I recently bought an Xbox 360 along with a couple of games. Unfortunately, I’ve concluded that the gaming industry has some points to improve. As many other players, I hate how you have to pay for each hour of entertainment. It’s not only about paying once for one single game, but you have to pay every time you want to play. So I decided to install a modified Xbox 360 in order to play pirated games.
What is a modded Xbox 360? How is it different from an ilegal Xbox 360?
A modded Xbox is an illegal console that has been altered by the owner in order to be able to run unsigned code (this means code that has not been “signed” by Microsoft, i.e. code the author did not pay for). For instance, you can play pirated games on a modded Xbox without paying anything to the game’s publisher.
Will modded Xbox 360 models one day be able to run backups or pirate copies of newly released games?
At the moment, no. There are several reasons for this:
- New games come out every week;
- Older games (that have been cracked and released online) also get new protection measures (so-called “revocation lists”) that make previous cracks obsolete;
- The Xbox 360 security system is very complex and takes a lot of time to crack (and even more of your patience);
- Cracking the Xbox 360 security system would require new hardware.
3. Has anyone successfully cracked it?
Some hackers have had some success but they are not part of the scene; they do not make their findings public and sell modified consoles privately. There is no hacker, nor is there a team working on spreading the piracy, as it happened with previous generations of consoles.
4. What are the risks if I buy a modded Xbox 360?
The main risk is that you will not be able to play online anymore (and thus you might lose access to any current games that require an active connection). Another risk is that games that have been updated with revocation lists will not work anymore, which means you would have to wait for a new console-specific exploit to be found. Finally, you might also need a serial cable in order to update your Xbox 360.
5. How much does it cost?
In this particular case, the total price was US$181. Price varies depending on the seller and where you live (buying prices in Brazil are very high).
6. Is it legal for using pirated games?
No, it is not. Game developers and publishers invest a lot of time and money to make games available for everyone, and piracy implies that they don’t get anything back from their work.
7. Are there any alternatives to modding an Xbox 360?
Yes, downloading games from file-sharing networks usually doesn’t require a modified console, but you’d still have to pay for the games you download. In addition, this type of piracy is illegal in most countries and can get your personal computer infected with viruses and other types of malware.
8.So, is it worth doing?
I guess not. There are easier ways to get your favorite games for free. The truth is that very few people are into modding consoles nowadays, just because there are so many other options available that are much simpler and safer than taking the risk of bricking your console.
conclusion
The game industry has already adopted new business models, like subscriptions and free-to-play. This also means that people who still want to play pirated Xbox 360 games will have to pay for the hardware they install in their console. In most cases they would not be able to join online games or play newly released titles anymore, so there isn’t really much of a point in doing this.
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