14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo has released, without much fanfare, a new system update for the Wii home gaming console. It is labeled 4.2 and promises owners of the system improved performance and more ease of use. The company has not deemed fit to offer a detailed list of the changes it has introduced in the new system update, leaving users wandering whether they should apply the update or not.
One certain thing is that the 4.2 system update for the Nintendo Wii eliminates all homebrew content that one might have on the gaming console. The Nintendo Wii can be opened to content not delivered by the mother company through some very public exploits and without any hardware changes to the device. Doing so means that the console can be used to load new programs written specifically for it ranging from homebrew operating systems, most of them based on Linux, to multimedia applications and games.
Nintendo made the same move of eliminating homebrew content with the 4.1 update and apparently plans to continue this at regular intervals. Probably the gaming community using the Wii will quickly find a new exploit that allows for the Homebrew Channel and other content to be loaded on the device. The game of punch and counterpunch between the community and the company will likely continue.
Of course, it might be more beneficial for Nintendo to simply accept the existence of the homebrew scene, which only covers a small portion of the huge number of Wiis sold worldwide.
Most of the people involved are against piracy and do their best to unlock the full capabilities of the Nintendo Wii and the company might actually benefit from their knowledge, closing known security gaps while allowing for homebrew applications to continue to run for those who are interested in them.