As far as I can tell, this is completely different from the Firmware Hacking that has been done previously. See the article below from www.gametrailers.com to get more information. I do not condone this act or behavior as all this mod does is allow for copies of retail games to be played on the 360. It doesn't say anything about the possibliity of homebrew applications or any other benefit that does not hurt the consumer.
From gametrailers.com:
"the Xbox 360: hacked We can confirm that the mod chip works as advertised, allowing the player to copy authentic, retail Xbox 360 games to DVD and play them on their Xbox 360s. What's more, the mod chip currently allows players to access Xbox Live gameplay using a burned, pirated game disc. The method for copying games is not easy, requiring the hacker to use a very specific model of DVD burners as well as a tricky hot-swap process. But on the whole, the copying process seems to yield consistent results. No word yet from Microsoft, though the company is known for taking an aggressive stance against piracy."
Should be interesting to see what Microsoft has to say about this and also to find out what will happen to our gaming experience as time goes on and people become more and more familiar with the inner workings of the Xbox 360. Let's just hope the 360 doesn't end up being a modder's paradise just in time for Halo 3.
