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Interviews: Ask Ben Heck About Gaming and Console Modding
Benjamin Heckendorn, better known as Ben Heck, has become famous for modding consoles and game controllers. Over 10 million viewers worldwide have watched The Ben Heck Show to see him create something new out of old gaming systems every week. Been has agreed to leave the Ataris alone for a while and answer your questions about console modding and gaming in general. As usual, ask as many as you'd like, but please, one question per post.
Hate when they summery wrong!
By attempting to inject openness into an intentionally closed ecosystem, do you see yourself as an enabler to that closed ecosystem?
That is to say, open standards are the default on modular personal computers, and almost invariably not present on video game consoles. By giving people who want flexibility a means to use consoles, do you see yourself as inflating those markets and doing long-term harm to actual open systems?
Ben, When you're generally designing enclosures for your hacked consoles, do you tend to start with an overall design first, or do you start designing around the mainboards and then attempt to make things look nice later in the design process?
Seems to be ok now? ... However, the second link is not clickable. HTML source says:
Over 10 million viewers worldwide have watched <a>The Ben Heck Show</a>
Maybe this link is good enough instead?
Ever get any Law suits / DMCA / banned issues with the hacks?
What new features or technologies do you do see missing from the current gaming systems that you believe would beneficial, and why?
That's alright. The Ben Heck Show is an empty anchor.
Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once
Been has agreed...
"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert"
The new youtube episodes are 70% percent of element14 advertisements and 30% fluff content with advertisements from others - cut to 15 minutes with pieces appearing out of thin air(youtube doesn't have a 15 min limit now) - and it seems like it's really important to mention where everything was bought from rather than explain what it does - except of course that it's worth minutes to explain how a switch works(easy minutes, so no need to fill the episode with as much yelling).
I mean, getting started with the msp(launchpad) episode was basically just going through the paper inlet instruction in the box.
on trying to hack a lcd display to work:
"Yeah just buy a cheap lcd that already works", but there's channels where people make the cheap lcd off a nano actually work.
So how does it feel like to be a Tool?
He's gotta pay the bills somehow - give him a break!
Has :)
What do you think it is the best input device that you used for consoles? why?
Which one is the weirder/non-common input device that you used? Any comments about it, why did you like it or not?
Why Ataris? consoles have moved on since then.
Have you ever watched his show before attempting to flame? He does a lot more than just mod games. Also, Since when does being a hobbyist make you a poseur?
Why doesn't your show have any real content? It's just a 20 minute advertisement for Element 14 aka Farnells
Been has agreed to leave the Ataris alone for a while
I thought we were asking Ben questions, who's this Been person?
Because Ataris are best.
When adding functionality to existing products that are made of molded plastic, what do you do when you just don't have enough room?
Been has agreed to leave the Ataris alone for a while and answer your questions about console modding and gaming in general.
Ben, when did you change your name to Been?
- I stole your sig.
Have you ever considered legally changing your name to "Ben Heck&darn"?
sure is summer in here.
Ben how do you feel about being called Been?
So...what, everyone who isn't an EE is a "poseur" to you?
Heck isn't an EE. He doesn't claim to be. Nobody else claims he is either. He's more of an artist than an EE. If you want to watch an EE go watch Dave Jones or Jonathan Oxer or Jeri Ellsworth or whoever.
Other than me pissed there was mention of Bill Paxton pinball but no photos?
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
You should be watching Jeri Ellsworth or Dave Jones if that's what you want.
He's building prototypes. Cheap, fast, and easy. That's the point. I suppose by your logic every web developer is a "tool" for using high-level languages instead of writing raw binary files? Our keyboards should just have two keys -- 1 and 0?
So somebody figured out how to reverse-engineer an iPod screen. Great. How long was that video? You can watch Heck build his X-Box laptop in about an hour. How long you think it would take to watch him reverse-engineer the protocols for every single component before wiring it together?
Bill Paxton pinball is in visual pinball right now.
His new game is cool and it was fun to play the test / show game with him there.
In Soviet Russia You are Yoda.
Seriously, you spell summary incorrectly when criticizing the god damn summary?
http://www.acetonestudio.com
I looked into the Access Controller a while back for my mom (she doesn't get out much and she has a tremor in her right hand), it looks like it might be good for turn-based games, but the design doesn't seem like it would work well for anything requiring real time input on both analogs. I don't know if it's even possible to improve on that design in that way, but more generally, I was just wondering if you have any plans to go back and look at ways of improving some of the older hacks and designs you've done?
I live about 2 miles from you. Yet I've never seen you at Bennets for breakfast! What gives? Where's your sense of community?!?!?
About the the "clay" you use for sculpting (I've always thought of you as an artist + sculptor): Any tech you wished was mainstream, or maybe soon to invented, that you'd like to sculpt with? Any older more retro components that are limiting what projects you'd like to do? p.s. Love your work, followed for a while here & engadget.
Because Ataris are best.
Uh? quit joking about, I was being serious.
He has modified other consoles besides those that came out in the 1970s.
I think saying that leave the Ataris alone for a while seems a bit sensationalist given the times and reflects the authors age.
Ben, have you ever considered building Iron Man armor? Bonus points if it's an autonomic prehensile propulsion suit.
What sort of controller would you make/design to work with Occulus Rift?
Computer hardware is tending to be more and more integrated and consolidated, not just within each console generation (the first PS2 eventually consolidated the GPU and CPU in one component) but between generations (the PS4 launches with a single component for GPU and CPU). Does this help you hack by giving you a smaller device, or does it hinder you by giving you less flexibility?
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
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