| As a serious gamer myself, I love to see games | | | | little games and programs to stream video and audio. |
| before they hit our shores here in North America. But | | | | But in order to play / run this software, users are |
| more than that, I am always looking for the hottest | | | | required to be able to load unsigned / home brew |
| and most unique games I can get my hands on. | | | | code onto their system. This is where mod chips |
| Unfortunately, many of those games just don't come | | | | come in. Not only do they allow you to play the |
| to our side of the ocean from Japan. Typically, since | | | | latest game offerings from Japan, which as stated |
| the days of the original Nintendo NES, Japanese | | | | earlier, are often much better both graphically and in |
| gamers have enjoyed much more unique and often | | | | the way of originality than the games that are for |
| times much better games than their North American | | | | the North American market. |
| Counter Parts. I've been very fortunate to be able to | | | | As with any new system, and the new mod chips |
| play many of these Japanese games while I was | | | | that first come out - we're always hit with loads of |
| living in Japan, but when I returned back home to | | | | "compatibility" issues. Much like when the ps2 mod |
| Canada, I simply could not find many of the games | | | | chip first came out, they had chips (different chips) |
| that I had played with such pleasure while in Japan. | | | | for each "version" of the ps2 console. And the Xbox |
| So I searched and researched and found exactly | | | | 360 mod chips are no exception. The very first chips |
| what I needed to be able to just put those Japanese | | | | that came out were for very specific "versions" of |
| games into game console and really start playing | | | | the XBox 360. First it was a mod chip for the |
| again. What I found was a Mod Chip, for my | | | | Samsung drives .. Which means that if your XBox |
| Playstation console. And I've been using mod chips | | | | 360 had a samsung DVD drive, then you needed to |
| ever since then. Having most recently purchased and | | | | buy an Xbox 360 mod chip that worked on the |
| installed my Xbox 360 Mod Chip into my system - | | | | SAMSUNG drive, to bypass the current firmware. |
| and I've got games from Japan on the way. | | | | Then the Team Underdog chip came out, this chip |
| So Just what IS a mod chip? Let me explain. A | | | | had 2 versions. One for the samsung drives, and |
| modification chip or mod chip is a device used to play | | | | another one for the LG/Hitachi Drives. So again, you |
| import, backup, or home brew games. Mod Chips first | | | | were "stuck" having to find out exactly which Xbox |
| came into "fame" when die hard, hard core gamers | | | | 360 you had, in order to select the right chip for your |
| who were tired of the slim offerings that were made | | | | console. |
| available for them in the USA, wanted to get their | | | | Now, as with most developments in the mod chip |
| hands on the often better and more unique Japanese | | | | manufacturing world, eventually, some very smart |
| games that were coming out for their game console. | | | | programmers and developers finally get it right. |
| This is nothing new, even the Nintendo NES has a | | | | Naturally, it is common sense to assume that |
| device that allowed gamers to plug Japanese | | | | customers would be much more likely to buy a mod |
| Famicom cartridges into their USA NES system so | | | | chip for their Xbox 360 is they could do away with |
| that they could play those really unique Japanese | | | | the "version" checking, and buy a chip that they |
| games, or the latest Mario offering that was only | | | | KNOW will work in their Xbox 360 console... Of |
| available (or came out much sooner) in Japan. | | | | course, when they take it apart after receiving their |
| Mod chips are available for all the major video game | | | | chip, they WILL have to find out which model they |
| consoles, including the Xbox 360, Xbox, Sony PSP, | | | | have so they can use the right installation directions - |
| PlayStation, Playstation 2 and GameCube. Almost all | | | | but they don't have to fret or worry that the chip |
| modern console gaming systems have | | | | they have purchased may NOT be compatible with |
| hardware-based schemes which ensure that only | | | | their XBox 360. |
| officially sanctioned games may be used with the | | | | Much like any product, customers want the peace of |
| system and implement regional lockout similar to the | | | | mind of knowing that what they are buying will |
| scheme used in DVD movies. The specific technical | | | | simply just WORK, and in the case of mod chips, will |
| nature of these DRM systems varies by system, and | | | | work in their Xbox 360 console regardless of the |
| may include cryptographic signing (Xbox), intentionally | | | | version of the Xbox 360 that they purchased. |
| unreadable sectors (PlayStation, Sega Saturn), | | | | In comes the Globe 360 Xbox 360 Mod Chip. The |
| custom optical media (GameCube, Dreamcast), or | | | | Globe 360 is the world's First Xbox 360 mod chip |
| some combination thereof. Modchips are available also | | | | that is compatible with ALL DVD Drives currently on |
| for some DVD players, to defeat region code | | | | the market! Rather than having to figure out which |
| enforcement and user operation prohibitions. | | | | model drive you have, as you do with other chips, |
| Mod Chips first came into "fame" when die hard, hard | | | | the Globe360 Xbox 360 Mod chip works in ANY drive |
| core gamers who were tired of the slim offerings | | | | model to date. And the home brew software that is |
| that were made available for them in the USA, | | | | available is outstanding - and I expect it to get a |
| wanted to get their hands on the often better and | | | | whole lot better. My Xbox already acts as a |
| more unique Japanese games that were coming out | | | | complete media center, even streaming Google |
| for their game console. This is nothing new, even the | | | | Videos directly from the Internet. And my Playstation |
| Nintendo NES has a device that allowed gamers to | | | | 2 has been transformed from just an awesome |
| plug Japanese Famicom cartridges into their USA NES | | | | games machine to a DVD Player, DivX Player, MP3 |
| system so that they could play those really unique | | | | Player, and streaming content directly to the console |
| Japanese games, or the latest Mario offering that | | | | from the Internet makes it something that I could |
| was only available (or came out much sooner) in | | | | not do without. |
| Japan. | | | | To sum it up, if you have an Xbox 360, then you |
| Modchips typically require some level of technical | | | | should really consider getting an Xbox 360 mod chip. |
| ability to install. Most commonly, modchips must be | | | | Not only will you be able to protect your expensive |
| soldered on to a console's motherboard, although | | | | investments by making backup copies of your own |
| there are no-solder install kits (which instead rely on | | | | original games, and putting the originals away for safe |
| the precise positioning of electrical contacts within the | | | | keeping, but you'll also open up a whole new world of |
| case) which work with some revisions of the | | | | games that you simply would not be able to play |
| PlayStation 2 and Xbox hardware. | | | | otherwise. There are truly very unique (and playable) |
| As console systems got better and better, a whole | | | | Japanese games that we'll simply never see |
| following of home brew developers starting making | | | | otherwise. And if home brew or cool utilities, |
| their own software for their consoles. Software like | | | | applications or add-ons are your thing, then having a |
| the Xbox Media Center (XMBC) as well as their own | | | | mod chip is an absolute must. |