Modded XBox at Gamestop?

[djsquarewave]

I decided today that I'd finally bite the bullet and get an XBox (the original one -- I'm behind the times, I know) so I could play the exclusive games from Sega, Breakdown, Riddick, etc... Went into Gamestop, bought a used system and a stack of games, got it home and hooked it up. Power on, and...what the hell is this menu?

Turns out they'd sold me a modded system with a replaced BIOS and Halo 2 on the HDD (which I deleted -- games were telling me there was no room for saves). I'm curious about this for two reasons:

1. Aren't systems tested when they're traded in? I'd assume the person testing the system would notice that the menu was completely different.

2. Don't all these systems get sent back to Microsoft anyway for wiping the user and Live data on the HDD?

It's nice that I can change the region on my system at will, but...seriously. Anyone else ever had this happen to them or someone they know?

(Also sorry if this topic's been posted before but the search wasn't working for me!)

[Richter Belmount]

I wish , lucky baasstaard. My local game store charges 400 just to mod a xbox : X.

[djbeatmongrel]

the system should have been tested and it shouldnt have been taken in in that condition. you should have not gotten modded xbox. oh well, you didnt get it from my store so i cant be mad.

[smork]

IIRC, can't use a modded system online anyway, so what good is it?

The local numbnuts always mod theirs to play pirates 'coz they're too cheap to buy original. Certainly doesn't cost $400 to mod one around here!

[djsquarewave]

IIRC, can't use a modded system online anyway, so what good is it?

The local numbnuts always mod theirs to play pirates 'coz they're too cheap to buy original. Certainly doesn't cost $400 to mod one around here!
Considering I don't plan on playing online anyway, not to mention the community for legacy games other than Halo is completely dead, no online usability isn't really a sticking point for me.

Import game compatibility is a really nice option though. Now I can play all four games that came out in Japan! ;)

[smork]

Considering I don't plan on playing online anyway, not to mention the community for legacy games other than Halo is completely dead, no online usability isn't really a sticking point for me.

Import game compatibility is a really nice option though. Now I can play all four games that came out in Japan! ;)

Well, you got off nice, then! All-region capability is nice -- don't understand why so few JP games are not US compatible (OK, I understand it's a politics thing, but it's stil crap).

But you under-estimate -- they are up to 8 JP releases now, only 3 of them dating sims! ;)

[gepeto]

Man good find.
These type of finds come around what once every 3 years.

[Kejoriv]

Pretty cool! How much are xboxs go for at EB/GS?

[kaedesdisciple]

Nice, you got yourself a cheap rombox or media center on your hands. Was it soft-modded or hard-modded?

[Darren870]

Sometimes if the store is busy they wont check systems or some stores don't even do it in general.

Also they don't send them back to MS.

[Flack]

A couple of years ago the CD-Rom drive on my Xbox died. I ended up buying a broken Xbox to take the drive out of it and put it in my original Xbox. Halfway through I had a pile of parts on both sides and got completely confused as to which was the good one, which was the bad one, etc. Point being, that was just with 2 Xboxes. My guess is that these used game stores are handling a lot more systems than that. So the good side of me wants to think that maybe one system got placed into the sell pile instead of the check pile and a simple mistake was made. The cynical side of me thinks that most of the incoming systems aren't checked out, and you stand a pretty good chance of buying someone else's problem (ie: YOU, the customer, are now part of the QT cycle).

[Oobgarm]

That's a unique find, especially at a GameStop. Sounds like you might have a good way to run some emulators or homebrew on there.

Used systems are never sent back to the manufacturer. They're simply traded in and then sold. I can't believe that got by someone testing the system before taking it in on trade. Oh wait-they probably didn't.

Congrats to you, though. Enjoy it.

[agbulls]

That's a unique find, especially at a GameStop. Sounds like you might have a good way to run some emulators or homebrew on there.

Used systems are never sent back to the manufacturer. They're simply traded in and then sold. I can't believe that got by someone testing the system before taking it in on trade. Oh wait-they probably didn't.

Congrats to you, though. Enjoy it.

As an x-DM for the EB/GS I'll say this much:

Systems are either always checked by a store (because the manager knows it's important) OR

The are NEVER checked (because the manager has not stressed it as important or is too lazy)

[Oobgarm]

As an x-DM for the EB/GS I'll say this much:

Systems are either always checked by a store (because the manager knows it's important) OR

The are NEVER checked (because the manager has not stressed it as important or is too lazy)

As an ex-GS employee, I'll agree with that statement.

we always checked ours

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

The shopgoodwill.com auction site had a couple of modded PS1s for sale a while back. The only problem was with the 2 auctions that sold them with pirated games. They sent me my money back on it, since it was technically illegal.

JY

[Poofta!]

most stores here in ny dont test shit. they dont care, ive seen a store employee literally throw xbox from the main room to the back room. i laughed my ass off, talked to him and turns out he WAS the DM, and said there are so many xboxes that they just literally dont give a shit.

btw, you probably got a softmod xbox. not a chipped one. im willing to put money on that.

[djsquarewave]

btw, you probably got a softmod xbox. not a chipped one. im willing to put money on that.
What's the difference? This is my first XBox and I know frick all about it.

Really, most of the things people have mentioned I have no interest in doing...don't care for emulators (at least not for actual playing), and my computer with all my music is already hooked up through my stereo. I sort of feel like it's going to waste here. Is there any other way to play imports? Would it be worth trading?

Also, I'm going to assume by the general reaction that the answer to my initial question is "no." :)

[DaBargainHunta]

Actually, there's an absolutely brilliant mech game for Xbox that came out only in Japan - Metal Wolf Chaos. I'd import that in a second. It was hidden on an OPM disc (unlockable via a code or some such nonsense). I have no idea why it never came stateside, but I'd give anything to have it.

Keep the modded Xbox. You lucked out.

[bangtango]

I've just skimmed the early replies, so I hope nobody else asked this earlier.

Why is someone bringing in a modded XBox to Gamestop anyway? The amount of time, work and money that goes into such a project and a person pisses it away for whatever price Gamestop typically gives for a "regular" XBox without a mod.

[ProgrammingAce]

The difference between a soft modded and a hard modded xbox in your cases are basicly zilch. Hard modded systems use a mod chip, soft modded systems modify data on the hard drive without a chip.

One of my friends used to be the DM for the local GameStops, I used to screw with his employees by trying to trade in dev kits and prototypes. Very rarely did they ever check.

[djsquarewave]

Actually, there's an absolutely brilliant mech game for Xbox that came out only in Japan - Metal Wolf Chaos. I'd import that in a second. It was hidden on an OPM disc (unlockable via a code or some such nonsense). I have no idea why it never came stateside, but I'd give anything to have it.

Keep the modded Xbox. You lucked out.
I've already got this on my short list. Unfortunately, it's one of the few Japanese releases that's actually worth anything nowadays. :frustrated: At least it won't be too difficult to nail down all the worthwhile JP exclusives...

[Hwj_Chim]

Great find! To bad there is not much to import for the Xbox

[Diatribal Deity]

I've just skimmed the early replies, so I hope nobody else asked this earlier.

Why is someone bringing in a modded XBox to Gamestop anyway? The amount of time, work and money that goes into such a project and a person pisses it away for whatever price Gamestop typically gives for a "regular" XBox without a mod.

Could have been stolen, traded in by an angry girlfriend, wife or mother, or someone just desparate for cash.

Use to take in tons and tons of ps2's and xbox's back in the day. Tried to test as many as possible but was quite difficult to keep up with in a busy understaffed store. Most would be sent back to be refurbed (supposedly anyway). Anyway, sounds like a good find so far...