Any difference between "Modding" and "Hacking" a game console?

Hello guys;


"Today, I hacked my PSP."
This setence is a bit annoying me, because, to be honnest, I really care about my *French* language.
Which word should we use? "Hacking" or "Modding"? Is this the same thing? I always thought that "Hacking" a game console, would be to add a software inside the system, like the Wii Homebrew Channel - That I don't want, by the way. ^^ -, and "Modding", opening the system to add wires, this kind of things. Apparently, I was wrong.
These seems to mean the same thing...

But for me, "Hacking" make me thinking about "ROM Hacking", so this is not the right word to use. We should use "Modding". But maybe I'm wrong.

Can someone please tell me the difference, if there's any?¸

*Yeah, I also don't know how the say the word "Modding" or "To mod" in French. :? "To mod" would be "Modifier"? Anyways. ^^"

Thanks for this lesson. :p

My take:

The original person who changed the Sony firmware is the true "hacker", he's the one that hacks Sonys code to alter what the firmwares features are.

The people who flash their PSPs with the firmware using alternate means than the official firmware upgrades are "modders"

Hacking usually involves changing the firmware of a system, whereas modding adds physical features to a system.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ApolloBoy

Hacking usually involves changing the firmware of a system, whereas modding adds physical features to a system.

---

Okay, so I was right?

Hacking would be installing the "Homebrew Channel" on Wii, for exemple, and modding... Making a Nomad 32X compatible?

So those who are saying "I hacked my PSP", are they right, or should they say "I modded my PSP"?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ApolloBoy

Hacking usually involves changing the firmware of a system, whereas modding adds physical features to a system.

---

What about "hardware hacks" then? ;)

I think the 2 terms are somewhat interchangeable, but it's up to interpretation. "hack" has certain negative connotations to it depending on the usage, "mod" doesn't tend to have that.

But you could say "I've got a region hacked Genesis" vs "region modded Genesis" and it would mean the same thing. (though if it involved physically hacking away some plastic that former might be more fitting ;))

Hacking = Software
Modding = Hardware

ROM 'hackers': congratulations, you can open up sonic1.bin in SonED and re-arrange the level tiles!!

That's not 'hacking' any more than opening harrypotter.doc and replacing 'wand' with 'penis', like those ker-razy bits everyone posts on Facebook, is 'hacking'. That's 'editing'.

both words are interchangeable like many people say they have a modded xbox , meaning their firmware allows to play backup games

Well mod is short for modification meaning any change in the opperation of the machine itself, hacking though could be called a subdivision of modding where you change the software/coding to work to your advantage or needs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GriskaGyoran

Well mod is short for modification meaning any change in the opperation of the machine itself

---

Which can also be done though software: hence soft modding. There's hardware hacking and software modding and editing, etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by combofriend

A mod is a hack therefore all modding is hacking. But hacking is a lot more than just modding, so not all hacking is modding.

---

:mrgreen:
Nice contradictory circular logic there.