| ...the advent of modchips for Wii has actually sparked increases in demand for the console in markets where piracy runs rampant, such a China. According to a Gamasutra story, imported Wiis from the U.S. and Japan sold in Shanghai during late 2006 for near retail prices. Following the release of the modchips, the demand of Wii increased, as did its price by more than $100. Pirated Wii games are sold on the black market for approximately $1.30. Nintendo is finally putting some effort into thwarting the viability of Wii mods, as reports from Japan indicate that the latest console hardware revisions are now unmoddable with current chips. According to a forum post on Hacken.cc, three pins used by current modchips to alter the console’s drive software and now physically cut. The hardware revision has only been discovered in Wiis from Japan, though it’s reasonable to expect that anti-mod measures will soon make their way worldwide. |