Kotaku: ben heck

Infinite Bits: Miami's First Video Game Convention

Mike Fahey — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:20:00 MDT

Next weekend in Miami you can enjoy live music, tournaments, world record competitions, special guests, a costume contest, and a video game museum at Infinite Bits, South Florida's "first major video game convention."

Infinite Bits is definitely a consumer-oriented video game event. It's about the community and the gamers, rather than big-name publishers showing off their wares. It's about breaking records and friendly competition, with guests like Pac-Man champ Billy Mitchell and Twin Galaxies' Walter Day. Our favorite extreme console modder Benjamin Heckendorn will be there. They've even got concerts from chiptune artists Starscream and goatslacker, as well as video game cover band Random Encounter. It's basically a bunch of gamers getting together to have fun, play games, and buy stuff for an entire weekend, which sounds just fine to me.

Infinite Bits runs from October 23rd to the 25th at the Miami Mart Hotel and Convention Center, with tickets running you $30 for a weekend pass, or $35 at the door. I'd highly recommend ordering tickets beforehand, as wandering about Miami with cash in your hand is an invitation to get shot. Well, more shot than you'd normally be just wandering about Miami without it.

Infinit Bits [Official Website]

Building a Bill Paxton Pinball Tribute

Owen Good — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:40:00 MDT

Modder extraordinaire Benjamin J. Heckendorn always wanted to build his own pinball machine from scratch. So what did he choose as its theme? Playboy? KISS? Nope. Bill Paxton.

The choice seems to be a gut-instinct one, made "several minutes" after deciding four years ago he wanted to build such a table. "I guess I could have gone with a more obvious geek choice like Bruce Campbell but to be honest, Paxton's more interesting and has made movies people have actually seen."

*ducks* Hey, he said it, not me.

Moving along, he's set to designing the table's artwork before its play, it seems. The backglass has already been put together, and contains these references:

• Can of Hamm's - he drinks it in several movies.
• Alien holding a Fish Head - 3000 years ago Paxton directed a Barnes & Barnes video called, well, Fish Heads, about, well, Fish Heads.
• Blob of crap from Weird Science.
• Axe from Fraility.
• Cow / truck from Twister.
• Skyline of Paxton's hometown in the background.
• Crew of Apollo 13.
• Plane from Slipsteam.
• Mountain / photo from Vertical Limit.
• ROV from Titanic.
• Some wives from Big Love.

He's sketching out four modes of play based off of Paxton classics - True Lies will require lots of combos and multiplers "to, I guess, get into Jamie Lee Curtis' pants." Others include Twister, Titanic and, naturally, Aliens.

Hold Flipper for Status Update [BenHeck.com]

Make Your Own Modded Console Handhelds

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:30:00 MDT

Console modder Ben Heckendorn has made quite a name for himself chopping machines apart and making them smaller, sleeker, more portable. Now you can do as he does.

To help him sell his book "Hacking Videogame Consoles", Heckendorn has posted on his website a series of design documents and shopping lists for some of his more popular creations, which should be enough to get the more industrious amongst you cutting, soldering and gaming-on-the-go in no time.

You can find the drawings and component lists for eight portable consoles, including the SNES, Atari 2600 and PS1, at the link below.

Hacking Video Game Consoles [BenHeck]

If Only There Were More Of These Commodore 64 Laptops

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:30:00 MDT

Heeeeyyyy. It's Ben Heckendorn, console modder extraordinaire. What ya got for us this week, Ben? A Commodore 64 laptop? Oh yes.

Not only is this amazing because it's a Commodore 64 laptop, it's amazing because it's just the perfect mix between keeping it retro and keeping it classy. Example: It's got a C64 keyboard and power switch, but folds into a thin, good-lookin' clamshell case.

Being a Ben Heck custom job, it's a one-of-a-kind. Which is a shame. Because I'd buy one. Maybe even two.

Commodore 64 Original Hardware Laptop [benheck]

Ben Heck's New Mod: The "Atari 3600" Stick

Owen Good — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 10:00:00 MST

Everyone's first big complaint with this — a 360 controller stuffed into a 2600's casing — is the lack of a second analog joystick. So it's not your new Halo stick. But Braid? Sure.

Heck also admits he cheated a little on this, gutting a Guitar Hero III guitar for the stick's circuitry. Other fun facts: Ben measures a project's time in length of "Law & Order" episodes, which he watches while modding (in the daytime, he watches "Charmed.")

You can check out this video of Heck playing Braid with it, set to ~~"If I Had a Firm Backside"~~ "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher.

3600 Controller [Benheck.com]

Ben Heck's Xbox 360 Laptop v2.0

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:30:00 MST

Oh Ben Heck. What can't you do? I ask because there are so many things you can do. Like making desirable console laptops.

You may remember the guy made a 360 laptop in 2007. Then made that into a Halo 3 laptop. Well, time flies, and Heck's just released shots of his all-new, all-improved Xbox 360 laptop.

In typical Heckendorn style, it's a little rough in terms of design. It's no MacBook Air. Hell, it's no Xbox. But it is an Xbox 360, rockin' the NXE, crammed within a laptop case and a host of neat features.

Features like: an internal, swappable HDD, internal wi-fi, no keyboard, dual memory card slots and enough brushed aluminium to sink a small wooden vessel.

Bravo.

New Xbox 360 Portable [Benheck]

Inside The 60GB 360: Old CPU, New Memory Chips

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:20:00 MDT

The new Xbox 360 has a 60GB HDD, which is new, but what about the rest of the console? Anything new inside the unit? Hacker extraordinaire Ben Heck got hold of one and busted it open like a naughty coconut to find out. What he found was that the new console has the same GPU, same 65nm CPU and same heatsink as we've been seeing for a while now, so don't expect any heat/noise improvements on that front (at least for the next few months), though he did notice that some of the console's memory chips have been moved from the bottom of the board, which should ease up on heating in that part of the 360. Other than that...yeah, it's a 360, with 40 extra GB.

Inside a 60 gig Xbox 360 [Ben Heck]

Ben Heck's One-Handed Controller Now On Sale

Mike Fahey — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:20:00 MDT

First announced back in October of last year, the Access Game Controller designed by technical wizard Ben Heckendorn for disabled gamers is finally ready for sale via eDimensional's website. The device, listed for use with the PlayStation 2, PS3, and PC, allows one-handed gamers modify the controller as they see fit via a series of circular modules containing face buttons, shoulder buttons, analog sticks and a d-pad.

The controller can be preordered right now for $129.95, with a shipping target of 8-10 weeks. A portion of all proceeds goes towards Children’s Hospital and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

New Access Controller Designed by Ben Heck [eDimensional's Product Page]

Ben Heck's Guitar Hero Pedal

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:30:00 MDT

What, Ben Heck, coming up with excellent, craft, gaming-related things? You don't say. This is his latest contraption, a heavy-duty pedal designed to work with Guitar Hero to give it that extra dash of authenticity. After Heck did some one-handed GH controllers for the Games for Health conference, Activision decided to send him some guitars for further experimentation, and these are what he came up with. Although primarily designed to allow someone with the use of only one hand to play Guitar Hero (as the pedal allows them to strum with their feet), they can also be used to activate the whammy bar, giving them a much more general application. While they look nice and rugged, the highlight's got to be the fact he wired them using the controller cables from an old Jaguar controller.

Guitar Hero pedal controllers [Ben Heck]

Ben Heck's PlayStation 3 Laptop

Mike Fahey — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:00:00 MDT

My consoles absolutely hate Ben Heck. Every time he releases a new mod, such as this gorgeous PlayStation 3 laptop, similar to his Xbox 360 Elite laptop from awhile back, I tend to spend many hours sitting in my living room, eyes moving curious from consoles to the cabinet where I keep my (barely used) tools. With my degree of electronics knowledge, this is the game console equivalent of having someone quietly staring first at you, and then at a loaded gun in front of them, over and over again. Luckily for them I've yet to work up the nerve, though I do have an extra PSone sitting around gathering dust. I think I just heard it whimper.

Ben Heck's Latest Wonder Project: PS3 Laptop [Gizmodo]

Ben Heck, Not A Huge Gamer

Mark Wilson — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:40:00 MDT

Reuters just ran an interesting profile on internet-famous console modder Benjamin Heckendorn. It's definitely worth a quick read if you're interested in the man behind the DS Atari 2600 or Xbox 360 laptop, but we particularly enjoyed his response to his own gaming habits.

I didn't used to play, but last year I went out of my way to play more video games. I would probably maybe buy one game a year. Last year I said you know what, this is ridiculous.

Uh oh, all those games will probably rot his brain.

"Modder" turns hobby into career [Reuters via BoingBoingGadgets][Image by Maxamegalon2000]

Xbox 360 Elite Turned into Halo 3 Laptop

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:00:03 MST

Modder Ben Heck (aka Bengamin J. Heckendorn) dazzles. He's got the uncanny ability to take things, and turn them into other things. Pretty things, at that! Last spring, he crafted an Xbox 360 into a laptop. Now, he's done the same with an Xbox 360 Elite. Nice trick, but we've seen it before. How about turning an Xbox 360 Elite into something else — like a stack of waffles?
Official Site [Ben Heck via Engadget]

Ben Heck's Mystery Solved

Mike Fahey — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:20:13 MDT

Ben Heckendorn, who's mutant power involves pulling dreams out of my head and making them a reality, has finally unveiled the mystery product McWhertor mentioned back in late April, and I am very pleasantly surprised.

It's not the one-handed controller McWhertor predicted. It's the Audio FX Pro 5+1 Headset, a custom made USB headset that eschews modern sensibilities for the sake of...well, comfort. Look at those poofy ear cups, designed to cup your ears instead of crushing them. Sure it might get hot, but I'll take a little heat over bright-red ear soreness any day of the week. It even features a low-frequency force feedback effect for when that one guy in your WoW guild who still finds it hilarious shouts "Leeeeroy Jenkins" for the millionth time.

The headset will be shipping to retailers in July, and right now you can preorder one from eDimensional here for $79.95. Between Lord of the Rings Online's built-in voice support and Second Life getting it soon (much love to the Sumos couch), I'm definitely picking one up. Finally a Ben Heck custom I can afford. Michael Fahey

The Audio FX Pro 5+1 Headset [benheck.com - Thanks Scott!]

Gameport, The Emulator For Your Pocket

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 29 May 2007 15:40:17 MDT

Console modding champ Benjamin J. Heckendorn (aka Ben Heck) is not only teaming up with eDimensional for a mystery accessory, he's bringing his hardware know-how to Retrogames' Gameport, a handheld "portable multimedia gaming system."

According to Heckendorn the Gameport will currently play Atari 2600 and Colecovision titles, with other hardware supported by software upgrades. The official Gameport site lists additional platforms including the Sega Master System, NES, Intellivision and Atari 7800 under its "games" section. Actually getting software to play on the system? That's up to you and your favorite .torrent provider, matey.

While some of that sounds legally grey, the site's FAQ makes the prospect of actually owning a Gameport much more sketchy given that the Retrogames' distributor "perished after legal problems". Yikes!

No word on a release date yet, but we'll be keeping our eyes on the official Gameport site for more. I assume various legal departments will be doing the same. Michael McWhertor

Port your games around with the Gameport [Ben Heck, thanks Scott!]

Make The PS360 Controller

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:00:50 MDT

Ah, to be console modder Ben Heckendorn (AKA Ben Heck). No, to be Ben Heck's buddy and get some of his amazing creations! The modder's recent project? Stuffing a PS3 SIXAXIS in an Xbox 360 controller, thereby giving birth to the PS360 controller. You don't just have to be BFF with Ben or pay him gobs of money for the PS360. Now Ben has put a how-to up, you can make it. So, if you know the difference between a Phillips screwdriver and a Small Torx screwdriver, they have a gander. Who knows, you might just be able to pull it off! That, or totally muck up controllers. Either way, good luck. Brian Ashcraft

Make A PS360 Controller [Engadget]

Ben Heck Mystery Product Comin' At Ya

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:20:26 MDT

Console modder and guy who turns stuff into other stuff Benjamin J. Heckendorn, aka Ben Heck, has partnered with accessory manufacturer eDimensional to make... something. They won't say what it is exactly, because they're running a contest to let John Q. Gamer figure out exactly what the hell... er, heck their unannounced gaming accessory is.

Ben's previous projects include the Xbox 360 Laptop, multiple portable Atari 2600s and the PS360 Controller, so whatever it is, it's probably going to be somewhere north of awesome.

My guess? Someone's obviously taken Heckendorn up on his offer to manufacture a single-handed Xbox 360 controller, similar to the one he built for a disabled gamer. Hey, no stealing my idea. I'm determined to win this contest!

Mystery press release after the jump. Michael McWhertor

What The Heck? [eDimensional]

What the Heck? Guess the New eDimensional Product Designed Exclusively by BenHeck!

eDimensional teams up with renowned modder Benjamin J. Heckendorn on new gaming accessory.

Leading gaming accessory manufacturer eDimensional has teamed up with renowned modder Benjamin J. Heckendorn on their latest product. Gamers worldwide are clamoring to know about what Ben will design next and eDimensional is eager to build it and bring it to market. Now you can win one just by guessing what it is! eDimensional and Ben are pleased to announce the "What the Heck?" contest, where you can send us your guess for what the new product will be. Correct answers will be entered to win a signed copy of the newest product when it is released soon.

eDimensional CEO Michael Epstein raves, "It's been an absolute pleasure working with Ben on the new eDimensional product. He's full of fantastic ideas that are truly inspired by the hard-core gamer, which is exactly who we design our products for. We've really given him free reign to fulfill his creative vision and are thrilled with how the new product looks and performs. We can't wait to offer a benheck original to the entire gaming community."

Author of Hacking Videogame Consoles, BenHeck has been creating acclaimed custom devices such as his recent XBOX 360 laptop since the last century.

He notes, "I'm really excited about releasing my latest project, the first opportunity for gamers worldwide to purchase a Heckendorn original! Thanks to eDimensional for their contributions and support in making my latest creation a reality."

Please visit www.eDimensional.com/whattheheck.php for the latest clues and entry information. New clues will appear at random, so be sure to check back often to see if you can figure it out.

About Benjamin J. Heckendorn

Author and engineer Benjamin J. Heckendorn, known to the gaming community as benheck, is renowned for his innovative modifications of gaming consoles and peripherals including his popular XBOX 360 laptop, portable Atari handheld, controllers and more. Featured in such media as Popular Science, Maxim, MTV, Engadget and much more, his flair for creating the most novel of gaming devices has generated a cult-following and considerable demand for custom projects. His work is available on his personal blog,
www.benheck.com.

About eDimensional, Inc.

eDimensional is a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative gaming software and hardware accessories. The critically acclaimed eDimensional product line consists of 3D, motion tracking, audio and voice recognition products and is distributed online and in a variety of retail locations worldwide. eDimensional is focused on providing gamers with the most realistic gaming experience possible and has received numerous awards and accolades related to our proprietary technologies. For more information, please visit
www.eDimensional.com or email sales@eDimensional.com

Xbox 360 Laptop Redux

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:40:53 MDT

Professional console modder Benjamin J. Heckendorn (aka Ben Heck) has released pics and video of his latest custom hardware hack, the Xbox 360 Laptop 2. Better than his previous Xbox 360 laptop by a factor of two, this one ups the green like it was 2001 and uses an mind-boggling 60% less aluminum. If I were a religious man, I'd think this material goods reduction were some sort of witchcraft, nay, the work of Satan himself. It's that good.

Ben promises an upcoming how-to for making your own (sadly, with our distinguished competition) in the near future. Watch for it! Michael McWhertor

Xbox 360 Laptop The Second [BenHeck.com]

Behold The Portable Wii

Mike Fahey — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 13:40:10 MST

It is a dream of mine to one day have the money to commission Ben Heckendorn to create a custom console all my own, but as it stands I am flying to New York next weekend to party with some of you people and don't own any socks without holes in them. Instead I daydream of owning something as awesome as the custom Wii laptop Ben has created for Engadget. This semi-sleek little number has everything you need to get your Wii on wherever you go. Imagine how much fun it would be to sit down in a crowded plane, whip this baby out and start swinging your arms about like a madman.

Ben will be posting a comprehensive, episodic how to starting next Tuesday over at Engadget, so with any luck I'll be well on my way to completely destroying my console and setting my apartment on fire in no time. Michael Fahey

The Wii Laptop! [Thanks Steven!]

New Atari 2600 Hack Smacks Of DS

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 21:40:19 MST

Another day, another amazing Benjamin J. Heckendorn console mod. This time, Ben has churned out the Mark VII Atari 2600 (aka Atari VCSp Revision 7) portable with a cool clamshell design.

Don't miss the spectacular making of and hilarious head-to-head against the Nintendo DS Lite which answers the question "Which portable outperforms against cavedwelling beasts?" Michael McWhertor