Magic 3 PS2 Mod Chip

[Tempest]

Ok I know mod chips are evil and I'm surely going to burn in hell blah blah blah... But I really want to play some import games on my PS2 and this appears to be the only way to do it (I never play CDR's and don't even own one). Has anyone tried this particular chip? It would be nice to play some of those cool import music games for once without having to buy a Jap PS2.

http://www.modchip.com/ps2/magic3order.htm

Tempest

[Kroogah]

Well, sounds like you want to mod your PS2 for Guitar Freaks/Beatmania IIDX/Para Para Paradise/Taiko no Tatsujin/etc.

The forum at www.ddrfreak.com has a great thread about mod chips in the "DDR at Home" section. There's probably one in the "Other Bemani" section as well.

[NE146]

Be careful. The Magic 3, I was very disappointed to find doesn't play anti-mod japanese ps1 games. This includes games like Guitar Freaks.

This would then force you to copy it and patch the image, and then have a working cd-r. But then you'd violate your no cd-r policy. But hey, I'm just telling you what works ;)

[Tempest]

Yep I'm after all those fun DDR type games and I also want to play Vib Ribbon. Is there an easy non-mod way to play it?

Tempest

[Raedon]

Remember that the Magic 3 had a design flaw and would lock up PS2's.. The newest chip that doesn't is the Magic 3.1

[ghsqb]

If I may be so bold, I would suggest spending a little extra $$ and pick up the Messiah 2 chip, I haven't had any problems with it, direct boots everything, first time, everytime.
Just my .02 based on experience.

[Raedon]

ehh.. The X0-2 was better then the Massiah and it's only $30 now. Why is it better? IT's $40 cheaper :D

[CrazyImpmon]

What's wrong with getting Japanese console?

#1: guarranteed to work with any Japanese game
#2: no futzing about the gut, hoping you didn't blow something
#3: Can block CD-R that mod chip won't.

Just look for a loose used console, don't worry about power supply or controllers. Chances are USA controllers and accessories will be fine. And I'm sure you can get PSOne power supply separately so you're covered in your area. (My old PSX is 120v only so older PSX may require a 220v to 110v stepdown or swap the power supply board inside from USA console)

[Tempest]

What's wrong with getting Japanese console?


Other than they cost about 4 times as much as a mod chip there's nothing wrong with it. If you've got a cheap Japanese PS2 let me know.

Tempest

[salt peanuts]

Hey, what do you do also if you have Japanese games AND a PAL game you want to play (Moderngroove: Ministry of Sound)? WIll a mod chip play both of those?

[digitalpress]

Listen,
I'm just not comfortable with these kinds of discussions. I know the general feeling: you should be able to use a mod chip to mod your own system. You should be able to play imports. You should be able to play your OWN backups.

But until someone can show me a ruling to the contrary, mod chips ARE illegal.

The U.S. Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in October of 1998 that made illegal "circumvention devices" that circumvent a technological measure designed to control access to a copyrighted work. Sony Computer Entertainment America has successfully argued that mod chips are illegal circumvention devices under the DMCA in the United States, and the recent Canadian conviction recognizes that such devices violate copyright laws in other areas of the world.

Previous recent rulings on mod chip cases in the United States include:

On July 12, 2002, defendant Howard Chen of Howie's Hi-Tech Games in Milpitas, California was preliminarily enjoined under the DMCA from selling, advertising, installing or otherwise trafficking in mod chip and game enhancers.

On May 24, 2002, defendant Rick Oliver was sentenced in the United States Court for the District of Nebraska for willful circumvention of a copyright protection system for commercial advantage under the DMCA. Oliver was sentenced to seven months of jail time and was ordered to pay restitution to Sony Computer Entertainment America in the amount of $40,000.

On June 9, 2002, Sony Computer Entertainment America obtained summary judgment and a permanent injunction against Digital Stuff, Inc. of San Jose, California, for advertising, distributing, promoting and selling game enhancers.

On November 4, 1999, Sony Computer Entertainment America obtained a preliminary injunction against Michael and Carol Chaddon, doing business as GameMaster, Inc. in San Leandro, California prohibiting them from advertising, distributing, selling or purchasing game enhancers or devices that contain a mod chip function.