EA FIFA 07 Kicker Mod by Butterkneter

The System

This computer wasn't just going to be a stylish football table - it also had to be a pretty good HTPC. So, I priced out the best system for the job at the time to provide the right balance of power for the task at hand.

The system would look a bit like this:

• Mainboard: Asus nForce Socket AM2
  
• CPU: AMD Athlon64 X2 4200+
  
• RAM: Corsair 1024MB XMS2 PC6400
  
• GFX: Asus GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB
  
• DVD: LG DVD burner
  
• HDD: Western Digital 250GB
  
• PSU: Xilence 420W
  
• SND: Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer

This was backed up by a Logitech mouse and keyboard, Creative Gigaworks T20 speakers and a Creative Livecam. Finally, all of this would be wrapped in the cold aluminium of a 3R systems HTPC Chassis (specifically the HT1100) with LCD display and remote control. It wouldn't win the gaming olympics, but it will be an admirable media player.

Time to get painting

I wanted the sides of the case to look like a football - but not just like a typical paint job. Instead, I wanted them to have the appearance of real leather. I toyed with the idea of cutting a ball, similar to Macroman's Foxconn mod, but it would take a lot of balls to cover the sides of this case and it would be left with a shiny appearance. Instead, I wanted this to look worn out a bit, like a well-loved ball. Thankfully, a company called Lunitec makes a fake leather paint that serves just this purpose.


To apply the paint, I loaded up my airbrush kit and cut myself a stencil of a football's famous pattern. Then on went the black paint, followed by a coat of white paint on the proper segments. Not a lot of airbrush patience was required here, as the texture creates a natural tapering and fade at the edges. Still, that didn't mean I could be lazy with my work!


When the paint job was finished, I was quite happy with the result. Each panel had that "kicked around" feel of a vintage ball. Further, the style made the white paint less jarring and easier on the eyes.


The case looked even better when the panels were put back onto the chassis. A little bit of a rub to get off the stray texture, and the basic case was ready to roll. Who said footballs had to be round?