Posts with tag hacks
Destroyed beauty: Gears of War case mod
Video: DIY FPS controller for Xbox 360
In other words, your thumbs never have to leave the analog sticks, making the controller optimal for first person shooters. Those with a feeling of déjà vu are probably thinking of the HG controllers we covered a while ago. The difference here is that F00 f00's control moves the analog stick and does away with the face buttons entirely, rather than doubling them. It's a pretty neat idea, and it makes us wonder how many melee kills we must have missed in Gears. Check out a video of the controller after the break.
Battlefield Bad Company beta leaked, playable? [Update]
Update: Some of our loyal commenters are telling us that a modified Xbox 360 console is not required for the Battlefield: Bad Company beta leak. However, considering the online nature of this "demo" we'd recommend you'd be wary of attempting this process -- lest the ban hammer be used to knock your console offline for good.
Tipsters are telling us that the Battlefield: Bad Company beta has not only leaked to online download sites but that it may also be playable via a burnt DVD-R, much like the demo for Guitar Hero III. The ability to clone the download of the beta and release it to other consoles also reminds us of the Call of Duty 4 beta glitch which allowed gamers to use the account recovery feature to circumvent the barriers in place of people who hadn't been selected to participate in the closed test.
This situation appears to be more serious as download sites are claiming users will have to modify their console in particular ways in order to run the download from a DVD-R. Of course we remind you that any modification of your Xbox 360 console will void your warranty and can lead to an outright ban of all Xbox online services, including playing games over Xbox Live.
Don't do it. Stay in school. This is your brain on drugs.
You get the idea.
[Thanks, BadMon1906]
Play GHIII with a MIDI drum kit, cuz you can
[Via Joystiq]
Rock Band drums on your PC. Why?
Unfortunately, there's nothing to be done with this fabulous bit of hacking yet. We suppose you could try using it to play a PC game, though we imagine such attempts would be less than successful (though possibly hilarious). We're sure someone will create a program just for the drums though (perhaps the successor to Frets on Fire?). For now, you'll have to entertain yourself by watching the numbers light up on the config screen.
[Via Joystiq]
Major Nelson: don't share accounts or cheat at Gamerscore
Major Nelson has posted a warning on his blog to all the folks out there thinking about sharing their Xbox Live accounts or using altered game saves to cheat at Gamerscore. In short, don't do either one. Major Nelson uses the example of giving someone your account so they can gather all the skulls in Halo 3 for you. If said person were to download XBLA games or movies onto that account, there is basically nothing Microsoft can do for you. The only recourse is for Microsoft to cancel the account altogether, and you'll still be out any MS Points spent by whoever you gave your account to.Major Nelson also lays down a warning to anyone using artificial means to increase their Gamerscore. He notes that such accounts may have their gamerscore removed altogether and any achievements earned on such an account will not be able to be reacquired. And, as you might expect, such an account (and the console on which it resides) could also be banned from Xbox Live entirely.
We're not sure what prompted the warning (an increase in one or both activities perhaps), but we're sure it's good advice. Besides, what's the point of cheating to get Gamerscore? Where's the fun in that? Remember kids, if you cheat to inflate your Gamerscore, you're no better than a pro athlete.
Halo 3 leaked online by the thousands
Before the cries of "OLD" start filling the comment threads, yes, we knew that Halo 3 was leaked several days ago. We chose not to propagate the story, but it seems to be reaching critical mass now, so there's no point in ignoring it. And before you ask, no, we're not telling you how to get it. The game data, which clocks in at about 6 gigabytes, is being shared and downloaded on a number of file sharing sites. According to gamesindustry.biz, the file has already been downloaded in the thousands. Of course, the file is only playable on modded Xboxen, which means that online multiplayer will likely incur a hefty swing of the Microsoft Banhammer. Considering that multiplayer and online co-op are more or less the heart and soul of Halo 3, downloading an illegal copy seems a little on the lonely side, thrilling though it may be to put one over on The Man. At any rate, the leak is sure to be an upsetting, if not unexpected, blow to MS and Bungie.
Play PSP with an Xbox 360 controller
Get to it, Fanboy Nation!
[Via Engadget]
360 Genesis emulator in development
Ah the Sega Genesis. For many gamers, there are no fonder memories than the 16-bit days of yore. Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Sonic the Hedgehog. Hell, back then Sega even made decent RPGs (what the hell happened to those anyway?). Perhaps you find yourself in a similar nostalgic boat. Maybe you're sitting there with all of those incredibly legal backup copies of your old Genesis games and looking for a way to play them on your Xbox 360. If so, you may soon be in luck, as a CodePlex user by the name of GrahamStoneman is currently working on a Genesis emulator for the Xbox 360. The project is currently still in its early stages -- it doesn't actually play games at this point -- but GrahamStoneman hopes to create a fully functional and full speed emulator by the time the project is finished. Graham Stoneman is looking for collaborators, so you may want to check it out if you're interested.Our only question is how such an emulator will be executed on a 360? The project entry makes no mention of XNA (which has been used to create other emulators), so we're curious if the emulator is expected to run through Microsoft approved means or via an exploit.
[Via DCEmu]
Got a small fortune? Play Halo 2 with a Wiimote
Modders, to put it lightly, are crazy. Case in point, a little project by someone known only as OBsIV. What project, you ask? Why, nothing more than to get a Wii remote to control Halo 2 on an Xbox 360. More impressive than the feat itself it the sheer amount of stuff required to do it. Behold:
- Wiimote and Nunchuk
- Xbox 360
- PC
- XFPS 360
- Custom drivers
- "Black box" (hard coded microcontroller with spliced PS2 cable)
Continue reading Got a small fortune? Play Halo 2 with a Wiimote
MS installing new heatsinks in refurb 360s
The technophiles at Xbox-Scene have uncovered a tasty bit of Xbox 360 news that should serve as some relief to sufferers of the Red Ring of Death. It looks like Microsoft is employing new heat-combating measures when refurbishing broken units. Specifically, a new heatsink is being installed. The heatsink resides directly under the DVD drive, connected to one of the other heatsinks with copper tubing. Blessedly untouched by the Red Ring of Death thus far, we don't know how effective this new heatsink is, but we're hopeful that it will solve perpetually publicized 360 failures. Whether or not Microsoft is also installing the heatsink in new Xbox 360s is unknown. See video proof of the new heatsink after the break.
[Thanks, Josh W]
Video: Hitler gets banned from Xbox Live
What happens when you put silly subtitles over dramatic foreign footage? Absolute hilarity, that's what. Now combine this already potent combination with making fun of Adolf Hitler and it's even funnier. Combine that with the Xbox 360's superior online capabilities and you have got yourself some comedy gold. Come on, Microsoft? How could you ban Hitler? He had 2000 MS Points! What the hell can he do with them now? Then again, we suppose that's what happens when you play with a modified console (who would have thought that Hitler was a 1337 h4xx0r?). At this rate, Hitler may have to do the unthinkable: settle for a PS3.
We pity the customer support representative who has to take Hitler's call.
Warning: This video is decidedly NSFW, as it contains both foul language and, erm, Hitler.
[Thanks, Vic]
Star Power made easy: an X-plorer mod
You know the feeling. You're playing Guitar Hero II, you've got full Star Power and here comes that sweet string of notes that will send your score into the stratosphere. Only one thing to do: tilt that controller and rock like you mean it. But what's this? You tilt the control and nothing happens, or maybe it's a little delayed, or maybe the act of tilting screws up your fingering. Whatever happened, you're stuck with a piddly x2 multiplier and a lot of wasted Star Power. If this sounds familiar to you, you may want to check out the fancy Star Power button mod at GrownUpGamers. As is the case with most mods, this will require you to crack open your X-plorer and do some soldering, so it's not for the timid. The mod also instructs users how to install a "kill switch" which essentially gives you a second strum button, helping you land those wicked solos.
If you're chops are righteous enough for this mod, click the "read" link and check it out.
See Also:
Guitar Hero II cardboard fret mod
Ben Heck creates the 360 Laptop mk2
Of all the wonderful things that can be said about the Xbox 360, "portable" doesn't usually come up. With a sizable case and a monstrous power brick, the 360 takes some effort (and preferably a comfy backpack) to haul around. Always there to heed our call, the venerable Ben Heck is at it again with the 360 laptop mk2. Many will recall his previous laptop effort, and we have to say the mk2 is definitely an improvement (the keyboard should come in handy for IM). There's no word yet as to how much the beast must have cost (HD screen = expensive), nor are there any "making of" pictures, but Engadget promises to reveal the whole process in the coming weeks. So, if you'd like to build one for your very own, stay tuned.
In the meantime, hit the "read" link to check out some images and video of the 360 laptop mk2 in action.
[Via Joystiq]
