Topic: So the "Family Edition" Wii actually does play GameCube games...

[BranDonk Kong]

...it just doesn't have the ports. Silly. I'm replacing the DVD-ROM on one right now, popped in THPS3 and it fired right up. Shame I can't play it though. The inner casing even has the cut-outs for the ports and memory card slots...just nothing soldered into the empty solder holes on the board. So if you were feeling adventurous, you could VERY easily hard-wire a WaveBird receiver into one of new-style Wiis and still play GCN games.

[Chozo Ghost]

That is interesting to hear. Why don't you do some experimenting on it? Sounds like it could be a way you could expand your business, because if it can be done then you could offer it as a service for people to send their new model Wiis in and get them Gamecubeized for a fee.

[TJ Spyke]

I doubt Bran would do it for free since it's time and money from him to do it. I think at this point the number of people with the gimped model has to be around only 1% of the total Wii sales LTD.

[UncleBob]

CG said "fee" not "free".

With that said, I can't see it being a very profitable business.  Unless someone really wants a baby blue GCN-ized Wii.

[TJ Spyke]

LOL, misread that. My mistake. Well, I don't see why he can't offer the service, I just don't think many people will do it.

[MegaByte]

Yeah, this has been known about for a while. Some people even have soldered the ports back on.
e.g. w/ pics:
http://gbatemp.net/topic/315706-my-discoveries-with-the-new-bc-less-wiis/
http://deadlyfoez.zzl.org/raffle-wii/

[tendoboy1984]

So Nintendo really is a cheap bastard then. They left the backwards compatability in, but removed the controller plugs and memory card slots.

[Louieturkey]

CG said "fee" not "free".

With that said, I can't see it being a very profitable business.  Unless someone really wants a baby blue GCN-ized Wii.

You know you want that Wii.

[tendoboy1984]

Aren't all the new Wii's incompatible with GameCube accessories? It's not just the blue Wii that got the change.

[UncleBob]

Aren't all the new Wii's incompatible with GameCube accessories? It's not just the blue Wii that got the change.

Yes - there are Black and Blue versions of the Wii that are non-GCN Compatible.  But if you wanted a Black Wii that plays GCN games, it'd be a LOT easier to track one down that already does it rather than hack one together.  Thus, someone who wants a Blue one *might* be more inclined to do such a thing.

[Chozo Ghost]

CG said "fee" not "free".

With that said, I can't see it being a very profitable business.  Unless someone really wants a baby blue GCN-ized Wii.

If such a person exists, I think we all know who that someone would be.

[BranDonk Kong]

You could always just swap the housing too.

[Louieturkey]

You could always just swap the housing too.

Or pay one of those painting services to just paint the current one you have.

[Thunderbird Starkiller]

So Nintendo really is a cheap bastard then. They left the backwards compatability in, but removed the controller plugs and memory card slots.

I think they're goal was to make a cheaper version of the Wii. Leaving in a couple lines of code costs less then paying someone to go in and take it out. Then not having to build in controller ports and memory cards saves money too

[azeke]

Nintendo support even have a special adapter that is somehow connects to new wii models and brings gc ports back because they use gc gamepads for thoubleshooting.