Is it possible to legally copy WII games?

When you lay out between $30 and $60 for a single Wii game, it can be extremely disconcerting when one of those games gets scratched, dented or otherwise damaged and stops working. Unfortunately, many Wii games don't respond particularly well to disk cleaners, either. One little accident, and you’re out that $60.

Fortunately, you can legally copy your Wii games. While it’s not exactly an intuitive or an easy process, the good news is that it can be done. However, one of the things that makes copying Wii games a problem is that your Wii console won’t just play those backed up games without some changes.

The kinds of things you need to do to your Wii console to get it to play a game that you’ve backed up can be a bit scary. One way to do it is with a special “mod chip.” This chip is soldered into the board of your Wii console. Obviously, opening up your Wii console and attaching new electronics to the inside of it will void your warranty. Unless you’re an expert at these sorts of electronic tasks, you probably aren’t going to take the risk.

You can, however, use those copied Wii games by modifying the software on your Wii. This is a more attractive option, as changing the software on your Wii doesn’t void your warranty. However, with system updates and such you may find that you have to wait to download the latest Wii system software until the vendor that provides your software changes adapts the software for the new Wii system update.

There is also a way to copy your Wii games in such a manner as that you don’t have to change your Wii console around at all. You don’t need to add a mod chip, and you don’t need to modify the system software. Programs such as Game Copy Pro will actually allow you to create a copy of your Wii game that will play on the Wii. You make the copy  on your PC using the Game Copy Pro software, and it encodes the disc in such a way that your Wii can read it correctly.

The act of copying the Wii game is completely legal. While there may or may not be legal implications to playing the games or making modifications to your Wii system, you can safely copy your Wii game legally without any concerns. Of course, if you want to be certain, talk to an intellectual property attorney who is experienced in dealing with the laws as they relate to video games.