For several reasons, many of which unacceptable to the
hardcore gamer, videogame consoles have typically been region locked. Game companies
have different publishing agreements according to territory, similar to DVD
movies, hence the need for region locking.
Gamers who crave games outside of their local region have long
found ways to modify their consoles to accept foreign software. For the
Nintendo GameCube, importers didn’t have to resort to voiding their console’s
warranty by installing a chip, but rather only a boot disc was required to run foreign-region
games.
That boot disc technology, called FreeLoader,
is now available for the Wii from CodeJunkies. Like the GameCube FreeLoader
disc that came before it, the Wii FreeLoader allows any console from any region
to play any game on any Wii.
The FreeLoader only supports original games, and thus cannot
be used to run bootleg copies. The FreeLoader for Wii will also function for import
GameCube games, working with the Wii’s backwards compatibility.
One potential problem not addressed yet is firmware updates.
Many Wii games, especially big titles, feature system update software built
into the disc which must be installed before playing. Installing firmware meant
for another region’s hardware can have detrimental effects on one’s console.
The modding community has managed to get around debilitating
firmware via patches that block the updating portion of the disc, but such an
option may not be available to those attempting to run legitimate games with
the FreeLoader.