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This forum thread was started about this topic and the owner (whose screen name on this forum is cypher35) ends up posting details about the suit. A very interesting disscussion.

it's called modding!

you can do this with an exploit ;-) or a modchip

i can have custom add-ons for a whole bunch of games, check out the xbox scene

i must admit i mainly use it for xbmc though

Feb 2 2005, 07:13 AM

okay after reading through the summons several times, i have summed up their 70 some statements into about 5 accusations... keep in mind that these aren't in their exact words.

1) The source code that we posted on the message boards (namely the xpr/cat files) constitute copyright infringement. They state that such files can be taken from the website and that copyrighted model and texture files can be extracted from them.

god i wish we had switched to the .bos patch format earlier...

2) The tools developed soly for use with dead or alive to enable modifications to the source code (that is their definition of source code), are a violation of copyright. They go on to say that although we are building tools to open specific filetypes (xpr, cat, afs, etc...), the tools were made with dead or alive in mind because the would have little or no practical use outside of DOA modification.

I had always believed that creating such tools was not an illegal practice. Could anyone find a legal document or another case to back up my assumption?

If we are to be allowed by the court to continue producing such tools after the case has reached conclusion, we need to proove beyond the shadow of a doubt that producing such tools is legal.

3) The modifications available to be made to the executable code (namely the "copyright circumvention" in doax and doau) constitute copyright infringement...

any thoughts?

4) The modifications to the game have irreperably damaged the "goodwill" (they actually used that word) and reputations of the DOA Characters. They also go on to say that we misled the public into believing that these modifications were "created by, approved by, sponsored by, or somehow affiliated or connected with Tecmo".

This is one of the accusations that i completely disagree with beyond any "grey" area.
We did not mislead the public, and someone would have to have a brain the size of a pea to believe that these modifications were endorsed by Tecmo. The very method by which the modifications are applied is a dead giveaway... What company would require game owners to open up their xboxs and transfer over files in order to manualy upgrade their product?

5) The posting of such modifications constitutes "unfair competition".

While i can understand what they are getting at here, the simple matter of the fact is that you cannot recreate the game form the small percentage of the games content posted on the message board. It also requires an original copy of the game to run, so if anything it has encouraged sales.
Such an opinion might be dismissed, however, and i don't know if the judge will necessarily see this the same way.

Anyway, i'm looking once again for clear examples of what is defined as legal and illegal practice with regard to such tools and modifications to other's works. People ranting about what *should* or *should not* be illegal does not help me any.

I would like examples of similar court cases as well as legal documents. Some of those that FM77 posted earlier come to mind, so i will be reviewing them. If anyone finds more, please post it here.

This post has been edited by cypher35: Feb 2 2005, 07:16 AM

To be frank, both the Xbox and the Mac Mini can make great media boxes. They both have different benefits as well.
To address the parent:

1. Xbox noise: I haven't noticed it to be noisy at all. Even with the additional fan a added to help cool the upgraded drive it is still quiet.

2. Both Xbox and Mac Mini video cards are decent for a media box. Both can be output to HDTV. The Xbox can also output 480p and 1080p to VGA monitors with a special cable.

3. The Xbox requires some hacking to get it to become a media pc. This may either be considered a pain in the ass, or fun depending on your view. The modchip solder job is not all that complex (say compared to a PS2). There is no option for video recording on an Xbox this can be a down side. The Xbox has a remote as well.

Since we all no the Mac Mini's benefits - what can you do with an Xbox?
You can swap in a large hard drive (I went with a 160GB, you can go higher) for media storage.
Install Xbox Media Center (XBMC) which gives you:

audio playback (I'm not sure what codecs, MP3 of course)
video playback (DVD, MPG, DIVX, XVID, Quicktime etc.)
picture viewer
Internet streaming audio support
The current weather report
Streams all media types off of Samba shares on the network if you don't want to put them on the local Xbox hard drive.

XBMC is a slick menu driven application which is very simple to use while sitting on the couch. In depth configuration is accomplished through easy to edit XML files. It is also skinnable, so you can make the interface match your living room decor. It integrates all of your media access into one nice program.

If you want more information check out:
www.xboxmediacenter.de

So what else do you get with a modded Xbox? Well, the big thing is games. There are emulators for just about every old console and computer system available for Xbox. So if playing Atari's Adventure or Super Mario Brothers on your big old HDTV sounds good - this is the way to go. Plus you get to play Robotron with two joysticks just like back in the arcade. All of the emulators work nicely with the standard controllers - so there is no question of while my controller work properly with this emulator (as occurs int the PC world).
If you are interested in seeing what kind of Emulation is available for the Xbox check out:

Xport

The Xbox itself has a huge library of games which you can still play on your modified Xbox. Xbox live might be iffy though.

You can of course also install a full blown Linux installation on the Xbox if you like (as you can on the Mac although you hardly need to).
For information about Xbox Linux check out:

Xbox Linux

How much does this all cost?
$150 Xbox unit
$30-$70 Mod chip
$100-$150 Hard drive
You figure on spending about $300 or so for the modded setup.

One thing should be mentioned. Modding the Xbox is illegal, using emulators is pretty iffy too and certainly against copyright law if you don't own the ROMs etc. Most Xbox applications are illegal as they are built with Microsoft's SDK but are not licensed from Microsoft. You can't even download the apps off of a web page. You need to go to the super secret (not really) IRC channel to get the super-secret (not really) access to get the files.

So Mac Mini vs. Xbox? If you like hacking around, don't mind the legality issue, are comfortable with using FTP and whacking XML config files, have a strong interest in gaming (both current and historical) and don't need DVR functionality, the Xbox is a really fun and extremely hackable little computer.

Myself, I think I want both of them.

Check out the xenium ice chip and the Xecuter3 chip. Those will do what you are looking for. A good starting point is probably http://www.xbox-scene.com/ for some more info.

• Home of all xbox knowledge: XBox Scene
  
• Being a cheapass, I use cheap modchips. You can get an Aladdin XT for $11 from RobotPig. They're in the UK but they ship quickly worldwide. Good shop and cheap! The $60 modchips come with loads of neat but ultimately entirely useless features.
  
• If you're scared of a soldering iron, here's a solderless solution for all versions of the xbox: The Spiderchip. I've never used one of these things and I've never purchased anything from this shop so take this as a suggestion and not a recommendation.
  
• Here's a great introduction to softmods. Again, despite what all the softmoddie guys say a chip will always be a better solution.
  
• If you buy a new XBox, you'll be getting a 1.6 version and your modding options are somewhat limited. You're voiding the warranty anyway so you might as well pick up a used box. Here's how to tell which version XBox you're getting. Print it out and take it to the shop with you.
  
• All versions of the XBox except the 1.6 can be TSOP flashed, which is just write enabling the onboard BIOS flashrom and flashing a mod bios to it. Cheap, relatively easy, and every bit as good as a chip. The only drawback to a TSOP flash is that you can't easily disable it unless you have a 1.0 or 1.1 XBox. Here is a pretty complete guide to TSOP flashing.
  
• Here is the homepage for XBMC. They're hosted on sourceforge, so you can checkout the CVS and compile your own copy if you have VS.NET 2003 and a copy of the latest XDK.

• Home of all xbox knowledge: XBox Scene
  
• Being a cheapass, I use cheap modchips. You can get an Aladdin XT for $11 from RobotPig. They're in the UK but they ship quickly worldwide. Good shop and cheap! The $60 modchips come with loads of neat but ultimately entirely useless features.
  
• If you're scared of a soldering iron, here's a solderless solution for all versions of the xbox: The Spiderchip. I've never used one of these things and I've never purchased anything from this shop so take this as a suggestion and not a recommendation.
  
• Here's a great introduction to softmods. Again, despite what all the softmoddie guys say a chip will always be a better solution.
  
• If you buy a new XBox, you'll be getting a 1.6 version and your modding options are somewhat limited. You're voiding the warranty anyway so you might as well pick up a used box. Here's how to tell which version XBox you're getting. Print it out and take it to the shop with you.
  
• All versions of the XBox except the 1.6 can be TSOP flashed, which is just write enabling the onboard BIOS flashrom and flashing a mod bios to it. Cheap, relatively easy, and every bit as good as a chip. The only drawback to a TSOP flash is that you can't easily disable it unless you have a 1.0 or 1.1 XBox. Here is a pretty complete guide to TSOP flashing.
  
• Here is the homepage for XBMC. They're hosted on sourceforge, so you can checkout the CVS and compile your own copy if you have VS.NET 2003 and a copy of the latest XDK.

• Home of all xbox knowledge: XBox Scene
  
• Being a cheapass, I use cheap modchips. You can get an Aladdin XT for $11 from RobotPig. They're in the UK but they ship quickly worldwide. Good shop and cheap! The $60 modchips come with loads of neat but ultimately entirely useless features.
  
• If you're scared of a soldering iron, here's a solderless solution for all versions of the xbox: The Spiderchip. I've never used one of these things and I've never purchased anything from this shop so take this as a suggestion and not a recommendation.
  
• Here's a great introduction to softmods. Again, despite what all the softmoddie guys say a chip will always be a better solution.
  
• If you buy a new XBox, you'll be getting a 1.6 version and your modding options are somewhat limited. You're voiding the warranty anyway so you might as well pick up a used box. Here's how to tell which version XBox you're getting. Print it out and take it to the shop with you.
  
• All versions of the XBox except the 1.6 can be TSOP flashed, which is just write enabling the onboard BIOS flashrom and flashing a mod bios to it. Cheap, relatively easy, and every bit as good as a chip. The only drawback to a TSOP flash is that you can't easily disable it unless you have a 1.0 or 1.1 XBox. Here is a pretty complete guide to TSOP flashing.
  
• Here is the homepage for XBMC. They're hosted on sourceforge, so you can checkout the CVS and compile your own copy if you have VS.NET 2003 and a copy of the latest XDK.

This will get you started.

This is who made the modchip that I put into my Xbox.

I am using Xbox Media Center for all my media playing needs.

As for later version, I believe they are on the board, have a look see at http://www.xbox-scene.com/ poke around the forums, I'm sure someone there knows. The only reason I know about 1.0/1.1 is because I managed to snap an inductor off my chip when unlugging those yellow wires I mentioned (did I mention be careful?) and broke my 3rd player port. Luckily I had a friend who had broken down an old XBox for parts so I just stole a replacement from him :p

You can already get "real" rosters for college games for Xbox and PS2. Plus people go in and update the NFL rosters to include things such as Ricky Williams retiring right before the season.

ActionReplay (Xbox) has 43 "Power Saves" for EA's NCAA 2005 which include 13 different rosters for Div 1A.

If you don't want to pay for their memory card you can download their software and use a USB memory stick or your own Xbox Memory Card.

You can already get "real" rosters for college games for Xbox and PS2. Plus people go in and update the NFL rosters to include things such as Ricky Williams retiring right before the season.

ActionReplay (Xbox) has 43 "Power Saves" for EA's NCAA 2005 which include 13 different rosters for Div 1A.

If you don't want to pay for their memory card you can download their software and use a USB memory stick or your own Xbox Memory Card.

The Xbox has it better. You don't even need a mod chip. There are sophisticated software exploits that are free, easy to use, and totally undo-able. One such exploit is the Ultimate Dash Eploit (UDE). With it you can turn a new $150 Xbox into a modded-Xbox capable of playing burned CDs, DVDs, games copied to the internal harddrive, etc.

I don't really use my UDE modded Xbox for playing pirated Xbox games, as there aren't many Xbox games that I care to play. Instead, I use it to run Xbox Media Center so that I can play my MP3s and watch my Xvid and Divx movies, and classic console emulators such as FCE Ultra X, a high-quality NES emulator and MameoX a high-quality Multi-Arcade emulator.

Mod chips are expensive, harder to get, and harder to install than the Xbox's new software exploits like UDE. If you want to check out more info about modding your Xbox, go to Xbox Scene.

There are very stable software-only hacks to get a hacked BIOS installed. The best one is called UDE. I uses a buffer overflow in the font handling calls of the Xbox dashboard (actually a replacement dashboard). Then it installs its own BIOS and runs its own software.

Here is the skinny. I use this to launch XBMC and turn the xbox (w/ remote) into a very nice media center for every tv in my house. Plus, it plays games.

It looks like Halo 2 checks the model # and serial # of the hard drive. Will someone tell me why Microsoft cares what hard drive you have in the system? Instead, why don't they check the serial # of Halo 2 game itself? That way, they are detecting piracy rather than modded X-boxes. Seems more fair to me.

Not that it matters. Now that we know what they check and how, it should be easy to disable the check or to spoof it.

(Next thing you know, they will have a camera checking to see if you have illegal stickers on the side of it. Error: XBOX Banned - GameCube detected in same room. :-) )

Ok, so disregard my previous post aboot the account getting deactivated.

Apparently, when they want to ban someone from xbox live, they ban the Xbox's EEPROM id, which is the unique identifier for each xbox.

I get the idea from this thread and this thread that there's a way to flash your EEPROM so that you can get back on, but I don't know how you'd do that. (I use Xlink Kai for my online gaming :)

Ok, so disregard my previous post aboot the account getting deactivated.

Apparently, when they want to ban someone from xbox live, they ban the Xbox's EEPROM id, which is the unique identifier for each xbox.

I get the idea from this thread and this thread that there's a way to flash your EEPROM so that you can get back on, but I don't know how you'd do that. (I use Xlink Kai for my online gaming :)

There's also Xlink Kai Evo VII.

And they have a linux client/daemon, and a client in XBMC. Apparently, you can run the linux client/daemon on your Linksys WRT54G (if you have one of course, which I don't... ), control it from XBMC, and have online gaming w/out a computer involved. At least that's what seems to be implied in this post to xbox-scene: XBMC and Kai

Used Kai many times before, seems to work quite well most of the time :)

Dear Letter, With a chipped XBox, you can replace a fried default drive. Not pretty, but neither are lawyers. XBOX User

Why does everyone think you *NEED* to buy a modchip for the Xbox?
Using the proven "UDE softmod" method, all you need is a rented game, a homemade USB2Xbox adapter and a USB thumbdrive to mod your Xbox.
Total cost: $5-10
You don't even have to "crack open" your Xbox to do this!

And yes, this will 100% unlock your Xbox just the same as a $50 modchip would.

For more info, check out: http://how2xbox.com/ and/or http://www.xbox-scene.com/

Why does everyone think you *NEED* to buy a modchip for the Xbox?
Using the proven "UDE softmod" method, all you need is a rented game, a homemade USB2Xbox adapter and a USB thumbdrive to mod your Xbox.
Total cost: $5-10

And yes, this will 100% unlock your Xbox just the same as a $50 modchip would.

For more info, check out: http://how2xbox.com/ and/or http://www.xbox-scene.com/

You don't need a hardware chip at all.

I have a 1.6 NTSC Xbox and I used the "Ultimate Dashboard Exploit", and now I use mine as a MythTV frontend. And, I can still play games, too (just no Xbox live). All that, and I never once opened up the case...

You just need to borrow/buy an Action Replay memcard, one of the vulnerable games, and hook it up to a Windows PC to get the "ltools" save game from the usual places.

You don't need a hardware chip at all.

I have a 1.6 NTSC Xbox and I used the "Ultimate Dashboard Exploit", and now I use mine as a MythTV frontend. And, I can still play games, too (just no Xbox live). All that, and I never once opened up the case...

You just need to borrow/buy an Action Replay memcard, one of the vulnerable games, and hook it up to a Windows PC to get the "ltools" save game from the usual places.

A $150 soft-modded XBox pre-installed with the more capable XBox Media Center, and a $100 gift certificate with the money left over? :)

--

Microsoft has a minimalist port of Windows right now for the G5 Mac as a development environment for the new X Box. This is because IBM and Microsoft are developing a processor for the new XBox based on the POWER architecture which will be similar to the G5 used in the 64-bit Macs.

No burning of the ISO is needed. The Xbox comes with a harddrive equipped with about 6GB of free space on it, and Halo 2 is only 3GB at this stage, which is undoubtedly going to change. You could "softmod" [software moddification] the xbox, methods can be found on Xbox-Scene. So after softmodding your Xbox, you could then load it to the harddrive and play it. And Xbox Live will not be disabled, though please note, that to play Xbox Live you must be playing it from the original game disc. So you can not play Xbox Live off of the harddrive. This is because Xbox Live checks the BIOS of the Xbox to see if it has been modified. To load a game from the harddrive, you need to run a modified BIOS, whether it is on boot, (hardware/modchip) or after a special sequence of commands causing a bootable-from-media BIOS to load (software).

Do you mean THE Doom? The original one from the mid-90's? How is that proving the capabilities of anything?

It's bloody awesome news. If Doom works then that means OpenXDK can read the gamepad inputs plus generate 2D output. There are a number of otherwise free Xbox utilities that need nothing more than that but because of the Microsoft Xbox SDK licensing, the authors are unable to distribute those Xbox utilities. So even though the source code is GPL, by linking with Microsoft's Xbox SDK you forego your publishing rights. That sucks, don't you agree? These people are forced to "warez trade" their own utilities that they wrote!

For example, go to xs.com and count how many utilities cannot be distributed due to XDK licensing. The very worst example is Xbox Media Center; an absolutely outstanding piece of Xbox software (built around Python and Mplayer) that is encumbered by the Microsoft XDK.

Now with OpenXDK at least some of these free and open-source utilities can be published on websites. It is great news for the Xbox developer scene.

This is a reply to the Xodus Chip story.

Yes.. www.teamxodus.com is temporarily down. It wasn't when the story was posted however.

Is this a new chip? no.

But they've released a new OS for it, which has pleased it's current users, and should attract new ones I suspect.

With this chip, it;s current OS, and with an easy to find hacked bios an Xbox can easily be turned into an excellent media center.

Networked with a pc, it can stream all manner of audio and video and pictures from a pc to the xbox to be displayed where and when you wish.

This same modded xbox, can also be used to surf the web with native clients like Linksbox, or linux in many flavours can be installed to accomplish the same feat.

People weighing the value of a modchipped xbox, need to consider their entertainent needs. For some, this is an incredible investment.

For more info on Modded Xbox' check out http://www.xbox-scene.com/, and to find out more about this specific modchip contact their site at http://www.teamxodus.com/

The only hardware changes I've made to my xbox are a larger hard drive and an ATA/133 cable, but using the UDE it boots to linux on power-on for a nice, low-cost set top entertainment center.

For more pertinent information, see:
http://xbox-linux.org/
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=2 43341
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=2 43893
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/

The only hardware changes I've made to my xbox are a larger hard drive and an ATA/133 cable, but using the UDE it boots to linux on power-on for a nice, low-cost set top entertainment center.

For more pertinent information, see:
http://xbox-linux.org/
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=2 43341
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=2 43893
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/

The only hardware changes I've made to my xbox are a larger hard drive and an ATA/133 cable, but using the UDE it boots to linux on power-on for a nice, low-cost set top entertainment center.

For more pertinent information, see:
http://xbox-linux.org/
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=2 43341
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=2 43893
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/

Indeed, it would almost appear that this review was specifically to draw the attension of those who do not yet know about the Xecuter 3 modchip that is comming out very soon. I would recomend to all out there that do not know much about this but would like to read up on it to check out Xbox-Scene
Anything you wish to know you can find there.

This player will play almost any format you can throw at it, and in addition, will play/record shoutcast streams, can connect to SMB/Samba servers, and various other networked devices for streamed media. Hell, it even gives you a weather forecast at the click of a button, and the ability to check the IMDB database about a movie before you view it. Also you can use sync correction for any files that are slightly out of sync. All of these things are just off the top of my head, but there are many more such as HDTV support, etc. And all you need to do is add a on/off switch to the modchip and you can play any xbox games, including on Xbox Live.

To answer your question about larger harddrives, the xbox can handle any size hard drive you want to throw at it. It was once limited to 137GB but this has since been corrected in the newer bioses.

Other good resources for information: http://xbox-scene.com/ http://www.xbox-linux.org/

Now please clean up your mess ;)

DD

Does anyone know if you can add additional hard drives or bigger ones?

Guide to adding a bigger hard drive with software exploits only.

This table should be helpful in answering that question...

First of all, it really makes you feel like an old fart, especially if you have kids. And, trust me on this, these games are dorky and far from exciting to anyone who plays them for the game, and not for the memories and geek bragging rights. Plus, it just is not new, sexy technology any more. In the old days, we didn't mind typing up pages and pages of BASIC code - that was an integral part of the fun. Try doing that nowadays. Chances are you'll just feel it's pointless. Times do change.

There's some cool stuff going on in the do-it-yourself scene though. Over at the Xbox-Scene forums there's lots of discussion about creating custom controllers and even full-blown old-school arcades. And since the Xbox is pretty hackable, with MAME readily available (Sourceforge link), it's just a natural choice.

But don't try to do it all with hardware. Imagine a device that I can plug into my TV. It will play DVDs, it will take my CD's, convert them to MP3s (autmatcially putting in track names and authors), it will allow internet surfing (yes, a TV isn't as good as a monitor), PVR, game playing, paying bills online, etc. it will handle VOIP (with built in message manage), IM...

The sad thing is, you can already do all of those things with a modded xbox. And what's even sadder is, it'll cost you under 200 bucks.

.. but this guy did. Funniest thing I read in awhile.

If You Screwd Up And Melted A Chip

Still, ignoring mods for proprietary commercial games, how can a member of the general C++-speaking public create and distribute games for consoles? Sure, there's the Linux add-on for American and European PlayStation 2 consoles, but how can a homebrew developer test programs on systems such as Xbox, GameCube, or GBA, without using tools manufactured by companies that the console makers are trying to sue into oblivion?

The Linux add-on for the PS2 is pretty useless for making games, though I guess you could use it to make some simpler games. You're right, though, that developing for consoles is very inaccessible. That said, homebrew communities are out there, such as GBADev or DC Developer. Linux on the XBox has also opened up some homebrew opportunities, as well. If you want to make games, though, you don't need any of those. What you need is skill, passion, and a portfolio of devleopment (or art, or whatever), which you can certainly do on a PC. PC mods are great for building up a portfolio, but they're certainly not the only way. Think, what did people do before Doom and Quake created the game modification craze?

(Samsung, I believe) is to flip have the rubber drive band so that it causes the spindle to spin backwards.

You misinterpreted. According to this, the rubber band you have to swap (and the motor you have to turn around) affects the eject function, not the spindle that rotates the disc:

Also the little belt (rubber band looking thing) will probably fall off when you remove the motor. Do not forget to put this back on (I did and couldn't figure out for an hour why this darn thing wouldn't eject!). (emphasis mine)

The Xbox does not spin backwards

Wrong. The Xbox DVD drive does indeed spin backwards. One of the things you have to do when swapping in a compatible replacement drive (Samsung, I believe) is to flip have the rubber drive band so that it causes the spindle to spin backwards. Go to xbox-scene.com and dig around in the hardware modding tutorials for more details.

There are a lot of people who will install the mod chip for you for about $50-$60. In my area I see people advertizing on Craigslist all the time. You still need some basic idea of what you are doing, but there is a large collection of information here

Mod an Xbox!
Get Xbox Media Center!

???

Profit!

Xbox-scene also has gobs of information if you want to go the whole way with your xbox and get a mod chip.

Other than that, like the other guy said, xbins.org has a whole slew of homebrew games and such, ranging from emulators to actual homebrew games, file utitlies, and the like. You will generally need to go on IRC to download them, since they are built with the official XDK and as such are illegal to distribute. I do highly reccomend XBOMBERBOX if you have 4 controllers and have a few friends that would enjoy a few rounds of bomberman :)

amen brother!

http://www.xboxmediacenter.com

cheap and effective with the added bonus of being able to play games too (and linux for all you loonie linus lovers ;-)

and of course if you actually want to download XBMC you will be needing none other than XBINS http://www.xbins.org - the definitive homebrew software archive for XBOX enthusiasts!

just to keep you in the loop once you're interested you also can't go past _the_ modding/homebrew news source http://www.xbox-scene.com

You mean a PS1 emulator for the XBox like this one????

Of course you need to have modded your box to run it, which kind of impacts the sales of XBox games by default :-).

You can actually replace the Xbox DVD drive with a standard Samsung drive, with a little soldering:
How to replace your Xbox DVD drive with a model 616T Samsung DVD-rom drive

There are at least 4-5 completely different ways to mod an xbox. Everything is in detail here. TSOP-flash requires: a.) soldering of two points, millimeters apart, to write-enable the bios b.) Action Replay or Mega-x-key(plenty of sites sell these) To let you integrate Raincoat into a save game. c.) Mechassault or Agent Under Fire Rental from blockbuster, hollywood video, etc. d.)Tutorials Grand total including xbox: approx. $185 Then there are mod chips, which you can turn off to use Live. They cost anywhere from $30~$60 depending on the number of features you want and whether you want to solder 7 or 0 wires. Various Other exploits. Buying a $450 Xbox modded or not is paramount to playing $6.00/gallon (in the US) for gas and saying you got a deal.

There are at least 4-5 completely different ways to mod an xbox. Everything is in detail here. TSOP-flash requires: a.) soldering of two points, millimeters apart, to write-enable the bios b.) Action Replay or Mega-x-key(plenty of sites sell these) To let you integrate Raincoat into a save game. c.) Mechassault or Agent Under Fire Rental from blockbuster, hollywood video, etc. d.)Tutorials Grand total including xbox: approx. $185 Then there are mod chips, which you can turn off to use Live. They cost anywhere from $30~$60 depending on the number of features you want and whether you want to solder 7 or 0 wires. Various Other exploits. Buying a $450 Xbox modded or not is paramount to playing $6.00/gallon (in the US) for gas and saying you got a deal.

Actually, you can flash the onboard TSOP or do some other type of software based mod; both don't require a modchip. I don't know if you can do a software based mod (boot off a CD all the time?) and have an upgraded HD. The TSOP mod should work fine but then you can't disbale the mod to play on Live.

I would add the following costs though:
- larger HD. 120GB costs ~$60 after rebate
- IR remote control: $30 (not needed but nice)
- Samsung DVD-ROM ~$50 (not needed but nice)

A note about the DVD-ROM. The XBox can have one of the following type of DVD-ROMs: Samsung, Philips, or Thomson. Only the Samsung will read CD-R's though. You can either try to trade someone $50 plus a Philips or Thomson drive, or there is a retial Samsung drive that can be flashed to work in the Xbox. Details of this are at xbox-scene.com.