bharatbhasha.net


Free Articles  >>  Entertainment >>  Page 132  >> 

The History of Game Console Mod Chips



Since the advent of home video game consoles there have always been ‘tinkerers’ intent on making the consoles do more than the manufacturer intended. Ironically, it was the earliest game consoles that were the best protected from users attempting to make modifications, with the first dozen or so home consoles having a limited number of unchangeable games built in. In 1976 the Channel F was the first programmable video game system, having plug-in cartridges containing ROM and microprocessor code rather than dedicated circuits. The blocky plastic cartridge with it’s unre-writable ROM chip would be the game console manufacturers number one defense against game copying and home modification for the next 20 years.

It was not until 1994, when Sony launched the PlayStation, (which it had originally begun to design by the request of Nintendo, who later rejected it – forever to their chagrin) that the concept of true home modification became a reality. Early PlayStation consoles had a parallel port on the back of the console and it was by using this port a method was discovered to use a Game Enhancer to swap an original disc with a copied disc. The first modification had been performed!

Soon after an unnamed software developer working in Hong Kong developed the first installable mod chip for the PlayStation which he sold for around $50. The code used by this developer was reverse engineered in 1997, and the code made public. This reduced the overall price of PlayStation mod chips to around $10.

Sony was not oblivious to the potential revenue being lost to console owners using modified consoles so increased the protection against copied and ‘homebrewed’ software that was built into the PlayStation2 which was launched in 2000. The PS2 console has a protection system based on original discs containing unreadable sectors. This part of the disc cannot be burned onto a copied disc. The PS2 console performs a disc integrity check on every disc when loading a game. If the unreadable sectors are not found, the game does not pass the check and consequently will not load. Fortunately for PS2 owners a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mod_chip : mod chip was developed allowing the loading of copied and homebrewed games only a few months after the launch of the popular console.

The Nintendo corporation is one of the most active companies in the effort to deter game copying with it’s most notable attempt being the unique design of the optical disc system used with 2001’s Game Cube system. A proprietary format based on Matsushita's optical-disc technology; the discs are approximately 8 centimeters (3 1/8 inches) in diameter (considerably smaller than the 12cm CDs or DVDs used in competitors' consoles), and the discs have a capacity of approximately 1.5 gigabytes. The disc is also read from the outer-most edge going inward, the opposite of a standard DVD.

The Microsoft Xbox gaming console also went to lengths to protect against user modification but it too proved susceptible to the cunning of http://www.gameconsoleworld.co.uk/index.php?cPath=20_5 : Modchip designers. Modchips for the Xbox usually take advantage of a 16-pin LPC debugging port that is included on the Xbox motherboard. The console can use this port to load an alternative BIOS. A pin header must be soldered to this port and connected to the modchip and a single solder point outside of the LPC header (D0) must be attached to the modchip also. This leads to the onboard BIOS being bypassed and the loading of the BIOS from the LPC port. A common practice in the modding scene is to use an alternative BIOS (that contains no copyrighted code whatsoever) that can load a Linux Operating System either from DVD or from the Xbox HDD.

The most recent Nintendo gaming console , the exciting and innovative Wii seems to have also inspired the greatest number of mod chip designs, with nearly a dozen on the market currently. Among the easiest mod chip installations available the Wii is capable of being ‘chipped’ via a solder-less mount which makes it one of the quickest and simplest machines to modify.

No one is quite sure what the next generation of game consoles will look like, or what manufacturers will do to try and secure them against modification, but mod chips seem to be as adaptable to change as the consoles they are built for.
About Author Michiel Van Kets :

Michiel Van Kets writes articles for Game Console world, http://www.gameconsoleworld.co.uk/index.php?cPath=20_5 specialists in console modifications including Wii Chipping. http://www.gameconsoleworld.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=84


Article Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.net
Article Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.net/entertainment.php/186377


Article Added on Saturday, November 14, 2009
Other Articles by Michiel Van Kets

•Interview With a Wii Mod Chip Maker
As I was researching the history of Wii mod chips and electronics modding in general a friend mentioned he could get me in touch with someone actually in the mod chip manufacturing business. I jumped at the chance and soon I was having an email correspondence with Chipsuhhoi. Chips made a number of stipulations to secrecy before granting a formal interview, so there are some obvious omissions of what Chips insisted were telling details that could be used to identify him later. A digest of our...

•Is it Possible to Back up Your Nintendo Wii Games
So you finally broke down and dropped a huge wad of cash on one of those hip new Nintendo Wii game consoles you’ve been hearing so much about. You get the thing home, plug it in and it’s like living a dream. Soon you’re waving your arms about swinging controllers like nunchucks, annoying your mom and scaring the hell out of the dog. Yeah, your day has come! But wait. What would happen if you scratched that game DVD that you’ve paid $80 for? Maybe you’d like to download and play some of those...

•It s a Mod Chip World
No Nintendo Wii game console seems complete without a mod chip installation and with today’s latest mod chip innovations it’s easier than ever to buy and install your own Wii modification chip. The question isn’t if you can do it (anybody can) but rather can you do it right? Making sure you have the right mod chip for your exact Wii model is essential to getting the most out of your Wii and your mod chip investment. First, how can you tell your Nintendo Wii’s make and model? If you search...

•Learn Chess or Chess Strategies With Chess Books
Chess is a wonderful game and if you are not already an avid player then there are a multitude of chess books available to suit any beginner. There are chess books for children to teach them the fine art of the game of chess, or perhaps a chess book about the history of chess itself, books relating to strategy, books relating to chess boards and types of chess pieces. There are a multitude of books about how to improve your chess game and these are sought after by seasoned players. The chess...

•Chess Pieces How Many Make up a Chess Set
The game of Chess is made up of two sets of 16 pieces, including one king, one queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks, and eight pawns. All of the 16 pieces have specific positions on the chess board. The chess pieces themselves come in a variety of different styles and designs and the names of each piece did not traditionally start out as the names we use today. Chess pieces come in a variety of different materials and of course vary in prices. Often choosing the chess pieces for yourself...

•Where You Should and Should Not Use Airsoft Guns
If you want to join in an airsoft game, you can find commercial airsoft venues that you can go to that have rules and regulations to safeguard against accidents. If an airsoft game is played on local recreational ground or in any area that is public, it can prove to be a danger to you, other members and the general public. There is the risk of putting people’s lives in danger, and if you have not made anyone aware of that an airsoft game is in process you will end up in a lot of trouble with...

•Bumper Pool Tables
Bumper pool is a game played by two people or 4. If 4 people are playing they get into teams of 2 and take turns. Bumper pool rules may vary depending on where and who you play. Basic bumper pool rules start with arranging the balls. The game has 10 balls (5 for each player or team), 5 red and 5 white. Each set of red and white balls have a marked ball which is called the cue ball. The bumper pool table has pockets on each end and bumper pads around the center. The bumper pool table is set by...

•Banks Buyers What They Want From You
When you are applying for finance you need to provide a history of your business. A similar statement is true if you are trying to sell your business. Potential buyers will require a history of your business performance and sales before there is generally any discussion or negotiation of purchase. Potential buyers will require information on your business history such your current existing customer base and the history showing the increase in your customers and therefore the increase in your...

•Shuffleboard Tables
Shuffleboard is a great way to relax with your family or friends. Shuffleboard is played in taverns, on ocean liners, and in parks. It can also be played in your home. Where Did Shuffleboard Come From? Shuffleboard has been around for about five hundred years. It was called shovel-board in 16th-century England. The British colonists brought the game to America, and it began to really catch on in the early 1900s. It was during this time period when beautifully handcrafted shuffleboard tables...

•Chess Set Combinations Gift Ideas
Finding the perfect chess set combination is not always the easiest thing to do. You want to create a set that is appealing to the eye as well as practical for playing the game. When you have either of the two required items, either the board or the pieces, and must match them to their mate then the job becomes a little more difficult. Of course if you are only going to be using the set for display then the chess set combination is not such a major factor relating to the actual play of the...

Click here to see More Articles by Michiel Van Kets
Publishers / Webmasters
Tell A Friend
Leave A Comment!
Download this article in PDF
Report Article!
Search through all the articles:


179 Users Online !
Related Articles:
Latest Articles:
 
Entertainment >> Top 50 Articles on Entertainment
Category - >
• Advertising • Advice • Affiliate Programs • Automobiles
• Be Your Own Mentor • Careers • Communication • Consumers
• CopyWriting • Crime • Domain Names • DoT com Entrepreneur Corner
• Ebooks • Ecommerce • Education • Email
• Entertainment • Environment • Family • Finance And Business
• Food & Drink • Gardening • Health & Fitness • Hobbies
• Home Business • Home Improvement • Humour • House Holds
• Internet And Computers • Kiddos and Teens • Legal Matters • Mail Order
• Management • Marketing • Marriage • MetaPhysical
• Motivational • MultiMedia • Multi Level Marketing • NewsLetters
• Pets • Psychology • Religion • Parenting
• Politics • Sales • Science • Search Engine Optimization
• Site Promotion • Sports • Technology • Travel
• Web Development • Web Hosting • WeightLoss • Women's Corner
• Writing • Miscellaneous Articles • Real Estate • Arts And Crafts
• Aging


Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors
and do not necessarily represent the views of bharatbhasha.net and/or its owners.


Copyright © AwareINDIA. All rights reserved || Privacy Policy || Terms Of Use || Author Guidelines || Free Articles
FAQs Link To Us || Submit An Article || Free Downloads|| Contact Us || Site Map  || Advertise with Us ||
Click here for Special webhosting packages for visitors of this website only!
Vastu Shastra

Linux Hosting Provided By AwareIndia