Xbox 360 hack changes DVD key, game region
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Jul 18th 2007 12:32PM
posted Jul 18th 2007 12:32PM
A clever gent who goes by the name SeventhSon (we hope in reference to the totally ripping Iron Maiden record Seventh Son of a Seventh Son) has discovered a method to alter both the DVD key and game region code on Microsoft's Xbox 360, at least for the Hypervisor exploitable 4532 and 4548 kernels. If you're not sure what that all means don't feel bad, part of this hack involves desoldering your Xbox flash chip -- something most of us aren't getting around to anytime soon. However, for the tenacious and technologically handy, this opens up all kinds of diabolical possibilities like, um... playing UK games on your US Xbox.Update: In addition to clarifying the debate over his name origins, SeventhSon has posted this update to the comments below: Another clarification. This hack will work on all kernels, not just the HV exploitable ones. As long as you obtain the cpu-key before you upgrade past version 4548. This way you can run the latest kernel and still modify your game region code.
[Thanks, XanTium]
"...part of this hack involves desoldering your Xbox flash chip -- something most of us aren't getting around to anytime soon."
Not with a pair of red scissors, anyway.
*WARNING: This mod is not designed to fix the red-ring-of-death flaw, improve the already inadequate cooling of the device, improve game-play, stop you getting hacked in Halo 2, or get Peter 'Dreamcast' Moore his old job back.
** Large graphic red scissors Not Included
*** Offer VOID IN Utah
forget Iron Maiden.
i hope his name is in referance to the amazing podcast novel, 7th Son, by J.C. Hutchins.
surely the guys at Engadget listen to this podcast 100% full of audio win?
http://jchutchins.net/7Son/Home/Home.html
Forget Iron Maiden..forget the podcast 7th Son, by J.C. Hutchins....his name is in reference to the Orson Scott Card novel Seventh Son, which deals with a boy who is the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.
Other than that, this is pretty cool. If I had more time and knowledge, I would do this myself. But I have neither, and I would also want a new 360 in case I brick mine or something.
I don't know about the podcast but the album is named after the novel and quite frankly I'm shocked and dismayed that a geeky site like this wouldn't know that.
Guys, "seventh son" is *not* a recent coinage. It's an old superstition that the seventh son of a seventh son would be born with second sight.
"Kilroy 2.0 is evvvverrry where heh heh heh"
Wow, this is awesome. With this hack 360 games on your hacked console are virtually region-free. If only someone was clever enough to develop a hack for the PS3 to play its games region-free...OH WAIT!!! IT ALREADY DOES!!!
yep, all three.
I don't quite see the benefit of region coding, nor do I see the benefit of bypassing it.
How many people get games and movies from other regions and try to play them in their player?
"paloooz", there are many benefits to getting movies, and games, from other regions and being able to enjoy them. There are many movies, or versions of, that are never released in the States for one reason or another, but made available in Japan, just to pick a country. Plus, if say, the games released in your country suck, but you'd like to get the ones from another one, then you should be able to. Also, say you enjoy a show/movie and bought the content from some country you lived in, or visited, and would like to bring it States' side, you should be able to watch it without having to worry about this region nonsense.
You're not pirating anything, you're still paying for it, and the parties involved are getting paid too. So, what's the problem. It's a huge advantage.
Why does MS tell you "you can't", but Sony says "yes you can", is beyond me. Call Billy and ask him.
I can understand that Region coding is done because content is released in different parts of the world at different times. But, other than that, it makes absolutely no sense at all.
Oh, and to answer your question... a lot of people do this.
@paloooz, you may not see the need for region-free, but lots of others outside of the USA might want to play the US version of a DVD/game.
Makes sense. Thanks.
I don't see the point of region coding either- nor any other form of drm. I'd hack the heck out of it for anger's sake if nothing else... But I use a pc to do everything (I don't like consoles or dvd players or any of that at all) so I usually don't have all that much trouble with them.
You must follow the holy commandment of gaming:
-Thou shalt only play games which thy console manufacturer dictates you may. To purchase games from another region is a sin.
"But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."
Declaration of Independence
July 4, 1776
Since when do we care what those people think? I'll play whatever media I dang well please, thankyouverymuch.
My last post was made in jest. Believe me, I think region coding is one of the most ridiculous things ever. At least with the Super NES and N64, it was easy to circumvent (cut out the plastic "region pegs" in the Game Pak slot, so any Game Pak will fit in it).
Let's face it: there are great games that are not released in every region (Europe, for example, never officially got Super Mario RPG or Chrono Trigger).
It's one thing I've always loved about portable gaming, and is one thing Sony did right with PS3 (too bad it doesn't work for PS/PS2 games and DVDs, too...)
I'm telling Microsoft about this. Maybe they'll give me some money.
It's more likely that your Xbox will brick
i already have chipped my xbox to do this... its not that hard, especially when you pay someone else to do it! plus, theres a website i already go to to download region free games...
if the hack was easier to pull off we mighta seen a sudden spike in sales of Idolmaster this week.
Anyone who thinks sony is ok with region free "grey imports" as its called, should talk to lik-sang.
R.I.P. Lik-Sang, you were a hero until Sony Europe cut you down. You deserved a better end.
Iron Maiden's Seventh son was the first album I every bought! :)
A lot of misinformed ppl - xbox give the developers free hand in region coding ... they can choose not to. In fact there are a lot of ntsc games which work on pal consoles - and vice versa. But (for licensing & other weird reasons) some devs choose to region code the game ... so stop blaming ms, xbox and bill - the devs are the ones to blame here!
@palooz:
1. When I lived in the UK, we had to wait seemingly forever for everything - new movie releases, new game releases, and so forth. When they were finally released in the UK, they were far more expensive due to exchange rates and other factors.
2. I moved to the US earlier this year, bringing with me my DVD collection. As many of these DVDs were Region 2, I had to find a multi-region player to play them. Were the Wii not region locked, I would have also brought my collection of GameCube games to play on the system. I believe Freeloader works to let you play GC games from other regions on your Wii, but this was not confirmed at the time.
The only reason companies lock content to regions - and don't let anyone convince you otherwise - is to force consumers in different territories to pay the maximum possible, because the technology lets them.
Some people have WAY to much time on their hands.
"desoldering the flash chip card"?
Why can't they put all of that brain power and extra time to work to solve something useful?
maybe he just has a really big family?
One reason for region coding is different age rating systems in different countries. That and some countries might choose to ban a game/movie so don't want it to be available imported neither.
I'm all for region free though.
Halo 3 US = $50 or £28
Halo 3 UK = £50 or $98
(conversions are guestimates)
I recently moved from Japan to Europe. I brought my 360 with me (there is not a big market for 360s in Japan, esp. pre-owned).
First hurdle was Microsoft refusing to help out with the power brick: I was told to ask Japan, which does not have 230volt bricks. So in other words, take a hike. MS does not supply them for sale (only for 'damage'). After-market solutions do exist, but it was cheaper to buy an old transformer. 1000watts does the trick.
Second hurdle is new games. Japanese traders are difficult to deal with (language is the first barrier, and I've not yet found one that ships abroad). The go-betweens in Hong Kong are getting chased out of business, and all this puts a premium on the costs.
So this hack is welcome news. If it were simple, reversible and invisible (for online play) I would implement. Better yet, manufacturers should stop trying to manipulate 'consumers' to their own profitable ends, and instead do what they claim all along: put our interests first.
Hi guys,
I can tell you that my handle is not in reference to J.C. Hutchins podcast novel or the Orson Scott Card novel, but rather, as Mr. Topolsky had hoped, to one of the single greatest peices of art ever conceived by mankind, Iron Maiden's "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" album. I hope that clears it up :-)
Another clarification. This hack will work on all kernels, not just the HV exploitable ones. As long as you obtain the cpu-key before you upgrade past version 4548. This way you can run the latest kernel and still modify your game region code.