Benjamin Heckendorn
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Benjamin J. Heckendorn (born October 19, 1975) is an American
video game console A video game console is an electronic device that Input/output, outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can typically be played with a game controller. These may be home video game console, home consoles, which are generally ...
modder Modding (from "modifying") is the act of modifying hardware, software, or anything else to perform a function not originally intended by the designer, or to achieve bespoke specification or appearance. The term is often used in reference to vid ...
and
computer engineer Computer engineering (CE, CoE, or CpE) is a branch of engineering specialized in developing computer hardware and software. It integrates several fields of electrical engineering, electronics engineering and computer science. Computer engine ...
. He is better known as Ben Heck on the Internet. Heckendorn is also an
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...
maker and he was the star of element14's ''The Ben Heck Show'', a popular online series, until leaving the show in late 2018. He has two
podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...
s, one which he runs with the help of a friend, Jason Jones, and the other on Warpath.TV with George Force, Mike Zucker, and Anthony Carboni. Most of Heckendorn's mods are done by taking apart old video game consoles such as the
Atari 2600 The Atari 2600 is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS), it popularized microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on swappable ROM cartridg ...
and
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
. He then reconfigures internal
printed circuit board A printed circuit board (PCB), also called printed wiring board (PWB), is a Lamination, laminated sandwich structure of electrical conduction, conductive and Insulator (electricity), insulating layers, each with a pattern of traces, planes ...
(PCB) into a smaller form factor. The newly configured circuit board is enclosed within a custom case (done by a
CNC Computer numerical control (CNC) or CNC machining is the automated control of machine tools by a computer. It is an evolution of numerical control (NC), where machine tools are directly managed by data storage media such as punched cards or ...
machine) and any peripherals are assembled by Heckendorn. His creations have been featured in such publications as ''
Wired Wired may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976 * ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993 * ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017 * "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street'' * "Wired ...
'', ''
Popular Science Popular science (also called pop-science or popsci) is an interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is more broad ranging. It may be written ...
'', and ''
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'', and on television shows such as ''
The Screen Savers ''The Screen Savers'' is an American TV show that aired on TechTV from 1998 to 2005. The show launched concurrently with the channel ZDTV (later known as TechTV) on May 11, 1998. ''The Screen Savers'' originally centered on computers, new techn ...
'', ''
Attack of the Show! ''Attack of the Show!'' (''AOTS'') is an American live television program that aired on G4. AOTS features segments on pop culture, video games, and movies. After an initial run from 2005 to 2013 (which originally aired from 2005 until 2013, we ...
,'' and ''
X-Play ''Xplay'' (previously ''GameSpot TV'', ''Extended Play'', and ''X-Play'') was a television program about video games. The program, known for its reviews and comedy skits, aired on G4 in the United States and has aired on '' G4 Canada'' in Canada ...
''. His mods are also commonly presented the blog such as
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.


History

Heckendorn had an interest in electronic and video games as a child, as a young man in film-making and in later life while working as a
graphic artist A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming l ...
. He made a GeoCities site covering his project to make a portable Atari 2600, which led to an appearance in 2004 on
The Screen Savers ''The Screen Savers'' is an American TV show that aired on TechTV from 1998 to 2005. The show launched concurrently with the channel ZDTV (later known as TechTV) on May 11, 1998. ''The Screen Savers'' originally centered on computers, new techn ...
, a book deal, requests for custom electronics creations, and YouTube videos in 2010. In 2015 he restored the only known surviving Sony/Nintendo Play Station prototype console, the Super NES CD-ROM.


Systems

Heckendorn has created a line of portable
Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French holding company Atari SA (formerly Infogrames) and its focus is on "video games, consumer hardware, licensing and bl ...
systems, almost always using some form of Atari 2600 board cut up into a smaller PCB. The only exception is the
Atari Jaguar The Atari Jaguar is a home video game console developed by Atari Corporation and released in North America in November 1993. It is in the fifth generation of video game consoles, and it competed with Fourth generation of video game consoles, fo ...
"64-Bit" Portable and the Atari 800 laptop. He has also turned two Atari 800 computers into laptops. One of his most notable
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
projects a mod to make the form factor more like that of a portable laptop computer. Other projects include a one-handed Xbox 360 controller built for a
serviceman A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word ...
injured in
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, five revised the Xbox Laptops (one being a modified Xbox Slim), an Xbox 360 controller out of a Standard Xbox Controller and another one-handed Access Controller with modular ministicks and buttons. The latter was originally designed for PC, PS2 and PS3, but works with the Xbox 360 through an adapter. Heckendorn has also modified an
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
console and five (3 NESp's)
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
consoles into portables. Other portables include three
Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...
portables, a "laptop" version of the PS3 based on the Slim version, a "PS360" controller from a PlayStation 3 controller built into an Xbox 360 controller's shell, and Commodore 64 (C model for its smaller motherboard) modded into a portable laptop computer. He created the MGDp, a fully functional PC built into an antique 18-pack MGD beer case and a NK
Neo Geo The , stylized as NEO•GEO, is a video game platform released in 1990 by Japanese game company SNK Corporation. It was initially released in two ROM cartridge-based formats: an arcade system board (Multi Video System; MVS) and a home video gam ...
MVS Portable built around an MV-1C motherboard from 1999. Heckendorn has made a
Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Sys ...
portable called the Sega Exodus. Initially a Radica Genesis collection DTV unit, a cartridge slot was added to allow it to play most Sega Genesis games. Apple projects include a laptop made from an original
Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are cultivated worldwide. The tree originated in Central ...
motherboard, with added RAM and a CompactFlash interface and an Apple One Replica Laptop, a custom-made replica of the
Apple I The Apple Computer 1 (Apple-1), later known predominantly as the Apple I, is an 8-bit personal computer designed by Steve Wozniak and released by the Apple Computer Company (now Apple Inc.) in 1976. The company was initially formed to ...
. Heckendorn has made four combo system to date. His first portable combo system, the NEStari was an NES and an Atari 2600 combo. The Ultimate Combo System was an
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
, a
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
, and a
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The W ...
in a custom case. The third is an Atari 2600 / PS2 Combo Unit and the fourth is a Colecovision/Sega Master System combo with mention of adding MSX capabilities. Heckendorn has also created custom pinball machines. Heckendorn built most of the ''Bill Paxton'' pinball machine from scratch, CNC-ing the cabinet himself and using a piece of channel for the lockdown bar. The dot matrix display was soldered by hand, and has fewer dots than a standard DMD display (128 x 32). Most of the playfield components were used early Bally parts, including the ball trough that was modified for multiball similar to what
Gottlieb Gottlieb (formerly D. Gottlieb & Co.) was an American arcade game corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is best known for creating a vast line of pinball machines and arcade games (including ''Q*bert'') throughout much of the 20th century. ...
did by adding a solenoid and a hook to hold balls back. Overall, the theme focused on films and television series in which
Bill Paxton William Paxton (May 17, 1955 – February 25, 2017) was an American actor, filmmaker and musician. A versatile character actor known for his distinctive Texan drawl and everyman screen persona, he was a four-time Golden Globe Award and a Prime ...
appeared, including ''
True Lies ''True Lies'' is a 1994 American action comedy film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Harry Tasker, a U.S. government agent, who struggles to balance his double life as a spy with his familial duties, ...
'', '' U-571'', ''
Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...
'', ''
Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo program, Apollo space program and would have been the third Moon landing. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the landing was abort ...
'', ''
Aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, a lifeform with ext ...
'', and ''
Big Love ''Big Love'' is an American drama (film and television), drama television series created by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer that aired on HBO from 2006 to 2011. It stars Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a Mormon fundamentalism, fundamentalist Mor ...
''. Heckendorn eventually decided it was taking up space, so he offered it up for sale on Pinside. Lloyd from SS Billiards ended up buying it so it can be played on location. ''Lost'' was Heckendorn's second title, which switched to an LCD display. Because of ball hangups, ultimately this design was dismantled (destroyed) and parts used for the next project'', America's Most Haunted''. Originally called ''Ghost Squad'', which can still be heard during multiball, this was the first design that ended up being made commercially. The reason for the name change was because there is a Sega arcade shooter with the same name. This theme is loosely based on an episode of ''The Ben Heck Show'' which was a parody of the typical ghost hunting reality show. Chuck Emery teamed up with Heckendorn, and because ''AMH'' was further along than his own design, this would be the first title to be built by his new company.


''Hacking Video Game Consoles''

In February 2005, Heckendorn released his book ''Hacking Video Game Consoles'', published by Wiley Publishing Inc. and printed under their ExtremeTech line. It contains step by step instructions for creating two Atari 2600 portables, two NES portables, two SNES portables, and two PlayStation portables, each in hand-built and CNC-cut designs.


Podcast website

On December 13, 2006, Heckendorn started benheckpodcast.com, a website for storing all of his podcasts. In addition, posts are made detailing all the projects he is currently working and the projects he has worked on in the past. Heckendorn's other podcast is entitled Sonic Boom, and is available on the Warpath.TV digital network. This podcast is no longer in production.


Movies

Heckendorn is also an amateur film maker. He has completed 6 films since 1995, including his comedic love story, ''Port Washington'', released in 2006. His most recent movie, released on October 31, 2008, was entitled ''Possumus Woman'', and is the sequel to his 1995 film, '' Possumus Man''. All of his films have been released independently.


''The Ben Heck Show''

Ben Heck starred in a weekly online TV program called ''element14's The Ben Heck Show'', hosted on YouTube and the element14 Community. As of June 2016, the show had recorded more than 33 million views worldwide. A typical episode has Ben creating a new product or hacking existing devices, such as an Xbox, for different uses, sometimes based on viewers' suggestions. As the host of element14's ''The Ben Heck Show'', Heckendorn has made celebrity appearances as an attendee or judge at numerous industry events and competitions, including
Maker Faire Maker Faire is a convention of do it yourself (DIY) enthusiasts established by '' Make'' magazine in 2006. Participants come from a wide variety of interests, such as robotics, 3D printing, computers, arts and crafts, and hacker culture. Hist ...
Detroit and
Engadget Engadget ( ) is a technology news, reviews and analysis website offering daily coverage of gadgets, consumer electronics, video games, gaming hardware, apps, social media, streaming, AI, space, robotics, electric vehicles and other potentially ...
Expand. It was announced during an interview with an Element14 Community member that Ben would be leaving ''The Ben Heck Show'' after June 2018. ''The Ben Heck Show'' was replaced with ''Element14 presents'', a similar show featuring a new cast of hosts.


References


External links


Official websiteThe Ben Heck Show
*
America's Most Haunted
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heckendorn, Benjamin 1975 births American entertainment industry businesspeople American video game podcasters Businesspeople from Madison, Wisconsin Living people People from Verona, Wisconsin Filmmakers from Wisconsin