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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."
it's not impossible to think 3rd party loaders will come that allow you to boot copied games."
I believe that you meant "impossible not to think."
To fight the war on terror, stop being afraid.
Well, we could've just quietly assumed that it would be capable of running copied games, and celebrated it for its ability to run homebrewed software and Linux... but no, we had to go and give it that aire of illegitimacy.
Thanks, poster!
Check thebroken.org for a video explaining how to load software onto the GC using the optional ethernet port. It's Episode III.
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> Never bite the hand that created you
I don't know about you, but most of us were created by a different body part.
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.
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?
Apparently (I haven't taken mine apart) if you take off the top part, the sled that the laser travels on is full length, and it's been speculated that there could be a case mod that would allow you to use full sized discs.
It's a regular DVD assembly, just a funny shaped case.
And the discs do not spin backwards, that I know. How they're written to the disc would be irrelevant if a BIOS hack allowed you to read regular UDF filesystems.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
How much more disappointed XBox users were in their console than Gamecube users. Obviously Gamecube owners, until now, were satisfied with they got, whereas XBox users almost immediately started trying to tinker with it and make mods. :-D
If you like what I've said here, and want to read more, go to http://www.krillrblog.com
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?
My understanding is the Gamecube uses a 3" disc which is a proprietary mini DVD format that holds 1.5GB. It cannot be read by the CD or DVD player in your PC meaning you have to invest in some slightly more serious hardware to try and copy these discs, pushing it out of the reach of the average user. A great approach by Nintendo to copy protection, I have heard rumour that the XBox 2 is gonna follow suit and have a proprietary disc format to help combat copying.
but what do i know, i'm just a model.
"Yes, you can.... shtml#1. 1d -r. html"
http://www.megagames.com/dc/dc_backup_faq
http://www.dvd-supply.com/double-sided-mini-dv
No, you can't. The Cube discs *aren't* dual-layer DVDs. They are a proprietary optical disc from Matshusta. To my knowledge, there isn't even a GDROM-R, and if there were, you can bet that you wouldn't be able to buy them.
The "use the broadband adaptor" trick that you linked to changes nothing. The DC also used proprietary discs, and that article says what the grandparent said - you cannot burn Dreamcast games just as you cannot burn Gamecube games.
Yes, you can use the PSO hack to image and play 'Cube games over the network. Most people won't be doing that, though.
I'm glad that this has happened, but not so I can play copied games.
I'm looking forward to being able to play my imports without using a boot disc (I currently use freeloader). And being able to patch and update it against bugs in such handling (Japanese Namco games are quite well known for having serious problems with freeloader and save cards).
Homebrew software development also appeals to me, but not as much as the ability to handle those imports.
And why am I so interested in imports? Well, our local Nintendo office has seen it fit to destroy the gamecube by keeping the prices high, failing to promote the cube sufficently, being slow on the uptake of titles and withholding new accessories for the gamecube from market.
In Australia, you can't even buy the Official Nintendo 1019 block memory card, whereas I bought one during a visit to the US for the same price that a 251 block memory card costs us here. The broadband adapter was announced at one point, but you certainly can't buy them here.
Not only that, imported gamecube games cost LESS than their local counterparts, even after shipping in most cases. I bought R: Racing (US) for a whole US$20, whereas it was still priced at AU$90 back home. Given express shipping from Lik-Sang costs around AU$25, we still keep just below the $90-100 line for most games here.
Now, given the choice, would you give money to that division when you could just buy from overseas, with one of the foreign divisions of that company earning the profits instead?
As far as I'm concerned, it means I get my games, and I get them cheaper than buying locally, and Nintendo still gets the money they deserve for producing such a good (underrated) platform.
And, with some luck, I hope that the local branch will get their act together and start giving us prices that are even vaugely competative against their neighbouring branches.
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.
But the important thing is that it won't play "silvers" (pressed pirate discs) or burned CD-R/DVD-R discs, not even homebrews. As far as I know, nobody has yet gotten the GC's drive to read any data from a burned disc. Whether it's the reverse spiral or a wrong wavelength laser, proper piracy can't be done without being able to slap in a bootleg disc and hitting the power button. You can use this mod to play ripped game images, but only with a lot of effort, and only with a PC handy. Having to load ISOs over the Ethernet port is only for true die-hards, and is enough of a pain in the arse that you might as well go legit... or mod an X-box instead.
*The broadband adapter is connected via a 27Mbit serial interface, shared with the memory cards, and probably a few other things. And early attempts to use the 100Mbit mode of the Ethernet port weren't reliable.
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