Mods chips are the focal point of recent raids here in the U.S. by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to an announcement issued by ICE, over 32 warrants were issued, and homes and businesses were raided in 16 different states. I’m sure you know what a mod chip is, but in case you don’t, they allow users of video game consoles to play pirated games by getting around the copy-protection in place.
The reason immigration and customs is involved is because the mod-chips are imported from other countries and then brought into the United States illegally so that dealers can sell them.According to the ICE website, “The investigation represents the largest national enforcement action of its kind targeting this type of illegal activity.”
Mod chips are found for nearly all consoles, with the more popular chips being for the Playstation 2, Xbox and Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii. Nintendo has already praised the government for their efforts in a press release saying that “Nintendo and its developers and publishers lost an estimated $762 million in sales in 2006 due to piracy of its products.” While that number is significant, it is assumed that they’re taking into consideration the full price for the counterfeit discs seized. I’m sure many of the people who purchase the counterfeit discs wouldn’t otherwise purchase the games to begin with, which means Nintendo wouldn’t have received the profits anyways.
While mod chips are primarily used for getting around the copyright protection in place, there are in fact other reasonable explanations as to why people buy them. One of the reasons I’ve heard is that people get mod chips so that they can get around the region lock so that they can play games from other regions.
Reader Question: If you have modded your game console before, was the primary reason for playing pirated games, or something different?
I dont have any console game, but, it is because the game is almost free, the pirate game is very very cheat than a original one. that`s all.
we MOD our game consoles simply because we live in America and we can!
No I don’t mod my consoles as I don’t run a risk of making them into a brick especially my Wii (since it is so darn to find right now).
While being able to “backup” games that weren’t legally mine was a deciding factor in modding my old xbox, it turned out that was one of the feature that was used the least. Being able to change how you play games on the fly with trainers and mods led outstanding replay in coop Halo. Also the load times in GTA:SA were almost zero when playing the game from the hard drive instead of the DVD.
Now the reason I modded my second original xbox didn’t have anything to do with games at all. It was all about Xbox Media Center. It pretty much turned a $80 used xbox into a PS3 except for the fact that it couldn’t play PS3 games. Honestly every media feature that the PS3 has plus the choice of running a real linux x86 distro could run on the xbox. XBMC could stream anything from your computer that obtain legally or illegally including .avi .wmv .h264 .mp4 .mov and even .iso strait to your tv.
I have also modded my ds lite. It was pretty expensive ($150 not including the DS), but with it i can play music, videos, photo slide shows on the go. I can also play nes, GB, GBC, GBA, NDS, roms without having to change out any of the carts. There is nothing better than playing some old school nes games on the go.
As for my 360 I refuse to mod it until unsigned code is executable. And I think modchips that are only used for piracy (all 360 and Wii modchips out currently) do hurt the industry. But it gets more complicated when you bring in homebrew. For example the only reason the 360 has media features is because XBMC was such a big hit for the old xbox. Along with a lot of other features.
Of cource not! you should have the right to mod your system. technically, you paid the system manufacturer before you modded it. Editing your Hardware in the system is also not only be to play pirated games! You could add several features to your expense and your convenience! it is your decision. Not all system modders are bad.
I can see why people are upset, but honestly they need to realise that this will happen *anyway*, whatever they do, and whatever laws they pass. Like downloading music off the internet… you can fight Napster and shut it down, or you can create your own alternative thing that earns you revenue… I’m sure most people would be happy to BUY mod chips, if they were on sale.
“I’m sure you know what a mod chip is, but in case you don’t, they allow users of video game consoles to play pirated games by getting around the copy-protection in place”
That’s not true at all. A mod chip is a device that modifies a device to extend the capabilities of the machine. Piracy is usually a side-effect of allowing unsigned code, but it isn’t always the reason people buy modchips. In fact, I think you’ll find most people use them to enable homebrew software, hence the reason why there’s so much homebrew available.
I have 2 modded Xboxes but that doesn’t mean I use them for piracy. One has Xbox Linux on it and the other has XBMC on it. Apart from the hacked BIOS on the second Xbox (The modchip contains Microsoft BIOS that have been changed to allow unsigned code, whereas the other one has cromwell Linux BIOS that were written from scratch.), they’re entirely legal.
I don’t currently own a modded system, but I would like to get a modded Playstation 2 to play imported Japanese games. Most console systems have a regional lock, similar to those on DVDs. Even though the hardware is the same, games from another region– say, American games on a system purchased in England– won’t function.
Yes, modified systems *can* be used for piracy, just like a CD burner. But they can also be used for legitimate purposes, like home-made non-commercial games or applications or playing imported games. (Is the goverment going to ban CD burners sometime soon?)
The biggest reason that I modded my original Xbox was for the Xbox Media Center. It was nice being able to play any kind of music and movies on it without wondering whether it was going to work.
I was considering modding the xbox but wasnt sure why.But pirated games, why should I when I buy a game i do it because I intend to play it over and over. I collect them if you will. i go to ebay and get original games at good prices and stored them.