X-Box Modding

 

First off, what is X-box modding. Well, it is the act of modifying an X-box to suit the needs of its owner. This is usually done through the installation of a so called mod-chip. These chips allow the circumvention of the original manufacturer's BIOS and thereby bypass many of the protections and security features that the manufacturer has put in place. In the case of the X-Box, and depending on the new BIOS used with the mod chip, this allows you to run unsigned code and third-party applications, back up your games, put in a new hard drive, and, most importantly for me, get around the region lock on games and DVDs.

 

This region lock is the reason why I became interested in modding. Last year, towards the end of my studies, my life consisted of studying and more studying with little to no free time. Upon graduation, I therefore decided to give myself an X-Box as a little graduation present. Since I was leaving Germany to work in the US for a year, I was obviously going to buy my X-Box there. While shopping around I heard that I would probably not be able to use my X-Box in Europe if I bought it in the US, not due to any voltage differences, which are easy to get around using a transformer, but because Microsoft didn't want me to be able to do this. To verify this information I checked on Microsoft's official X-Box website and found nothing. I finally did find the information on the FAQ of their German X-Box support pages. I have posted what I found below. I have translated it into English with the original statements from Microsoft's Website, in German, left next to it.

 

 

Q: Can I buy an Xbox in the USA or Japan and use it in Europe?

F: Kann ich eine Xbox in den USA oder in Japan kaufen und sie in Europa verwenden?
 

A: ... Like all video game consoles, the Xbox will be available in a unique configuration for each region (North America, Europe, and Japan). For many different reasons, like voltage or TV technology, each configuration is set up to only work in one region. For the following reasons we would not advise you to buy an Xbox from another region:

 

 

A: ... Wie alle Videospielkonsolen wird die Xbox in bestimmten, für jede Region (Nordamerika, Europa und Japan) einzigartigen Konfigurationen erhältlich sein. Jede Konfiguration ist aufgrund zahlreicher Aspekte, wie unterschiedlicher Netzspannung oder Fernsehtechnologie, so ausgerichtet, dass sie nur in einer Region funktioniert. Es wird aus folgenden Gründen nicht empfohlen, eine Spielkonsole aus einer anderen Region zu kaufen:
 

- Availability of games: With the Xbox, only the games from the region in which the Xbox was sold can be played. With a North American Xbox, only games bought in North America can be played. Players in Europe, who buy an Xbox from another region, can only play games with it that were bought in that region. Apart from the fact that this is disadvantageous and expensive, those games that are only available in Europe and not in other regions, can not be played.

 

 

- Spieleverfügbarkeit. Mit der Xbox können nur Spiele aus der Region, in der die Xbox gekauft wurde, ausgeführt werden. Mit einer nordamerikanischen Xbox können daher nur in Nordamerika gekaufte Spiele ausgeführt werden. SpielerInnen in Europa, die die Xbox in einer anderen Region kaufen, können damit nur in dieser Region gekaufte Spiele spielen. Abgesehen davon, dass dies unvorteilhaft und teuer ist, können viele Spiele, die nur in Europa und nicht in anderen Regionen erhältlich sind, nicht gespielt werden.
 

...- Product support. Xbox Product Support in Europe only offers service for European consoles. If you buy a Japanese or North American Xbox, you will receive no warranty and no support in case of problems. 

 

 

...- Produktunterstützung. Die Xbox-Produktunterstützung in Europa bietet nur einen Service für europäische Konsolen. Wenn ihr eine japanische oder nordamerikansiche Xbox kauft, erhaltet ihr dafür keine Garantie und im Problemfall keinerlei Unterstützung.
 

- DVD incompatibility. The European DVD controller does not work with an Xbox from another region, and European (region 2) DVDs cannot be played on on an Xbox from another region.

- DVD-Inkompatibilität. Der europäische DVD-Controller funktioniert nicht mit einer Xbox aus einer anderen Region, und europäische (Region 2) DVDs können auf einer Xbox aus einer anderen Region nicht abgespielt werden.

Found on the FAQ of the German pages of Microsoft's official X-Box website. There is no mention of this on their American support pages.

 

According to Microsoft's statements this would have left me with three options:

  1. Forgo buying an X-Box in the US and wait until my return to Europe, ruining my little graduation present in the process.

  2. Buy the X-Box in the US and sell it with all the games and accessories bought in the interim, at a loss, before returning to Europe. Only to buy a new X-Box there at full price.

  3. Buy the X-Box in the US and and keep it in order to use all the games and accessories bought during my time there, and buy an additional X-Box in Europe to be able to play new games and view DVDs there.

In my opinion all three options were unacceptable, especially since the incompatibility is not an act of God, but a conscious act by Microsoft! To my simple way of thinking, a consumer product was available and I had the funds to purchase it, so I had the right to do so and use it in any way I saw fit.

 

This is why I ended up purchasing and installing a mod chip. Not because I wanted to pirate games and DVDs, but because I simply wanted to use my property in another country (which I believe is perfectly legal). I would have happily paid more for an X-Box that would have allowed me to do this. If this would have been possible, I probably would never have even heard about X-Box modding and hacking, but thanks to Microsoft and what they wanted to impose on me as a consumer I now have a modded X-Box capable of doing the things I want but also capable of playing pirated games (something I'm sure is not in the interest of Microsoft). And what about the warranty? Yes, I lost it by installing a mod chip, but thanks to Microsoft I never had one in Europe anyway.

 

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