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Xbox crackdown irks "mod chip" fans

Marcel Klum   on 10 October 2002 - 15:01 · 9 comments & 599 views

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Many game players have been left in the lurch as a result of Microsoft's apparently successful efforts to shut down one of the leading sellers of Xbox hacking tools.
Customers of Hong Kong-based Web retailer Lik-Sang report they've heard nothing regarding dozens of orders they placed with the site shortly before it went offline last month.

Lik-Sang was one of the top worldwide retailers of "mod chips," devices that when soldered to a game console's main circuit board will disable security components. The chips typically allow a game machine to play legally and illegally copied discs, run unauthorized software, and play game discs intended for other geographic regions.

Customers have also been stymied in getting information on the retailer's plans. Ted, a 30-year-old network administrator from Cliffside, N.J., said he spent more than $300 on a programming tool for his classic SNES Nintendo game console the day before Lik-Sang went offline.

Ted, who asked that his last name not be used, said he's heard nothing from Lik-Sang since the order was placed and skipped a chance to complain through PayPal--the online service he used to pay for the order--based on Lik-Sang's server pledges.

"I don't have an Xbox and could care less about that and the mod chips," he said. "In my case, we are talking about fair use and a console that is 11 years old."

David, a British pub owner who also declined to give his full name, said he sent Lik-Sang almost $400 for an Xbox with a mod chip pre-installed by Lik-Sang. He said he's heard nothing from the retailer since.

"I know a lot of people will say that I got what I deserved by dealing with a company who deals in pirate consoles--and to some extent I agree, but nobody likes to lose 250 (British) pounds," he said.

News source: News.com
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(4 replies) #1 evilroy on 10 Oct 2002 - 18:06
What other company dictates what you can do with their products after you buy them? Sure they can say we don't provide tech support and that the warranty is void but those are consumer risks aren't they. What makes mod chips any different? Piracy? You don't see MS trying to shut down the makers of CD burners that are used to pirate XP or Office. What's this crap about unauthorized software being run on a XBox. Who says it's unauthorized? It's friggin LINUX and its free!!! I say PISS OFF MS!! You're a retailer. Period. You have absolutley no business lookin over my shoulder after I buy one of your boxes - pre-modded or otherwise!
#1.1 Cara on 10 Oct 2002 - 19:02
Actually knowing Microsoft, they do have a license agreement or something similar somewhere that says you can not open the case on the XBox or make any modifications obtained from anyone except for Microsoft to it. Wouldn't surprise me, but I've been out of the Console war since the original NES.
#1.2 Martog on 10 Oct 2002 - 19:56
You are actually right about a licenses agreement about modding, etc. The EULA of Xbox Live states that it can only be used with an unmodified console, unless it was a repair done officially by Microsoft.
#1.3 werejag on 11 Oct 2002 - 07:41
The EULA have no legal backing
#1.4 Redmak on 11 Oct 2002 - 10:56
Well MS must have something on them. They took legal action and now the company is gone so there must be something illegal going on there.
#2 vraa on 10 Oct 2002 - 23:11
shutting down lik sang was a bad thing.. i dont think they should have gone that far.. maybe sent a couple letters saying to remove xbox related items.. but shutting the entire site down? thast wrong.. pure wrong.. lol but remember.. a lot of these people are just illeteraite people sometimes (i know i misspelled.. in a rush.. sorry) kinda like they shut down Napster.. but thats just like suing HP for making cdrw's.. napster doens't supply the music.. its just a search engine.. i think.. lol
#3 ILMagic on 11 Oct 2002 - 15:18
Maybe Microsoft passed alittle money their way
#4 Spyder on 11 Oct 2002 - 16:36
boo hoo no mod chips i'm sad

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