Tuesday, May 5th 2020

Nintendo Wii Source Code and Schematics Leak, Could Spawn a Clone Industry

Software source-code and hardware schematics of the feverishly popular Nintendo Wii console leaked to the web. These include detailed Verilog design files, firmware, PCB- and chip designs, and practically everything else needed for a small company with qualified embedded systems engineers, to recreate a fully-functional Wii clone. Nintendo consoles have, in the past, sparked many clone revolutions, the most famous of which has been the NES clone and bootleg cartridge cottage industry that spread video gaming to markets that Nintendo had no presence in. The leak apparently originated when servers of BroadOn, a company Nintendo contracted during the development of Wii, were hacked.
Source: NintendoLife
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4 Comments on Nintendo Wii Source Code and Schematics Leak, Could Spawn a Clone Industry

#1
Th3pwn3r
I highly doubt this was an accident. That aside, the Wii isn't something spectacular in terms of hardware and/or design. Aren't these things outdated horribly anyways?
Posted on Reply
#2
demian_vi
Th3pwn3rI highly doubt this was an accident. That aside, the Wii isn't something spectacular in terms of hardware and/or design. Aren't these things outdated horribly anyways?
this will cause an attack of the clones on aliexpress
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#3
windwhirl
Th3pwn3rI highly doubt this was an accident. That aside, the Wii isn't something spectacular in terms of hardware and/or design. Aren't these things outdated horribly anyways?
Does it matter? Clones of really old SEGA or Nintendo consoles, like the Genesis or the NES/Famicom have been seen for sale well into the 2000s...

And then you have Nintendo themselves re-releasing the NES as the NES Classic Edition, just a few years ago, and selling a cool 3.6 million units. Not bad for a packaged emulator of a console originally released in 1983 while also being limited to just a handful of 30 games...
Posted on Reply
#4
maxitaxi96
I saw some vids about wii logicboard-trimmings on youtube. Really intresting stuff! With this leak i'd say there will be new portable wii clones with a homebrew OS available some time around, if nintendo doesn't shut it down. I know that would be unrealistic, but i'd dig it :D
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Jul 24th, 2024 15:26 EDT change timezone

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