Topic: Nintendo's Storage Solution

[Flames_of_chaos]

Well I think they can do this since the Wii has 88MB Ram and the max size so far is 40MB how about loading it into RAM? They are already doing this with DS download play functions.

[ATimson]

Well I think they can do this since the Wii has 88MB Ram and the max size so far is 40MB how about loading it into RAM?

That wouldn't work with anything using more than 48MB of RAM. VC titles should be fine, but WiiWare titles might not be (especially if their content is compressed in storage but decompressed on run, or is procedurally generated).

Besides, I don't think you'd see a significant speed savings skipping the RAM->Flash step of the process...

[Flames_of_chaos]

The point is because of Wii's security features on games stored on SD cards they probably can't be booted from the SD card. So loading a game off a SD card is essentially out of the question.

[NWR_Lindy]

Yup.  No recent interviews (example is Kohler's interview with Dunaway) have made any mention of it.  All they say is "you'll be able to download directly to the SD Card".

[Flames_of_chaos]

I have a feeling that someone will try to ask if brawl can load stuff off a SD card and some games can load MP3s or music files off a SD card are dead wrong because obviously your MP3s won't be encrypted while games are encrypted in a security scheme for obvious reasons.

Vicarious Visions already said that the DLC in the Wii version of GH:WT are going to be in a custom Wii file type so the song loading should be a little similar to brawl's loading off a SD card. I wonder if Rock Band 2 will do the same thing or something similar.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

In other words, easy to crack.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Well hey even the mighty "unhackable" 360 got hacked easily.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I wonder what percentage of people actually pirate stuff like the 360? Wouldn't it be a hassle considering the 360's HDD is not easily modified to work with the computer? The Wii on the other hand has SD cards which are universal.

[BranDonk Kong]

Technically the 360 itself is still not hacked. You can play backups, and downgrade the kernel using a timing attack and a ~45-wire chip, but the system's core security still has not been cracked. The system the Wii uses (for DLC), however, is pretty easy to crack, which is why they're taking their time, making an update that will hopefully resolve these issues.

[NWR_Lindy]

The original 360 took a while to crack as well, right?  I have a buddy that still has the Xbox rigged up with with an Xecuter and Media Center, but that was years after its release.

[BranDonk Kong]

I think the original XBox took just over a year to crack...the Wii is probably the fastest hacked console ever (at least for backup games), taking all of just over 3 months, though homebrew took much longer. XBox Media Center is probably the greatest piece of homebrew ever made, besides MAME.

[Smash_Brother]

Technically the 360 itself is still not hacked. You can play backups, and downgrade the kernel using a timing attack and a ~45-wire chip, but the system's core security still has not been cracked. The system the Wii uses (for DLC), however, is pretty easy to crack, which is why they're taking their time, making an update that will hopefully resolve these issues.

I've heard rumors that people have a hack that can literally steal Wiiware downloads. No idea if it's true or not.

[DAaaMan64]

I think the original XBox took just over a year to crack...the Wii is probably the fastest hacked console ever (at least for backup games), taking all of just over 3 months, though homebrew took much longer. XBox Media Center is probably the greatest piece of homebrew ever made, besides MAME.

Fasted "hacked" console ever will probably forever be the DreamCast. I think.

[Pale]

Well I still want to know what streamlining the copy process means.

If I STILL have to go into memory management to do it, even if it's faster, I still won't be happy.

There is nothing stopping them from adding a VC channel that lists all the games on the SD card, and then invisibly manages memory so that if you pick a game that isn't on your internal memory, your load time will be longer and it will make space by moving your least played games off internal memory.  If the game you pick is already on internal memory, your load time is super fast.

That wouldn't be that difficult to implement in my opinion and would be the perfect solution.  It would also make for a nicer organization method than having each game being it's own channel.

[BranDonk Kong]

You can't steal VC channels anymore. You used to be able to do it because they only checked to see if you had a valid ticket (which can be created/hacked) for the VC channel (and WiiWare), and if you did, you could redownload the title for free. Now Nintendo checks your accounts purchase history, so if you didn't buy it, you can't download it from the shop.

And the Dreamcast took about a year to hack, I believe.

[ATimson]

You can't steal VC channels anymore. You used to be able to do it because they only checked to see if you had a valid ticket (which can be created/hacked) for the VC channel (and WiiWare), and if you did, you could redownload the title for free. Now Nintendo checks your accounts purchase history, so if you didn't buy it, you can't download it from the shop.

That's not the only way, that was just the easiest.

[Spinnzilla]

I really don't have an issue with having to move everything from the SD card to wii.  As long as they speed up the copy (or for the love of god, just make a "move" option) process, it wont be a problem.  I'll just move everything thing I can to to an SD card and move it too the wii when need be.   Also being able to read SD cards larger than 2 gigs would be nice too. 

[NWR_insanolord]

The problem for me right now is that we have to wait until "Spring" for this so-called solution but that doesn't help me during the current deluge of great WiiWare and VC games.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I have some great advice for everyone. Let's wait and see what it actually is before freaking out.

Argh, edited instead of quoted again... ~Pale

[EasyCure]

I have some great advice for everyone. Let's wait and see what it actually is before freaking out.

Well we have no choice but to wait, until spring, and thats part of the issue alot of people have with it

not me though, I don't care either way.

[Pale]

I have some great advice for everyone. Let's wait and see what it actually is before freaking out.

While that is great advice, it's such a hot topic for me I'm having a hard time listening to it.  ><

[vudu]

The problem for me right now is that we have to wait until "Spring" for this so-called solution but that doesn't help me during the current deluge of great WiiWare and VC games.

I'm not trying to criticize the way you store your games, but do you really have that many VC and WiiWare games that you're playing at one time?  You should be able to easily fit 4 or 5 "large" games on your Wii at once (and a plethora of small games).  Is it the ideal solution?  HELL NO.  But it's hardly an excuse to miss out on any good games.

[NWR_insanolord]

The problem for me right now is that we have to wait until "Spring" for this so-called solution but that doesn't help me during the current deluge of great WiiWare and VC games.

I'm not trying to criticize the way you store your games, but do you really have that many VC and WiiWare games that you're playing at one time?  You should be able to easily fit 4 or 5 "large" games on your Wii at once (and a plethora of small games).  Is it the ideal solution?  HELL NO.  But it's hardly an excuse to miss out on any good games.

As my signature indicates, I buy way too many VC and WiiWare games, which means I tend to be in the middle of a lot of games at the same time. The storage crisis doesn't prevent me from buying games that I really want (I've blown almost 5000 points in the past few weeks alone) but it does keep me from experimenting too much with things I'm not sure about, which is one of the things I love about the VC.