It’s no secret that, unlike other gaming consoles, the XBox is basically a PC that Microsoft loses money on with every sale (analysts estimate $125 per unit). Since its introduction, there’s been tension between Microsoft (who naturally wants to keep the XBox a closed platform) and folks who see the XBox’s potential as a great and inexpensive platform (which won’t be running Windows, of course) for more than just games and DVDs.
Until now, hackers have focused on patching Microsoft’s XBox BIOS. Now, a company called OzXChip has introduced a new XBox modchip that comes with an open-source Linux BIOS (which can be “flashed” with an update merely by inserting a CD) preinstalled. Linux distributions that will work on this configuration are nearly ready for release. And that means that XBox shizzle is about to hit the fizzle, my peoples. [via Slashdot]