First Xbox 360 modchip in days?

Infinity-mods posted a very short note on the site's homepage on 2 January claiming the have received Xbox 360 modchips for testing, and to expect sales within 2 weeks. Today, the site revealed more on the Modchip. The name of the chip is I.C.E. Here are the details that were given on the site today...

Jan. 5th, 2006 - Due to massive emails regarding the xbox 360 chip, we will provide you some more details. Price is retail $70, Wires are 20-30, Install time is approx 25 minutes, able to direct boot backups, dumped ios, or full rips. Name is I.C.E. Chip

Of course, most Xbox 360 owners are skeptical about the claim since the launch of the console was only weeks ago. Information alone is useless to convince people, we will need to see it to believe it. It will be a major blow to Microsoft though if it is true, since the company has touted tougher security on the console.

Source:
Infinity-Mods

Feel free to visit our Xbox 360 - General Discussion forum.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 5 Jan 2006 18:21

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45 comments

c4iscool

a modchip is good for m$. lord knows that's why I bought my first xbox. more ppl will be willing to buy a 360 if there is a mod. m$ should be happy as hell that someone made a modchip.

5.1.2006 19:17 #1

MrGrimace

<quote>--a modchip is good for m$. lord knows that's why I bought my first xbox. more ppl will be willing to buy a 360 if there is a mod. m$ should be happy as hell that someone made a modchip.--</quote>

The Problem for M$ is that they make more money on the software they are putting out for the system than on the system itself. So potentially, M$ has more to lose if the mod chip is legit from software loss than from console sales increase.

5.1.2006 20:40 #2

codemovie

Yes, MrGrimace is dead on! If, infact, there is a working chip out there..then consider the vitality of xbox360 equal to dreamcast...

Now, this "ICE" modchip (or softmod) may produce a positive result for gamers or it may produce a negative side-effects not only for xbox360 but PS3, and revolution ...how so? Think on it.

5.1.2006 21:22 #3

kaosX

yeah... MS's sales are through software, peripherals and xbox live.. with a recent news thread i read it costs around 700 bucks to manufacture a 360 console so i dont think a mod chip will really help them

5.1.2006 22:29 #4

Ofnir1

I am a bit sceptical about it, but we can't forget that some XBOX 360 DEV kits were stolen in Germany. I remember some were recovered, but just a few. So that right there makes it seem possible.

5.1.2006 23:25 #5

kaosX

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=477948

repsonse on my home forums seems to point to this all being BS... which now seems pretty likely

6.1.2006 00:36 #6

Ofnir1

Ack, forgot all about that counterfeit group LiThIuM.

PlayStation 2 [version 7]
DMS4 PRO
ToxicBIOS 1.4 w/ ToxicOS 0.4
80GB HDD

Ultimate newbie guide for the PS2: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/252193
Extracting music from a PS2 game: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/269197
List: Games that do or do not need special steps: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/162734
NTSC DNA$ Codes: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/198137
Best DVD media to burn with: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/240341
PC to PS2 via LAN: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/122897

6.1.2006 00:42 #7

nuttin_88

McGrimace is right but i did the same as c4iscool. There weren't that many games that interested me for xbox but that machine was a monster when it came to emulation and other things you can't normally do. I had a modded ps2 and the emulators i ran on it were all laggy and bad. Xbox was great for all that stuff, that's why i got it.

6.1.2006 01:25 #8

damo_red

ive alwasys said to my mates im not buying a 360 untill they can mod one... i just hoped it would be a bit longer then this to save me a little cash lol

6.1.2006 01:31 #9

Ketola

It definitely sounds like a hoax. I checked out the whois details yesterday, but Dela forgot to mention them in the article.

The icemodchip.com domain is registered to Infinitymods, and was registered on January 5th. The same day they published the "information" on their site.

Still I thought it might be worth mentioning here. If the chip turns out to be a hoax, Infinity-Mods will have a though time defending their "#1 Canadian supplier for modchips" claim in the future. =)

6.1.2006 04:16 #10

lxhotboy

Well, I cant see i didnot see this one coming. But i can say i did not expect this so soon. The system has not even been out that long yet. It is true that most systems are sold at a loss of profit so if this did make more people buy the system then it would hurt profits later b.c those people would be burning games and ripping iso's instead of buying them off the store shelves. But then again microsoft has enough money and they wouldnot go broke behind a modchip. Most people buy the games legally. Then other like uhhhh... well just others get them by other methods. LOL

6.1.2006 04:29 #11

byteback

I have a moded Xbox and don�t have one single copied game CD or DVD! I wouldn�t now where to get them or how to copy one. What the mod chip does let me do is have a bigger hard drive, store and play media files from it, and run games I purchased, from the HDD, to prevent scratching the originals. Experience means I will now never buy any game, games system or PC that I can�t protect my investment from damage. No mod chip no console or money spent on games from me. If software companies want to have copy protection, then they should replace damaged or lost disks (proof of licence required) at just the cost of P&P plus the manufacturing cost of the disk.

6.1.2006 05:58 #12

dikdimond

I smell BS in the air!

6.1.2006 06:38 #13

firewolf

doesn't matter if they have a modchip or not for me, I will wait till i have the ability to save games on a LARGER hard drive, I can't see spending that much for a game then it getting turned into a coaster

6.1.2006 07:45 #14

weazel200

Sounds like BS

6.1.2006 08:24 #15

byteback

What smells/sounds like BS?

6.1.2006 08:39 #16

arcanix

Same kind of BS we had with psp downgraders. Their release was always pushed further to get more paypal donations.

6.1.2006 09:13 #17

konverter

Big pile of Bs propably.

7.1.2006 00:55 #18

Bubba1982

Just thought I'd help clear up the I.C.E chip bs that is circulating atm
http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=5845

7.1.2006 05:29 #19

wolf123

Just one thing why do you need a modchip and what does it do?

7.1.2006 12:32 #20

spook-1

to MrGrimace's comment, first off, out off al the units of the 360's sold, maybe only about 10% are being bought by people who are "techies" that uses mods...then after that, maybe 5% will become 'modded' by techies for others. the rest of the units are bought by regular folks who only want good games..which wont put microsoft in danger of losing alot on the software end.

modding never hindered the success of the original x-box.

7.1.2006 13:26 #21

wolf123

What does a modchip do?

7.1.2006 13:28 #22

rihgt682

They proved this is fake.
@wolf123
Modchip let you play burn games and a lot more.

7.1.2006 15:28 #23

Daggy-G

Actually bro, They didn't proove sh!t :-)
I would put up fake pix too (for security reasons)
ITS COMMING!!
:-)

7.1.2006 16:18 #24

wolf123

So infact a modchip will let you play illegal burned games is that what your saying

7.1.2006 19:59 #25

rihgt682

Yes, The site seems to be running. It said they don't take payment for the pre-order. So they might not be fake at all.

7.1.2006 21:12 #26

Ofnir1

He didn't say illegaly burned games. A modchips basic feature is booting burned games (or backups, as we prefer to say). It may be illegal to make a copy of an original game that we own, but when we have to buy it for the third time, having a modchip can save a lot of time and money.

7.1.2006 22:03 #27

john_jaxs

Anyone see this:

http://www.nforce.nl/index.php?switchto=nfos&menu=quicknav&item=viewnfo&id=101028

If this allows them to help hack the box and the code then it would help explain for the earlyness of the modchips, plus with the idea that XBox 360 is not awhole lot different then the Xbox when it comes to backups might help add proof to these claims.

Also as far as I know it is perfectly legal to play backups of games you own.

8.1.2006 02:28 #28

akitchens

@ Ofnir1

You hit that nail right on the head! If I buy it you better bet that I'm backing it up!!

8.1.2006 09:56 #29

Ofnir1

Lol same here man.

8.1.2006 16:44 #30

Wild9

In a European store I saw a range of X-box titles for �50 a throw. The same price in 4 stores.

I can see the inevitability of chipping these machines whether Microsoft like it or not.

8.1.2006 19:19 #31

rjw

In our house we have 4 old xbox's, (me and three kids) all in different rooms. All are chipped and can be used to "stream" media from a central server in the cellar. They can run copied games( they even rip and do the copying them selves, the xbox's that is)
The only draw back is that you can't go "xbox live".
So we have a 360 premium for that. If someone can chip a 360 AND make it go live then they are onto a winner.....big style.

9.1.2006 12:04 #32

rihgt682

So how many days till they release this?

9.1.2006 13:06 #33

074kev

What could you do with a mod chip? Can you also customise character skins? Like on DOA 4 for the 360?

11.1.2006 02:58 #34

rihgt682

The new chip.
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/285732

11.1.2006 08:12 #35

Wild9

074kev,

A mod-chip is a programmed hardware device with a very small amount of memory. It is installed into a game console to extend its capabilities and flexibility. When the console powers up, the mod-chip is connected electrically so that the console reads the program held inside and takes it from there.

Crucially, a mod-chip assists in playing games from other regions (including changing the TV output mode) as well as playing your own backups: emulators and home-brew games you've written, etc. Normally a console will not allow these functions and there has been very limited success with software alternatives.

People buy mod-chips for several reasons..not simply as inferred to play pirated games. Software can be purchased less-restrictive markets with less censorship, often at a better price. For someone who lives in the UK, they would for instance have access to Japanese-only games, which right from the Nintendo SNES days tend to look better and play faster due to the different TV systems used (NTSC vs PAL).

The likes of Sony and Microsoft don't like people using mod-chips.

Some of the latest console mod-chips also offer extra neat features like cheats and utilities. However to alter games would require specific support in the actual game itself (maybe using a LAN cable), and any alteration of the game would be considered a hack. The mod-chip's primary goal is just to facilitate region freedom and playback of your own backups.

Hope this helps.

11.1.2006 09:45 #36

074kev

Yes, thank you.

11.1.2006 11:27 #37

rjw

come of it
forget reasons like region codeing etc
the REAL reason for mod chiping an xbox is so that you can toddle of down to blockbusters, rent a game, take it home, rip it to the hard drive, take the game back and viola you still have the game at home
it plays faster from the hhd
and it cost you 3.75 rental not 39.99 purchase
who cares that the game people lost the sale
they shouldn't charge 40 quid for a disc that cost 40p to make
remember bill gates is THE richest man in the world

11.1.2006 12:24 #38

Wild9

You're very welcome, 074kev :-)

11.1.2006 13:12 #39

Wild9

rjw,

I started using mod-chips years ago, mainly to buy Japanese games on older consoles (like the PS1, which I still enjoy playing). The games were cheap compared to what I was being charged in Europe with more choice, and I liked their approach to artwork and storyline.

I agree with what you say about the price of games and that people who are inclined to do so, will always find a way of getting something for as little as possible.

There's been a couple of times where those Blockbuster games wouldn't work in non-chipped machines due to the sheer state of the discs they rent!

11.1.2006 13:34 #40

Tokijin

I doubt the infinity mod post is a hoax. Anybody who is familar with their PS2 chips knows they are high quality and not in the habit of promoting BS. I have a Matrix Infinity in my v4 PS2 and it's top of the line. I've never seen a complaint about a legit Matrix chip. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the MI team is the first to crack the X box 360 code and get a working chip. As far as "acquiring" games, I have to agree with the previous post. I'm a full time Student and do not have the dinero to throw down $50 per game. I frequent the local BlockBuster, and the state of some their games is quite appalling. People just don't take care of anything anymore. Peace.

12.1.2006 20:07 #41

dicknavis

I for one hope that this chip isn't a hoax, I mod xbox's for a living as i'm a student living in the dorms and i don't need a "real" job b/c the xboxs and some computer work keeps me in business. I have expreienced ppl wanting the mod for a variety of resons, one i just did even went in the back of his car and is integrated into his A/V system, it looks pretty pimp...and that's the great thing about what the mod scene did to the xbox, it rounded up all these ppl that can't stand to have anything that is "stock" and gave them a relatively inexpensive way to "tune up" their xbox. Load times are off the wall on a modded box, in game reset, every game made for every console of all time(except ps2) is available thru emulation, and the xbox media center is pure genius thru its interconnectivity with a home pc or on a network. I don't know how regularly you guys check xboxscene.com, but a couple years back they had an article about microsoft actually conducting a poll/survey to customers about modded xboxs, the result was that more ppl buy xboxs because they know they can mod them, ppl still buy games that they love and in all reality only around 1% of all xboxs that exist on the planet are modded. Microsoft has realized that the mod scene doesn't hurt them at all, it puts them so far ahead of the competition because they have this awesome system that you can customize in every way. I have already torn my console apart once to paint it, add a window and some lights, and change the color of led's and such, I have even added a much bigger hard drive, and grounded the fans so they run at full speed to keep the machine cooler. Bottom line is that there is always going to be this drive for ppl to make their xbox better and different from every xbox on the market. I just hope that this xbox will be as amazing as the last one in terms of flexibility and relative performance.

15.1.2006 10:55 #42

bluejet

This isn't good at all for the people who develope xbox 360 games. Lol what a joke. Microsoft said they worked on preventing piracy for over 2 years for the 360 and theres a modchip coming out already??? LOL

Version 1 scph 30001 ps2.
80 gb hard drive
free hd loader

Version 10 scph 50001 ps2
80 gb hard drive
free hd loader

version 12 slim ps2

psp version 2.1 (dammit)
Waiting for a downgrader

15.1.2006 13:30 #43

Tokijin

That's an interesting point Nick. I've been told by modders that the X Box is a lot easier to mod than a PS2. Same goes for the Game Cube. Apparently the mobo design of the PS2 is not very mod friendly. I'd guess that a similar percentage of PS2's have been modded. Once you own a modded system, there is no going back. C'mom Matrix and DMS, get cracking on the PS3 lol. Cheers!

My PS2 FAQ: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/252193

15.1.2006 13:48 #44

Tokijin

Okay this is a fake: http://www.ps2newz.net/forums/showthread.php?t=43358 This wasn't from the MI team, but some impostors. I was wrong.

17.1.2006 21:02 #45

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