Editing Xbox

Jump to: navigation, search

Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision Your text
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox information appliance
+
{{Infobox VG system
 
|name = Xbox
 
|name = Xbox
|logo = [[File:Xbox_original_logo.png|frameless|upright=1.13|Xbox logo]]
+
|logo = [[File:Xbox original logo black.png|frameless|upright=1.13|Xbox logo]]
 
|image = [[File:Xbox-console.jpg|frameless|upright=1.15|Xbox console with "Controller S"]]
 
|image = [[File:Xbox-console.jpg|frameless|upright=1.15|Xbox console with "Controller S"]]
 
|caption = Xbox console with "Controller S"
 
|caption = Xbox console with "Controller S"
 
|developer = [[Microsoft]]
 
|developer = [[Microsoft]]
|manufacturer = [[Flextronics]]  
+
|manufacturer = [[Flextronics]]<ref name=Wired2011>{{cite web|last=O'Brien|first=Jeffrey M.|title=The Making of the Xbox|url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.11/flex.html|work=Wired|publisher=Condé Nast|accessdate=April 17, 2013|date=November 2011}}</ref>
 
|family = [[Xbox]]
 
|family = [[Xbox]]
 
|type = [[Home video game console]]
 
|type = [[Home video game console]]
 
|os = Custom
 
|os = Custom
 
|generation = [[Sixth generation of video game consoles|Sixth generation]]
 
|generation = [[Sixth generation of video game consoles|Sixth generation]]
|releasedate = NA: November 15, 2001<br />JP: February 22, 2002<br />AU: March 14, 2002<br />EU: March 14, 2002
+
|releasedate = {{Video game release|NA|November 15, 2001<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20130612000737/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2001/nov01/11-14midnightmadnesspr.aspx|title=Xbox Arrives in New York Tonight at Toys "R" Us Times Square|date=2013-06-12|access-date=2018-11-20}}</ref>|JP|February 22, 2002|AU|March 14, 2002|EU|March 14, 2002}}
 
|lifespan = 2001–2009
 
|lifespan = 2001–2009
|discontinued = JP: June 4, 2006<br />EU: March 11, 2007<br />NA: March 2, 2009
+
|discontinued = {{Video game release|JP|June 4, 2006|EU|March 11, 2007|NA|March 2, 2009}}
 
|GPU = 233&nbsp;MHz nVidia [[NV2A]]
 
|GPU = 233&nbsp;MHz nVidia [[NV2A]]
 
|media = [[DVD]], [[CD]], [[digital distribution]]
 
|media = [[DVD]], [[CD]], [[digital distribution]]
Line 21: Line 21:
 
|CPU = Custom 733&nbsp;MHz [[Intel Pentium III]] "[[Coppermine (microprocessor)|Coppermine-based]]" processor
 
|CPU = Custom 733&nbsp;MHz [[Intel Pentium III]] "[[Coppermine (microprocessor)|Coppermine-based]]" processor
 
|RAM = 64&nbsp;MB of [[DDR SDRAM]] @ 200&nbsp;MHz
 
|RAM = 64&nbsp;MB of [[DDR SDRAM]] @ 200&nbsp;MHz
|units sold = 24+ million <small>(as of May 10, 2006)</small>
+
|units sold = 24+ million <small>(as of May 10, 2006)</small><ref name="gamers_catch">{{cite web |url=http://www.xbox.com/zh-SG/community/news/2006/20060510.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621155352/http://www.xbox.com/zh-SG/community/news/2006/20060510.htm |archivedate=June 21, 2008 |title=Gamers Catch Their Breath as Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Reinvent Next-Generation Gaming |accessdate=March 30, 2009 |date=May 10, 2006|publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref>
 
|units shipped =
 
|units shipped =
|top game = ''[[Halo 2]]'', 8.46 million <small>(as of November 2008)</small>
+
|top game = ''[[Halo 2]]'', 8.46 million <small>(as of November 2008)</small><ref>{{cite web | url=http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/09/technology/e3_microsoft/index.htm | publisher=CNN | accessdate=July 16, 2008 | first=Chris|last= Morris | title=Grand Theft Auto, Halo 3 headed to Xbox 360 | date=May 9, 2006}}</ref><ref name="halo2sales"/>
 
|successor=[[Xbox 360]]
 
|successor=[[Xbox 360]]
 
}}
 
}}
Line 34: Line 34:
  
 
Xbox's successor, the [[Xbox 360]], was launched in November 2005. The Xbox was soon discontinued beginning with Microsoft's worst-performing market, Japan, in 2005. Other countries would follow suit in 2006. The last Xbox game in Europe was ''[[Xiaolin Showdown]]'' released in June 2007, and the last game in North America was ''[[Madden NFL 09]]'' released in August 2008. Support for out-of-warranty Xbox consoles was discontinued on March 2, 2009. Support for Xbox Live on the console ended on April 15, 2010.
 
Xbox's successor, the [[Xbox 360]], was launched in November 2005. The Xbox was soon discontinued beginning with Microsoft's worst-performing market, Japan, in 2005. Other countries would follow suit in 2006. The last Xbox game in Europe was ''[[Xiaolin Showdown]]'' released in June 2007, and the last game in North America was ''[[Madden NFL 09]]'' released in August 2008. Support for out-of-warranty Xbox consoles was discontinued on March 2, 2009. Support for Xbox Live on the console ended on April 15, 2010.
 
=Specifications=
 
  
 
==Hardware ==
 
==Hardware ==
Line 51: Line 49:
 
In 2002 Microsoft and [[Nvidia]] entered arbitration over a dispute on the pricing of Nvidia's chips for the Xbox. Nvidia's filing with the [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission|SEC]] indicated that Microsoft was seeking a $13 million discount on shipments for NVIDIA's fiscal year 2002. Microsoft alleged violations of the agreement the two companies entered, sought reduced chipset pricing, and sought to ensure that Nvidia fulfill Microsoft's chipset orders without limits on quantity. The matter was privately settled on February 6, 2003.
 
In 2002 Microsoft and [[Nvidia]] entered arbitration over a dispute on the pricing of Nvidia's chips for the Xbox. Nvidia's filing with the [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission|SEC]] indicated that Microsoft was seeking a $13 million discount on shipments for NVIDIA's fiscal year 2002. Microsoft alleged violations of the agreement the two companies entered, sought reduced chipset pricing, and sought to ensure that Nvidia fulfill Microsoft's chipset orders without limits on quantity. The matter was privately settled on February 6, 2003.
  
The Xbox includes a standard AV cable which provides [[composite video]] and [[monaural]] or [[stereophonic sound|stereo audio]] to TVs equipped with [[RCA connector|RCA]] inputs. European Xboxes also included an RCA jack to [[SCART]] converter block as well as the standard AV cable.
+
The Xbox includes a standard AV cable which provides [[composite video]] and [[monaural]] or [[stereophonic sound|stereo audio]] to TVs equipped with [[RCA connector|RCA]] inputs. European Xboxes also included an RCA jack to [[SCART]] converter block as well as the standard AV cable.{{clear}}
  
 
An 8&nbsp;MB removable [[Solid-state drive|solid state]] [[memory card]] can be plugged into the controllers, onto which game saves can either be copied from the hard drive when in the Xbox dashboard's memory manager or saved during a game. Most Xbox game saves can be copied to the memory unit and moved to another console but some Xbox saves are digitally signed. It is also possible to save an Xbox Live account on a memory unit, to simplify its use on more than one Xbox.
 
An 8&nbsp;MB removable [[Solid-state drive|solid state]] [[memory card]] can be plugged into the controllers, onto which game saves can either be copied from the hard drive when in the Xbox dashboard's memory manager or saved during a game. Most Xbox game saves can be copied to the memory unit and moved to another console but some Xbox saves are digitally signed. It is also possible to save an Xbox Live account on a memory unit, to simplify its use on more than one Xbox.
Line 79: Line 77:
 
Xbox Live was released in 2002, but in order to access it, users had to buy the Xbox Live starter kit containing a [[headset (audio)|headset]], a subscription, and supplemental. While the Xbox was still being supported by Microsoft, the Xbox Dashboard was updated via Live several times to reduce cheating and add features.
 
Xbox Live was released in 2002, but in order to access it, users had to buy the Xbox Live starter kit containing a [[headset (audio)|headset]], a subscription, and supplemental. While the Xbox was still being supported by Microsoft, the Xbox Dashboard was updated via Live several times to reduce cheating and add features.
  
=Modding=
+
==Modding==
 
+
{{Main article|Xbox modding}}
The popularity of the Xbox, as well as (in the United States) its comparatively short 90-day warranty, inspired efforts to circumvent the built-in hardware and software security mechanisms.
 
 
 
==History==
 
The popularity of the Xbox, as well as (in the United States) its comparatively short 90-day warranty, inspired efforts to circumvent the built-in hardware and software security mechanisms, a practice known as "cracking". Within a few months of its release the initial layer of security on the Xbox BIOS (which relied heavily on [[source code obfuscation|obfuscation]]) was broken by MIT student [[Andrew Huang (hacker)|Andrew Huang]] and the contents of the "hidden" boot ROM embedded on the MCPx chip was extracted using some custom built hardware. Once this information was available, the code was soon modified so that it would skip digital signature checks and media flags, allowing unsigned code, Xbox game backups, etc., to be run. This was possible due to flaws in the Xbox's security. Modding an Xbox in any manner will void its warranty, as it may require disassembly of the console. Having a modified Xbox may also disallow it from accessing Xbox Live, if detected by Microsoft, as it contravenes the Xbox Live [[Terms of Use]], but most modchips can be disabled, allowing the Xbox to boot in a "stock" configuration. Softmods can be disabled by "coldbooting" a game (having the game in the DVD drive before turning the console on, so the softmod is not loaded) or by using a multiboot configuration.
 
 
 
==Methods==
 
[[File:Xboxinside01.jpg|thumb|left|Xbox motherboard, with installed [[modchip]]]]
 
*[[Modchip]]: installing a modchip inside the Xbox that bypasses the original BIOS, with a hacked BIOS to circumvent the security mechanisms.<
 
*[[Thin small-outline package|TSOP]] flashing: reflashing the onboard BIOS chip with a hacked BIOS to circumvent the security mechanisms. The Xbox BIOS is contained on a commodity [[EEPROM]] (the 'TSOP'), which can be made writable by the Xbox by bridging points on the motherboard. Flashing is usually carried out by using a specially crafted gamesave (see 'Game save exploit', below) to flash the onboard TSOP, but the TSOP can also be de-soldered and re-written in a standard EEPROM programmer. This method only works on 1.0 to 1.5 Xboxes, as version 1.6 (the final hardware version produced) replaced the commodity TSOP with an LPC ROM contained within a proprietary chip.
 
*[[Softmod]]s: installing additional software files to the Xbox hard drive, which exploit programming errors in the Dashboard to gain control of the system, and overwrite the in-memory copy of the BIOS. Soft modification is known to be safe for Xbox Live if the user enables multibooting with the Microsoft dashboard and an original game disc is used.
 
**Game save exploit: using select official game releases to load game saves that exploit buffer overflows in the save game handling. When these special game saves are loaded, they access an interface with scripts for installing the necessary softmod files. Disassembly of the Xbox is not required when installing most game save exploits. Some exploitable games are the original releases of MechAssault and 007: Agent Under Fire as well as all copies of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.
 
*[[Hot swapping]]: using a computer to change the data on the hard drive. This requires having the Xbox unlock the hard drive when it is turned on, then swapping the powered hard drive into a running computer. By using a Linux-based Live CD, data on the hard drive can be read, altered, and deleted. In most cases, an automated script will automatically install the softmod files directly to the Xbox hard drive. This technique has been used extensively to harbor cheating on many online games. Disassembly of the console is required to perform a hot swap. It's the least recommended as it might shock the Xbox hardware or the user's PC components.
 
 
 
===Alternative operating systems===
 
Beyond gaming, a modded Xbox can be used as a media center with [[XBMC4Xbox]].
 
 
 
There are also distributions of Linux developed specifically for the Xbox, including those based on  [[Gentoo Linux|Gentoo]], [[Debian]], [[Damn Small Linux]] and [[Dyne:bolic]].
 
 
 
List of alternative operating systems:
 
 
 
*[[Xbox Linux]] is a project that ported [[Linux]] to the Xbox.
 
*[[FreeBSD]] and [[NetBSD]] have also been ported to Xbox.
 
*[[Microsoft Windows CE|Windows CE]]
 
*[[ReactOS]]
 
*A port of [[Windows XP]] is available on some modding websites but this usually involves removing the CPU and resoldering a different Pentium III as well as a heavily modified BIOS. One advantage over a regular, unmodded Xbox, is the ability to use a [[Trainer (games)|trainer]].
 
 
 
===Modchips===
 
Throughout the history of the Xbox, Mod Chips have been nearly a necessity. As we move forward around the sun, unfortunately hardware starts to fall apart.
 
====
 
====Opensource Solutions====
 
*[[OpenXenium]] is a full opensource re-implementation of the [[Xenium]] Modchip
 
 
 
==Tutorials==
 
 
 
===Softmodding===
 
 
 
Video Tutorials by ''The Games Shed'':
 
 
 
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ_yCtcOwtY Xbox Softmod Tutorial - Retro Games on your original Xbox]
 
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCeBFgtBwTM Xbox Softmod Tutorial - Part 2. Adding Emulators & Roms]
 
  
[[Category:Microsoft consoles]]
+
The popularity of the Xbox, as well as (in the United States) its comparatively short 90-day warranty, inspired efforts to circumvent the built-in hardware and software security mechanisms, a practice informally known as [[modding]].

Please note that all contributions to Mod My Classic Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Mod My Classic Wiki:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!

Cancel Editing help (opens in new window)