Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2003)
& ■ HMWHMMMMj mmm The Battalion l^age 6A • Tuesday, September 2,1 Mod chips catching on in College Statior Students buying and selling mod chips despite legal and ethical ramification By George Deutsch THE BATTALION Many college students consider playing video games a legitimate hobby and a way of life. The newest generation of home gaming consoles — the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube — have introduced tech nology vastly superior to the 8-bit Nintendo in 1985, making these sys tems particularly popular with col lege students who have witnessed the evolution of gaming firsthand. But as with any new technology, hackers pose a significant threat to system and software manufacturers, and today’s gaming systems aren’t exempt from this burden. Much of the hacking done to today’s home video game con soles is made possible through modification chips, commonly called mod chips, which attach to a system’s internal motherboard and circumvent security measures. Available for self-installation on the Internet, mod chips can transform video game systems into media melting pots, enabling Microsoft’s Xbox, for example, to store illegally-pirated movies, CDs, video games, still images and other things Bill Gates never intended on its hard drive. Since these chips encourage the bypassing of copy right legislation such as the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, they present a dilemma for gamers seeking to unlock their system’s full potential while also wanting to stay on the right Ljijde of the law. Senior economics major Joel Hoskins has his own mod chip sales and installation business, CUSTOM MODS. Hoskins said though mod chips were originally intended for legal pur poses, they also serve illegal, gamer- friendly functions. “If you’re going to burn every game (onto a hard drive), you’re rub bing dirt in their (game developers’) faces,” Hoskins said. “ These guys are working hard to make games, and they don’t make much money doing it. And I’m sitting here trying to sell chips that illegally play burned games but also do legal things. It’s a double- edged sword.” But not all mod chip distributors go unno ticed by the Department of Justice. In December of 2002, 22-year-old Virginia native David Rocci was convicted of selling $28,000 worth of ille gal mod chips and was forced to turn over his Web address, www.isonews.com, to the DOJ. Rocci’s site now fea tures an unpleasant video clip from Attorney General John Ashcroft about the ills of computer crime. So selling and owning mod chips doesn't come without consequences. For around $50, a student could pur chase a mod chip from an Internet deal er or someone like Hoskins. The sale of the chips is not illegal, though many of the chips’ functions are, which raises concerns with companies such as Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft. Microsoft’s customer service represen tatives, for example, will not answer questions relating to mod chips. The installation of a mod chip also voids a game system’s warranty and, in the case of Microsoft’s Xbox, will dis qualify a gamer from online play, I’m... trying to sell chips that illegally play burned games but abo do legal things. It’s a double-edged sword. — Joel Hoskins senior economics major Photos courtisy or www.divinio.co.uk. www.auhackikshakovyaki.com and www.consou s"' Pictured clockwise from top left ore the Messiah 2, the Matrix 2, the X- for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 gaming systems, and they allow w ecuter and the Enigmah modification chips. These chips are designed play illegally pirated games and save downloaded games and m?? according to the Official Xbox Magazine. Still, one country is taking steps to recognize gamers' rights, though no other countries have followed its lead. Australia recently declared mod chips legal, effectively throwing out a Sony lawsuit. But Sony is considering an appeal. For some, mod chips — which sell under names such as Enigmah, Messiah I and Messiah 2 — represent the evolu tion of video games, while for oik' they represent computer crime. In either case, the College Slit mod chip scene is alive and well. Hoskins said, in a world of black i white, "this is a gray market." m NMNMMMNMdB > I — 1 1 | Macromedia' Studio MX 2004 $199 SPREAD THE WORD Introducing something that is definitely not ordinary-just in time for back to school. The new Macromedia Studio MX 2004 integrates the leading professional tools for designing and developing web sites and applications-all for just $199. Buy Studio MX 2004 at your campus bookstore or visit the Macromedia online store at macromedia.com/go/students2004 • <**<***. 'X-** ■**.*■'■'**■ •! m . ... : ' " . I retail price is $199. Copyright © 2003 Macromedia, Inc All rights reserved. Macromedia, the Macromedia logo, ColdFusion, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, FroeHand, and Macromedia Rash are trademarks or registered trademarks of Macromedia. Inc. which may be registered In the United States and/or other countries. W -m** * * ♦ « » NATION THE BAT r Bui R1CHF1E tax cuts agai ence that he bumping ale Calling A country, Bu: state to pled He prorr body worki “We’re c< and for those want people That’s the co Bush’s tri his third visi in 2000. He s Engineers, v workers in tli Tucked I Cleveland, R The site well-preppei other heavy on a damp, < Bush deft time when tl million peop He said tl the terror ati America ami Bush sait ism and thai ter accounta "Yet, the passed tax r When you It With an Rural a WASHING benefit is me recipients ar city to lack £ a report pn President Cl The repo recipients in through priv provided by cities. It alsc about 25 pei
