA to be replaced. Microsoft and SOny have stuffed up big time. I say good job.

[Vinhcent @ Feb 13th 2007 9:33PM]

@kitt2112

I doubt many out of the 4.5 million wii owners go to joystiq or engadget and read about the wii modchips or even have the ability or knowledge to buy and solder on the mod chips. I don't think soccer mom susie that bought a Wii for her son Johnny is going to find a triangular screwdriver, crack open the wii, solder on the mod chip, then go on newsgroups and download the Wii ISOs (b/c from what I hear ripping the ISOs from the discs takes 50+ hours) and then burn the game and play it.

[sirlancaster @ Aug 25th 2007 10:31AM]

Agree with your comment, only a small group will do the modchip. Ripping a wii DVD takes about 2 hours. I have the right LG DVD drive and use RawDump. My chip is Wiip and works flawlessly.

[Earl @ Feb 14th 2007 10:35AM]

Thhe Wii is doomed because of a mod chip? Are you people that believe this retarded?
EVERY console to date (except PS3, for now) can be modded. PS2 was modded, did it fail? XBox? The DS isn't even modded, you just buy a Passcard to play games. No soldering, and no opening the DS. Is the DS failing?

Far from it.

So, the Wii gets a mod chip. EVERY console will have some way to play your "backups." If the Wii is doomed, then so is EVERY console past and present. See the logic? That's right, the Wii isn't doomed.
Seriously though, how many of the people that owns a Wii will risk screwing up there console (which can't be found ANYWHERE) to play a few "backups"? How many people do you know that can solder? Even better, how many people do you know can even OPEN the Wii console?

Maybe since I don't have a ton of geeky friends, but I don't know of anyone that could mod their Wii. Now if a cool Homebrew scene starts backing the Wii, then I probably will mod mine, but that's only if some cool Homebrew comes out. $50 for a game is not that much money.