Gameworld: 'Modder' turns hobby into freelance career

By Scott Hillis

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Life!) - If you ever thought it would be cool to have an Xbox laptop, or wished those old Atari games in your attic could be reborn on a retro handheld device, you might want to talk to Benjamin Heckendorn.

Better known as Ben Heck, the 32-year-old Wisconsin native has attained legendary status among "modders", hobbyists who tinker with video-game hardware to make it do things the original designers never intended.

Technology Web sites enthusiastically track Heckendorn's latest projects, which are marked by workmanship that makes the finished products look they rolled off a factory line instead of a basement workbench.

"That's the American way, right? Start in your basement, garage, or whatever. You're supposed to get out of it someday, but I still have to listen to my clothes drier sometimes," Heckendorn said in an interview.

Heckendorn got his start eight years ago when he decided to fool around with an old Atari 2600 -- the classic console that popularized home gaming when it launched in 1977 -- and ended up reincarnating it as a handheld device.

"I was shocked, I didn't think anyone would care about it but they did," Heckendorn said.

In fact, they cared so much they began offering Heckendorn hefty amounts of cash to transform their cherished game devices into one-of-a-kind collectibles.

"Ben Heck is basically the best. His mods are as professional as the stuff you can get at Best Buy. That's what makes him stand out from the other basement tinkerers," said Adam Frucci, a contributing editor to the popular tech blog Gizmodo, which has chronicled many of Heckendorn's creations.