Slashdot Mirror
First Mod Chip For GameCube
Cuber writes "The first modification chip for Nintendo's GameCube console has been announced. It will allow users to boot homebrew applications, loaders and BIOS'. Until now hackers where using an exploit in the game Phantasy Star Online and a broadband adapter to be able to load homebrew software like GC-Linux over a network connection but now they'll be able to run code directly from flash memory.
The mod chip will require to solder only 4 wires and while the device comes empty it's not impossible to think 3rd party loaders will come that allow you to boot copied games."
People who buy came consoles suddenly feel an irrational need to put new bits of hardware in and install 3rd party software.
Per.. perso... personal computer?
Just buy your local PC store's Family Friendly Box with Free Internet and achieve the same effect.
How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?
I have seen Iso's floating around out there, but how can you burn them to a mini DVD, when as far as I know they use a proprietary media for GameCube games? I know thus far they have been running them over the ethernet port (as mentioned in the post) but with the mod chip the theory is that you could run them right in the console...so how would you burn them? Is hardware modification required to boot from a regular DVD, or does the factory hardware read from regular discs once the mod chip is installed?
there a shitpile of mod chips for X-Box, PS-2, etc.....
Because xbox was extremely easy to hack being based on x86. Playstation 2 hacking came quick because of demand (look at sales of PS2 vs. GC)
I cannot wait until the next gen of consoles to see who gets the homebrew hay-day.
Seeing as how there are still people at my local mall selling pirated NES games, it may take them a while.
Because Gamecube uses their own disc format, no one can copy the games because consumer level burners aren't available.
Therefore if no one can copy the games there is no real market to have them. Having said that shouldn't the price of games be going down due to lack of piracy?
The main problem is usefullness. The Gamecube dosn't have a harddrive or DVD/CD-ROM drive. So there isn't really a simple way to download games and play them on it.
Face it, no one is modding an xbox or ps2 to run linux, 99% of mod chips are being used to play games without buying them. Running linux is just an extra feature.
God, root, what is the difference?
We own personal computers. I don't want to take apart a gamecube and haul out my solder gun. Again. We own personal computers.
Actually ... not that far from the truth, so long as you substitute attorney for death squad.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
I do, and alot of people I know do; There are many excellent titles available for the GC and it's classification in certain circles as a console for kiddies is unwarrented and frankly incorrect. The majority of people I know who own Gamecubes are 20somethings, partly because as an agegroup we remember the haydays of Sega and Nintendo and partly because we're not drawn to the perception of having a console for 'mature' gamers with 'mature' games; we realise the marketing as such is infact aimed at 13-16 year old boys primerilly. Violence does not make a mature game, silly amounts of needless gore does not make a mature game...
There's mischief and malarkies but no queers or yids or darkies within this bastard's carnival, this vicious cabaret.
Phantasy Star Online downloads a piece of executable code from Sega's server every time you run it. The PSOLoad program pretends to be Sega's server. I'll take an educated guess that the bug was that PSO didn't check any sort of digital signature on the code.
Normally if I saw something like this, I'd say let the lawsuits begin! Nintendo is infamous for its fierce protection of its properties. But in this case I don't expect to see that anytime soon. Why? Because of the funky mini dvd format the GC uses, practically speaking, only homebrew software is going to take advantage of the mod chip. So Nintendo will be hard pressed to argue that the mod chip was created to facilitate piracy. By the time anyone comes up with a way to make pirate game GC disks cheap and easy, the GC 2 will be out and no one will care any more.
That said, I'm sure there's some factory in China pumping out pirate copies of GC games like crazy. But that certainly is not in response to the release of this mod chip.
To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
Easy: Hacker types aren't into the GameCube, its targeted at kids.
There's nothing kiddy about the CPU and RAM. Unless your talking about people making modchips to pirate games, then the target audience (which you got mostly wrong) doesnt make a shitting differnce.
My guess? Well the PS2 came out first, so thats an obvious, then the xbox is basically a PC, so that was easy, but also a fun challenge to get past MS's protections. Also, as you said, Nintendo uses proprietary formats.
I think there is wisdom in your comedy..
The Xbox, Dreamcast and PS2 have had all their games traded on P2P, usenet, and through other channels. The guys in chinese towns who sell pirated DVDs can't do anything with GC discs, so they aren't able to go to the PC and make copies.
The Gamecube has not suffered from any of these problems, and since the SPA says piracy costs companies/consumers billions every year, then why has the lack of piracy on the GC not caused them to sell their products for less?
In fact GC are usually $5 more expensive than their PS2 or XBox counterparts. The proprietary media (despite its cuteness) was what I assumed was responsible for the increased price.
Well, even without piracy, they still don't make nearly as many sales as Sony, so they can't lower their prices or they won't make a profit.
Also, they spent quite a lot of money on minidisk technology to be able to make it pirate-proof. Not to mention they can now demand a higher price since people can't get the games any other way (ie more people would probably pirate PS2 games if they cost more).
Xbox charges less (I think) but it is losing tons of money (mostly because of the cost to build the console itself). Microsoft is far more concerned in establishing a fan base so they can crush Sony.
"When the atomic bomb goes off there's devastation...but when the atomic bong goes off there's celebraaaaation!"
Whoah there sparky, I'd say Xbox Media Centre is a pretty big feature.
Of couse people often use it to play copied media so the point is kinda redundant.
The point still stands though Xbox Media Centre is truely the killer app for the Xbox.
New GC games: $40-$50, normally.
New PS2 games: $40-$50, normally
New Xbox games: $40-$50, normally
I'm sorry, which bizarro world do you live in where something that sells for the exact same price is "usually $5 more expensive" than its counterparts?
Insightful my ass....
Do you really believe that noone would associate a mod chip with piracy if the poster of a Slashdot article hadn't mentioned the possibility?
Come on now.
So, if Nintendo "know whats good for them," they will stop producing game consoles? Even tough they are beating the Xbox in worldwide sales and turn a large quarter-after-quarter profit on everything they make (unlike their competition, particularly Microsoft)?
Let's all thank goodness that the world doesn't work according to the ill-informed whims of one boy.
Well John,
/. and found you never seem to respond to anyone without being an asshole. Some people just aren't gifted with social skills, and I understand this is a problem with many of my fellow geeks. So, you are forgiven for acting like a inciteful little twit.
I can only imagine the insecurity you feel. I read through your previous posts on
Anyway, I did not get sued for a mod chip. I was sued for supposedly pirating DirecTV. The vendor, White Viper (I think), was raided by the authorities about a year and half after one of my credit cards had been run in their system. I had moved several times since this, but they hired private investigators to track down the "culprits" and filed lawsuits on us in small groups. Upon fighting it, you become aware quickly that the cost of legal representation adds up pretty fast and they are happy to out-spend you in order to beat you into submission. After about $3k in to it, they appear to have dropped the suit. Either way, I learned the burn of our legal system and am not a happy camper. I'm an information security professional who was working on novel things to do with smartcards, and unfortunately, got caught in the middle of something nasty.
Think people with mod chips "can't" be sued, then go to http://www.hackhu.com/ and read up on their premise. It is very close to the approach MS or Sony could take if they wanted to help take care of piracy. I'm not saying it is right, I am just saying they could do it if they wanted to.
Why aren't they? They could just be waiting around to see how the DTV suits go and start enforcement with the next generation systems if their anti-piracy mechanisms are proved to be useless in the real world. Blindly assuming they will never do anything is dangerous, thousands of people thought the same way about DTV a few years ago and look how that turned out.
You're an idiot without a cause, and frankly I blame people like you for bringing our counter-culture down.
I am not part of your "counter-culture". Your need to label and define shows a painful amount of insecurity, or perhaps, a lack of intellect. Trust me, you will not find happiness by defining yourself by your pre-packaged music, movies, food, social setting and threads. Myself, I am just a man making a living and enjoying life on this big, stinky hell hole.
As a final bit of advice:
I would really suggest not sitting around on forums and harassing people. It is ugly and there is no way you would walk up to two people conversing in a public place and act like that. Try relaxing and not making terrible crappy accusations at the drop of a hair. It will help you get a friend or two, then life won't be so lonely and you probably won't feel the frustration and unhappiness which fuels your posts.