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Xbox Micro makes the Wii look overweight
Welcome to Micro Saturday at Engadget! In the absence of hard hitting stories and shocking exposés, we thought we'd turn to the lighter -- and thinner -- side of the news. Enter the Xbox Micro, a 1-inch thick celebration of all that is good and holy about the world of DIY mods. It took six months to make, with a few clever design decisions along the way, but it looks good enough to make even the ninja-black Wii suck its gut in. Comparison pics with the original behemoth are after the break, and hit the read link to see the exposed guts of this little beauty. [Thanks, Matt and Jesse]
Xbox 360 arcade cabinet - the games you love at a price you can't afford
When you kids are ready to get serious about your gaming, let us know. We just spoke with our man Justin at Solomods, and he has a custom-built Xbox 360 arcade machine that he's willing to part with for a mere $2,250. This original Midway arcade cabinet was once home to The Simpsons game, and aside from the addition of the Microsoft game console it's been repainted and fitted with a new monitor and front-loading disk tray, two joysticks, a 60GB hard drive, WiFi, and display and volume control. Additionally, your favorite wireless controller is supported, and if you order now he'll throw in an illustrated owners manual. How awesome is that? Available for pick-up somewhere in the badlands south of Cleveland, Ohio -- hit the read link to get in on some of that action. More pics after the break.[Via Technabob]
Slot loading Xbox 360 enjoys its 15 minutes, heads to eBay
There's a good possibility you felt some sense of jealously when eying RDC's meticulously modded Xbox 360, and now you can act on said envy thanks to the supreme convenience of the online auction house known as eBay. That's right kids -- the slot loading Xbox 360 that was shown here just under a month ago is now on the auction block, and the $250 minimum bid means that you're paying a ridiculously small premium for all the blood, sweat and tears that were undoubtedly poured into this creation. Of course, that figure is apt to head skyward in a hurry, but maybe that would encourage you to get off your keister and craft one yourself. No time like the present to beef up that weakening DIY muscle.[Via Xbox-Scene, thanks Aguiluz]
Xbox 360 modded with slot loading DVD drive, fire vision, mind control
This Xbox 360 mod may be a little less dramatic than some we've seen, but we think that anyone who's had their nerves rattled by the incessant banging of their console's optical drive tray will really appreciate it. RDC over at the benheck.com forum has installed a slot loader into his Xbox the hard way -- by gutting the innards of his console's DVD-ROM and installing them in the case of his old iMac's slot loader. After taking everything apart, it was a simple matter of rebuilding the spindle, rigging up a tiny breadboard with a few transistors, cramming the new Frankenstein drive into the game system, and -- of course -- finishing up with some handy case mod. Sure, the whole affair seems needlessly complicated, but the end result looks pretty good to us. Catch a video of the finished business after the break.
Hand painted faceplate FTW!
We've learned over time here at X3F that 360 owners really dig arts and crafts. They like getting their hands dirty. They build monster joysticks, add water cooling, and create custom paint jobs all for their beloved Xbox. Today's submission is of third variety, showing off a custom flame paint job. Coming to us from 360 Fanboy reader, H3RP35, the faceplate looks like it belongs on the side of a hot rod, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. To paraphrase Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, "It's like my 360's tearing ass around the living room, but it's standing still. Still waters run deep."We're always interested in user created mods. If you've got one you'd like to share, let us know.
Xbox modder becomes a fugitive, one-armed man stays out of it
Jason Jones, the upstanding proprietor of one ACME Game Store, thought he was experiencing just another day in the booming, illegally modded Xbox retail market (and not the coyote-pandering dynamite and rocket shoes market, as you may have incorrectly anticipated). Little did he know that his latest customer, one with suspiciously long arms, had unseen motives that eventually led to the law knocking on the door. An undercover investigator for the Entertainment Software Association (they have those?) made sure that Mr. Jones and his accomplice, Jonathan Bryant, were rightly punished for selling chipped Xbox consoles, each one loaded with over 50 pirated games and selling for between $225 and $500. In addition to being slapped with a fine of $2,648 by the ESA, Mr. Jones will be equipped with an electronic bracelet and confined to his home. Should he attempt to leave, the bracelet will let out a high-pitched yelp and large men with guns will promptly arrive and shove him back into his room. A third modder, Pei "Patrick" Cai, evaded this horrendous fate by becoming a full-fledged fugitive. It's not nearly as dramatic as being on the run for murder, but police have nevertheless been advised to keep an eye out for a shifty looking fellow with a chip on his solder. (OOF!)
