CaseMod
Latest
This Half-Life 2 Xbox 360 case mod is way early
Dr. Gordon Freeman would be proud. This "first ever" case mod sure looks professional to us but, then again, we're not the case modding experts around here. We suspect the mod's builder may have been anticipating an '06 release for Half-Life 2 on the Xbox 360, before the series' second episodic installment was delayed until early 2007 ... and then again until Summer 2007. Now every gaming session will have a brief, but painful, reminder of the title's absence. It'll be okay, just don't make a Duke Nukem Forever case mod ...[Thanks, Macca; via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Combine fear the Half-Life 2 case mod
360 Fanboy reader, PiNPOiNT, sent us some pictures of his newly finished Half-Life 2 case mod. We have to say, it's flippin' sweet. Even the lighting in the photograph is topnotch. The left side of the case (at right) features a cut away window with the HL2 logo in the corner. The right side features another logo which is raised off the surface of the case. All in all, it's some very impressive work. There is no denying that the Half-Life 2 megapackage coming to the 360 is worth celebrating, but we hope we won't upset PiNPOiNT when we remind him that the game was delayed. Hopefully, his spiffy mod will brighten his days until the game releases this summer. Check out bigger, beefier images after the break.
GQ Taiwan auctions custom 360s for charity
We really thought we'd seen it all when it comes to Xbox 360 case mods and paint jobs, but this new Honest-SkinBox really, and truly, takes the cake. We suppose it's for a good cause -- GQ Taiwan and Microsoft got 10 artist to create custom Xbox 360s, which are being auctioned off on Yahoo Taiwan, with the proceeds going to benefit World Vision -- so we can't really cast too many aspersions. But really, what were they thinking with this one? The SkinBox, from American artist "Honest" is built to look like a living thing, in the middle of digesting that "snack" you can see glued to the side of the 360. It's hard to call the unit much of a resumé builder, but it sure got our attention. Thanks, Honest, but we think we'll be sticking with our plain ol' non-nausea-inducing boringbox.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Custom Rockstar Table Tennis 360
Give Llamma.com credit for coming up with a Rockstar-commissioned Table Tennis case mod that goes beyond the usual paint job and faceplate. One of these babies is destined for a future give-away, but if you have the time and desire to build your own ping pong prize, they provide a list of supplies and directions.[Thanks AoE]
The Leela case mod
We don't cover that many case mods 'round here, but once in a while one comes along that's just impossible for us to ignore. After completing his Bender case last year, would-be Zapp Brannigan here decided to tackle a member of the Futurama crew a little closer to his heart for his next project, crafting this likeness of Leela out of nothing more than a store mannequin and pressure foam. Like the best case mods, it also incorporates some added functionality with Leela's eye serving as a webcam, LCD displays fitted into her arm bands, and a removable thumb that doubles as a literal thumb drive (we must have missed that episode). Alright, now who's gonna be the first to put Richard Nixon's head on their desk?
Xbox 360 case mod oddity of the month
We've kind of tapered off on Xbox 360 case mod coverage, since beyond a bit of paint here and a large fan there, where are you going to go? Well, a friendly Engadget tipster finally answered that question with the "Xbox 360 Tissue-Dispensing Alarm Clock Case Mod." Featuring not only intense tissue-dispensing action, but a snazzy EL-based alarm clock, the Xbox 360 case mod sheds all such constraints such as "functionality" and "reason" for a case mode made especially in our honor. Fitting, no?[Thanks, Jordan]Read - Pic 1, Pic 2 and Pic 3
Xbox 360 tissue-dispensing alarm clock
Jordan Keeling, one of the snot-nosed morons (he takes it as a compliment) behind smashsomestuff.com created this oddly familiar tissue-dispensing alarm clock in honor of this blog. Thanks man. There's no clock display shown in this case mod pic, but he says the ring of light functions as a snooze button. Time to re-purpose that Core System, especially if you suffer from a runny nose.
Ruby Red 360 Euro Case
XCM is trying to decide whether or not to put their "Euro" case mod into full scale production. Should they?
Pimp my 360: chrome edition
TeamXtender has released the XCM 360 Full Chrome Case mod. Those dying to be the king of bling can pick it up now from DecalGirl. It's sure to be a hit a parties and attract more fingerprints than an iPod and PSP put together. As an added bonus, the chrome case goes great with the chrome controller shell. Anybody plan on picking this up? [Via Xbox-Scene]
Water + 360 = Cool
Behold the internally water cooled 360. As noted by Xbox-Scene, there have been other -- more Frankensteinian -- water cooled 360s, but this is the first to be completely internal. All the hardware is inside the case itself. No easy task, to be sure. Dano2k0, creator of the mod, explains his inspiration: "It had been talked about in the past about having a complete internal watercooling system and everyone doubted it would ever be possible due to the lack of space. This is when i got the idea of pulling off the impossible, and it hit my requirements perfect, a completly [sic] portable solution with the cooling needs i was after, in the exact same original sized case." One time, I tried to cool my 360 by pouring water into the disc drive ... it didn't work. [Thanks Revadarth and GP2S]
Batman Begins case mod could eat your case mod
Sure, there's something to be said about squeezing PC components into a reasonably small space, or finding some obscure cooling method to keep a handle on overclocking heat, but it's still pretty hard for us to fault this completely badass Batman Begins case mod for doing it's own thing with style. Computer Choppers started working on the project a few months before the movie premiere last year, and while they missed the launch by about a year, we wholeheartedly forgive them. The steel case includes room for four HDDs, and powers the large black LCD that the modder seemed to find "necessary" to complete the look. We're sure the Dark Knight would be proud. Check the read link for a whole bunch of beautimous pics.
Team Xtender's New Mod is L.E.Delicious [update 1]
Team Xtender just announced the winner of the XCM 360 Full Case side panel design contest. The winning design -- entitled "Black Knight" -- was created by a mysterious individual known only as Hector, and comes in both red and blue LED varieties. Team Xtender plans to run a small production of this limited edition design so, if you want one you'd best hurry. Of course, it's no surprise that Hector won: the Black Knight always triumphs! [update: fixed a capitalization error. Blogging is hard!]
Rig of the Day: The black Blue and White G3
While perusing our Flickr pool this morning, we decided, "It's time for a mod post." Behold the Blue and White G3 that's been painted black. It looks pretty good, Geoff."Power Mac G3 Black Mod" posted by GeoffMyers. If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We select one image to highlight each day, and crown a Rig of the Week on Sundays.
Order a pre-painted Mac mini case
If you're the instant gratification type who is sick of white, check this out. FastMac is selling Mac mini cases in your choice of seven colors. For $69.95US, they'll send you a pre-painted case and a video that shows you how to swap the painted case for the boring white one that your mini is currently sporting. Once you've made the switch, you send your old white case out to them. I guess it's easier than shipping your computer out for a couple of weeks, but opening a mini isn't for everyone. Let us know if you try this out.
How-to for Fantasy360 controller shell
In addition to being a horrible name for any product short of a Unicorn-themed globe, the Fantasy360 controller shell is a complete Xbox 360 controller case replacement. They don't have a shipping product, a place to buy it from, or even a price yet, but they do have a pretty sweet step-by-step guide on Flickr on how to put the damned thing together.They're supposed to be available in four semi-transparent colors--and Chrome--this June, according to their press release which is available after the break, courtesy Xbox-Scene.[Via Xbox-Scene]
NES plus Playstation 2 equals NEStation
Another day, another NES casemod. This NEStation from French console hacker kotami certainly borrows heavily from the PS2's design, although we'd challenge anyone to fit a full-size NES into one of those itty bitty slimline PS2 cases.We're not sure what the motivation behind this mod might be--perhaps it's down to the old adage that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Will we see the NEXbox next?[Via digg]
The Nintendo PC casemod; NES HTPC
At ExtremeTech, John F. de Perczel has transformed an old NES console into a home theater PC using VIA's mini-ITX form factor EPIA motherboard and a 1GHz C3 processor. He says, "it streams music, surfs the Web, downloads movies, and runs NESticle like a champ. It won't, however, run iTunes visualizer in full-screen mode." The page is dated 8/25/04, so we're willing to bet there are plenty of more powerful options available now if one were interested in updating the concept. How about shoving one of those new Mac minis into an NES?Check out the Nintendo PC slideshow.See also: NES alarm clock; hit Reset to sleep in[Thanks, Draco]UPDATE: Ask and ye shall receive! Mac mini in an NES.
Flickr Find: iPod as an arts and crafts project
Remember all the time you spent making little houses out of Popsicle sticks in elementary school? Flickr user snazzyguy sure does, and in fact he's still putting those skills to use. He put the innards of a dead iPod and a few AA batteries into a custom popsicle stick case, and now he's rockin. Pretty cool mod, snazzyguy...just get it away from that (very) full glass of water, ok?
Vinyl case stickers instead of case replacement
While there will be replacement cases for those seeking to radically alter the look of their 360s, I imagine plenty won't want to undergo the process. If case cutouts aren't your bag, but you want more than just a faceplate, try tricking out your 360 with one of 360covers' vinyl Xbox 360 skins.Some of these are really cool, especially the NES skin pictured, at at $20, they're a minor investment.
Xbox 360 replacement case concepts
Team Xtender is showing off the concept art for their Xbox 360 replacement case. There are two different concepts, one featuring an X-shaped cutout in the side, and the other a square (pictured). A neat idea to save yourself the trouble of spraypainting, and cutting out the plexiglass window. One has to wonder how easy it is though to transport the entire guts from one case to another. The case itself is screwless, which is sure to present some trouble to your average Joe. One thing is sure, this will void the hell out of your warranty. [Via Xbox-Scene]
