Slashdot Mirror
Lik-Sang Back Online, Minus Modchips
DrEldarion writes "Lik-Sang is back, and it turns out that it wasn't just Microsoft that filed the lawsuit - Sony and Nintendo both joined in. The end result is that the modchips are gone."
← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)
I'm glad these guys are back - They were a great source of legitimate goodies (LCD screens, etc) for my MP3Car project :)
~m
...but back again tomorrow. When will these people learn that they will never be able to stop people inclined to play around with new technology playing around with new technology?
learn to program the right way
Rake Free + Mac Poker: CardCrusade
Time to set up a non-profit to pass out chips from foreign countries... or just relabel them as accessibility devices.
;)
Sucks.. someone fix it
will sell cheap programers,instructions and blank bios chips and show ya how to find the code.
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B - D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
Are they waiting for a final ruling from the court? I guess the sentence above means that they'll wait to see which way the court leans before they bring the mod chips back.
Was Lik Sang the only supplier of X-Box mod chips that worked? Or does Microsoft now have to go and hunt down a dozen other distributors one at a time?
If these mod chips become any more difficult to obtain, I might have to buy the games I want...alright, fuck that, how much does a plane ticket to Hong Kong cost? Can't be that much, right?
Finally, math books without any of that base 6 crap in them.
I can understand Microsoft and Sony going against Modchips, but why Nintendo? A mod-chip isn't going to do anything to a gamecube. I haven't seen anyone be able to bootleg gamecube games yet. AFAIK they are mini-dvds that spin backwards. That's a tough one to copy.
It's also interesting how they go after lik-sang, but http://www.modchips.com aka http://www.gamegizmo.com is still up, and selling the best chips around. We modded our PSOne with one, and it works great.
It's just like the Napster thing. They go after Napster, but Kazaa, Morpheus, WinMX all get to live.
If 10 companies are breaking the law can't you sue them all at once?
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
All the Court Orders have been issued before hearing a single word from the company
remind me not to have legal problems in Hong Kong
Even better, they should have the MOD chips be sixth dimensional constructs containing an infinite amount of three dimensional matter with a psychic link to the XBOX. Oh wait, that's just as unlikely as a USB only MOD.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Unfortunately, they have been forced to not only stop selling mod chips, but they also had to stop selling console development tools. Such as the Gameboy Advance linkers. I guess I wont be buying a BGA to write software for.
Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
...... not for long, here comes /. :-)
--is not to be confused with user #672982 - Bame Flait
They're a great site for console game freaks like myself, I've ordered a ton of hard-to-come-by and import stuff from them over the years.
I can understand why certain mods are illegal, but not all of them.
Ie;
The xtender mod for xbox should be illegal. It's a bios replacement that contains a hacked copy of MS's copyrighted BIOS.
The openxbox/pc-bioxx 'mod' is a blank flashrom with a parallel header. It could not only be used on an xbox, but on any motherboard that uses 8mbit bioses and has an LPC bus. It has tons of uses aside from piracy or running linux on xbox. Ever want to try that crazy bios hack for your mobo that unlocks freakishly high FSB and vCore settings? Here you go.
Why can't they use the "primary function" clause to their benefit in this case?
Why not just say the primary function of the device is to replace/play with the bios on the mobo in your PC, and not mention xbox?
This isn't some shady trick to keep selling them, but frankly the truth. It really is a poor mans flashrom writer.
Anyhow, anyone who really wants his xbox modded (provided he has the early revision that can be) can do so himself quite simply, if he has a mobo around with a socketed bios that he can use to flash the xbox' chip with.
I worry the next step will be MS, Sony and Nintendo getting an injunction to stop them from exporting Japanese software to American/European markets. That'll really suck eggs.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Yes they do. However they STILL require soldering at least one connection in the PS2 itself. The only solderless MOD for hte PS2 is internal and bridged between some ribon cables.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Now the X-Box is going to suck again!
We will see a lot of kids getting hopped up on modchips and most likely addicted, only to suffer painful side effects like electrocution and intestine blockage due to the poor production standards of street fabs.
-Kevin
None of this has anything to do with pirated games. It has to do with pirated BIOS. The chips contained derivative works of Microsoft's and Sony's, and Nintendo's BIOSes. The functionality of the modification (e.g. getting around region problems), is totally irrelevant. This isn't about vicarious or contributory infringement, it's about direct infringement.
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
ModChips allow consumers to use the hardware in a way it wasn't intended to, or to add enhancement or new features to the hardware.
But then I see no difference with that and cutting up my PS2 and using the shell as a crap pot and using the circuits to make a mouse trap electrocuter.
Hint: It's not because they care if you play pirated games.
Frankly, it's not as though mod chips are a very good deal for the consumer. They're expensive, they're a pain in the ass to install, and whatever you "save" in money (which, given the expense and risk that you ruin your console in installing them is already marginal) you easily outspend in time wasted copying lousy games. Frankly, the biggest problem facing today's gamer is not "games are too expensive" but "there are too many lousy games out there, how do I determine which ones to play?" A few well-chosen rentals are a more effective way of saving money than spinning your wheels doing surgery or CD burning.
No. Very few consumers -- other than those addicted to piracy on general principles, or who get a kick out of feeling like they're getting away with something -- will ever install or use mod chips. The copy protection isn't there to prevent you from playing pirated games. The real target of copy protection in consoles is -- other game companies.
For every PS2 game made, Sony gets a cut. For every Gamecube game made, Nintendo gets a cut. For every Xbox game made, Microsoft gets a cut. The copy protection on these consoles is the console manufacturer's way of making sure that they are not squeezed out of the transactions between the game developers and the consumer, the way Atari was with 3rd-party 2600 games.
--peterb
There are about a billion other websites that pop up in your face if you want modchips whenever you go to a good ol' http warez site. Just close down enough porno banners and eventually you'll find a modchip site -- it's a lot easier to find than the actual warez on the site itself.
My brother installed a PS1 modchip when he was 11 years old, and it's not that hard at all to DIY.
Lik Sang does sell tons of other cool stuff; modchips aren't their only resource.
Lik Sang and it's employees couldn't even speak about the case due to an injunction of the High Court
and
All the Court Orders have been issued before hearing a single word from the company.
I can't talk about the case and the injuction is issued before can I say anything? Honk Kong really looks like a nice place to live...
Their trouble is that Nintendo control the manufacturing process for the mini-DVDs, and Nintendo don't want Freeloader to exist. Consequently, they're blocking it.
There have been ads for Freeload for a while, but the release date constantly 'slips'. My opinion is that we'll never see a release at all.
Cheers,
Ian
If you're a homebrew GBA developer, you can still get flash carts from various sources listed in the replies to this message. Don't pirate software.
Will I retire or break 10K?
Why would Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft buy mod chips for their own consoles?
Oh, wait, I see what they mean. They mean "consoles made by the Plaintiffs, but then sold to purchasers with EULA's prohibiting modification in 2 point italic WinDings font on page 32 of the manual."
I see where the confusion is coming from. Well, now that we've cleared that up, perhaps Lik-Sang could just explain Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft's mistake, and we could get back to doing whatever the hell we like with the piles of plastic and copper that the Plaintiffs chose to sell to us, and which we now own.
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
Many of the modchip kits out (e.g. the Matrix Xbox modchip) have included "burner" (or more appropriately "flasher") hardware.
Stick burner on your parport, fire up software, flash on some BIOS, you're done. This is how Easybuy2000 is still selling modchips.
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
"...it turns out that it wasn't just Microsoft that filed the lawsuit - Sony and Nintendo both joined in. The end result is that the modchips are gone."
... indeed it merely confirms their behavior. The fact that others behave equally despicably doesn't make Microsoft any less despicable.
That must be plenty embarrasing to all the people that cried "MS is enforcing law in China!!!" when this whole BS started.
By "MS is enforcing law in China" I assume you are either (a) disingenuously putting words in people's mouths no amount of perusing the old comments can corroborate, or (b) you were characterizing (for whatever reason) comments accusing MS of defining the law in China, export US law to China, etc.
All of which may be true, to one degree or another. No one should feel at all emberrassed to have made such accusations, which appear on may fronts to be demonstrably true. Now, if someone said "Microsoft is the only company defining law in China/exporting US law to China" then they should be quite emberrassed. After all, it is clear, at the very least, that the member corporations of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have been doing likewise, and others may well be engaged in similiar behavior. Yes, even other software companies *cough* Adobe *cough* or, in this case, a trust of gaming companies.
The fact the Microsoft has been shown to be part of a trust, a consortium, or if you prefer, a cabal of corporations engaging in the same ill-mannered and obscene behavior shouldn't make anyone feel emberrassed for having pointed out the fact
The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
I knew that Sony and Nintendo were against modchips from the start, so it doesn't really surprise me to find out that they were part of this as well. Microsoft was still the big stick in this case, it seems. It is pretty strange that this happeend soon after people got Linux working on the X-Box.
Apparently the tools that you need to develop homebrew GBA apps are also gone, however. I don't think that Nintendo needed to do that. The ability to create homebrew apps ADDS VALUE to systems.
Not only is there a good selection of GBA games out there that I would be happy to go to the store and purchace, the fact that people have made tools that allow you to tinker with development make it an even cooler thing to have.
I'd wager that the majority of people who make homebrew GBA apps also buy GBA games and are longtime Nintendo fans.
At the very least, Sony provided a Linux kit to those who wanted to tinker with their Playstation 2 consoles. It might not be what everyone really wants, but it is still cool that Sony is at least meeting people half-way on the idea.
Nintendo and Microsoft could benefit by following Sony's lead. By providing development kits for their systems, they could make some money by selling the kits, and increase interest in their system by featuring "fan made" games online that could be played and offering the added value of homebrew app development.
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
The parallel port & USB flash ROM tools also appear to be gone. This has nothing to do with BIOS, by the way. These are tools that allow you to upload binaries (either copied or original code compiled with GCC and other tools) to a flash ROM and run it on any GBA. These products are likely offensive to Nintendo because:
1) consumers could pirate games with them
2) smalltime and wannabe developers could create demos and games with them without forking out big money for the official GBA dev hardware
I'm sure #1 is the main concern for Nintendo. But they've really done a disservice to the GBA demo scene and developers & students that want to get their feet wet with a really great platform.
If you're unfamiliar with #2 (developing your own demos/games/apps for GBA), please take a look at some GBA developer scene links:
GBADEV
GBAEMU
Yahoo GBADEV Group
GBA Dev'rs
You gotta love Slashdot. And yes, the truth hurts.
The way you've written it, it sounds like you think that there is some need for Japanese games to be different than American games and Sony and Nintendo should just create a licensed adaptor. Why would they want to solve a problem which only exists because they've created it?
As a customer, I don't think that Sony or Nintendo are any more worthy of my money than Microsoft. I think that the current business model of the console market should end. I mean the whole protection racket which the console manufacturers have with the game publishers, "Give us a kickback or we won't let your games run on our machines." It would be better for gaming if console makers made their money from manufacturing consoles and selling them for a profit and game publishers made money from publishing games without having to give kickbacks to the console companies.
The trouble is, allowing the model to change would shift the power from the console companies to the game publishers. I think that would be a better model. I'd love to see some of the great Japanese game publisher slip the leashes that have been put on them by the console makers and operate more like PC game companies. I'd like to see what they would do with that freedom.
All the creatures will die, And all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai. (Jubai, 1605)