No more than two weeks after Nintendo released a Wii system update purging the Homebrew Channel, as well as other unsanctioned system hacks, from Wiis around the world, a fix has already been made available that reinstates Homebrew Channel functionality.
Hacking your system isn’t a great idea but the situation with the Homebrew Channel is an unfortunate no-win situation for Wii users, Nintendo, and indie developers. Nintendo has opted for a band-aid approach that will never be able to keep up with a tech-savvy user base. When Apple recognized the large-scale use of unsanctioned modifications on their new iPhone hardware, they embraced developers, instead of pushing back.
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As a result, the iTunes App Store has forged new opportunities for indie developers to provide innovative and engaging applications to a massive consumer population, without breaking laws, while simultaneously adding functionality that drives iPhone sales. The Sony PSP Minis are an obvious response to the success of the business model. Wii motion control positioned the console for the same type of innovation, but instead of studying the iTunes app model, and refining the Wii Shop Store (opening it up to the same developers producing content for Homebrew-like hacks), Nintendo has used their development resources to push the added functionality back into the closet.
Current Wii hacks break numerous copyright laws, and should be discouraged, but not by routine purges; instead, they should be deterred by rewarding developers with incentives for operating through more legitimate means of distribution. The cat and mouse game hurts consumers who are stripped of functionality that Nintendo hasn’t bothered to explore - functionality the Wii is entirely capable of providing - as well as dissuades users from downloading the most recent system updates. In addition, Nintendo misses out on potential revenue from the sale of the Homebrew-like apps, as well as commits the manufacturer to regular updates that do little more than strip Homebrew-style hacks from the system. Of course, this is also the same manufacturer responsible for the upcoming Wii Vitality Sensor — so there’s your logic.
Homebrew developers aren’t going anywhere. It’s your move Nintendo — should I be expecting another system update? Or are we going to take a step forward this round?