MS Employees Debate Mod Chips

[wraggster]

Via Slashdot (http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/02/2057217)

a post on Xbox strategy group member Andre Vrignaud's blog discusses the view of mod chips from inside Microsoft (http://ozymandias.com/archive/2006/07/31/The-Problem-with-Modchips.aspx). Not surprisingly, he concludes that they're a barrier to a viable business model. Just the same, the post has some good consideration of the issue from both sides. Especially interesting is his comment that
"a friend of mine at Microsoft once demonstrated a modded PSP to Bill Gates and showed off all of the interesting things that enabled. According to my friend Bill was intrigued and asked the audience what we might be able to do to encourage this sort of thing without damaging the business."
Even if it's a sticky wicket, at least they're thinking along the right lines.

Very interesting wouldnt you say :)

[LampDev]

Bill's as much a geek as the rest of us. His geek instincts temporarily overcame his business sense. He'll downplay the quote, then go on to speak against modding in general later.

I'm sure he thought a linux was kind of cool until it started eating away at his server software profits.

[LC_killer]

i hate bill gates, and microsoft as much as the next guy, but bill is the the smarter of all these game companys. and will be above the curve and start the trend. as microsoft has time after time. we know he is at least smarter than sony. thats easy to do.

[MikeDX]

I bet one of my psps that he wasnt shown a modded psp at all, but probably ust a standard 1.5 running homebrew.

[Voltron]

Awesome! That guy turned Bill Gates on to PSP Homebrew. Now Gates probably has a tricked out PSP to the MAX with DevHook, 4gb memory stick, you name it.

[Cooe14]

I see a user mode (so no ISO loaders can be made or "back-up" copies being able to run) homebrew compatible Xbox 360 or a firmware update for current 360's in Microsofts future.

[Xcalibur]

My first post! sweet... anyway, to LC killer, you shouldn't be too quick to dis sony. if it weren't for sony, microsoft probably wouldn't even have a console, let alone 2. before playstation, microsoft wasn't even interested in consoles.

[LC_killer]

welcome to the community, hopfully you make our little corner of the net home like we have. now to my rant...but for how much money i have spent on sony products, i get disrepect, and no help from suport when i have called. sony cares nothing about you. but only the all mighty dollar.

[Xcalibur]

thnx 4 tha welcome. i've actually been on the homebrew scene for a while, i jus didn't feel like posting before. anyway u have a good point. they don't care about us, i could care less about them. as long as they keep putting out products that i enjoy, im gonna keep spending the almighty dollar. thaz the way of the world isnt it? u offer me something i like, i offer u something u like.

[seesoe]

u offer me something i like, i offer u something u like.
:p :D :p

this is intresting

[Xcalibur]

:p :D :p

this is intresting


lol :confused:

[l Zero Fox l]

Wow just a few nights ago I had a dream that the Xbox Portable was OSS for anybody... with the limitation of piracy... Seriously I did... Weird

[mr_nick666]

Bill's as much a geek as the rest of us. His geek instincts temporarily overcame his business sense. He'll downplay the quote, then go on to speak against modding in general later.

I'm sure he thought a linux was kind of cool until it started eating away at his server software profits.

Lol! :p True words if ever I heard them... :) Bill Gates IS just a geek... He doesnt work because he needs the money he likes what he does (and who wouldnt like playing with all the latest technology and gadgets!???) :D

[MaxSMoke]

Thank God at least one CEO is minorly interested in Homebrew. As far as most companies, like *SONY* are concerned, hacking is bad, no matter what.

Micro$oft should open up their on-line game market thing to a selection of free and experimental software that users can use "At Your Own Risk". Then they could wash their hands of responsibility for what Homebrew authors do, and yet still encourage it.

You see it's all "Value-Added". It makes the console worth more to the end consumer. Homebrew games don't discourage user game purchases, but in fact encourage interest in a game platform. I can attest to this personally, as I would never have bought most of the 30+ PSP games I own if it wasn't for Homebrew keeping my interest in my PSP.

The release of the DS Lite has renewed my interest in the DS platform, and I've purchased some new games. But already, I'm losing interest. And with the release of Dev Hook, I'm now totally absorbed into my PSP game and in the market for new games. (now that I can play them on my 1.5 firmware!) Unless Sony locks down the firmware again to 2.8 with all future games, I'm going to be spending alot more money in the near future on my PSP.

You see, the more interest people have in a console, the more money it makes. That's the bottom line. You don't buy games for consoles that collect dust, period. I'm sure everybody can agree on that.

[PeterM]

"Micro$oft"! Hahaha! Did you see? He used a dollar sign instead of an S! That's fantastic!

That joke's never gonna get old!

[BlackJack23]

Yes it is :)

I guess thats the concept on which all business takes place.

Anyway, I hope Bill realises the potential of homebrew on the XBOX and shows the world how homebrew can actually help hardware sales by not affecting software sales.

[mike03$$$]

maybe a working windows xp

[StealthCP]

WELL...

Bill Gates just stands for one of the most sucessful businessmen on the planet. You don't have to like him, or hug Windows, but you have to respect that it took a bit of wit to become the world's richest man...

Microsoft are a sucessful company that make lots of money. They don't have to be good... All that matters to the majority of businesses is profit. Nothing else. And Microsoft are going the right way about it. Selling a less functional, duly boring Operating System for an unacceptable amount of money, but people still buy it because... everyone else has it.

It's a vicious circle which will only end in 2018.

[pkmaximum]

Hmmmm just because Bill Gates though agrees to X-Box homebrew does not necissarrily mean that he is going to allow x-box homebrew, after all how much will SONY, NINTENDO,SEGA appreciate it if microsoft consul is running all their systems! Hmm I think there is going to be a catch to all this wich might not be bad....but Idk its best to wait and see what happens I suppose because many microsoft developers are apparently not so happy with the x-box homebrew scene D:

[Cooe14]

Hmmmm just because Bill Gates though agrees to X-Box homebrew does not necissarrily mean that he is going to allow x-box homebrew, after all how much will SONY, NINTENDO,SEGA appreciate it if microsoft consul is running all their systems! Hmm I think there is going to be a catch to all this wich might not be bad....but Idk its best to wait and see what happens I suppose because many microsoft developers are apparently not so happy with the x-box homebrew scene D:Microsoft isn't responsible for what people create for their system. This is why people haven't sued Microsoft for having emulators be able to run on windows, but have rather sued the people who make the emulators (i.e. Sony vs. Bleem).

[jwilds73]

Microsoft isn't responsible for what people create for their system. This is why people haven't sued Microsoft for having emulators be able to run on windows, but have rather sued the people who make the emulators (i.e. Sony vs. Bleem).

And considering most homebrew is released GPL who can they hope to sue. Sure if someone tried to sell their program they created that emulated psx on xbox Sony would come down on them. However if they released it GPL how could they sue?

I really want a game system like some computer games where people can create and edit content of games with a large the degree of freedom.

Games and game systems are kinda look and enjoy but dont touch. Forget that if I want to paint a mustache on the Mona Lisa I think I should be able too. Give me the keys to the city and put the paintbrush and easel in my hands. Allow us to truly become part of the game.

[mavsman4457]

And considering most homebrew is released GPL who can they hope to sue. Sure if someone tried to sell their program they created that emulated psx on xbox Sony would come down on them. However if they released it GPL how could they sue?

I think Cooe14 was saying something different. He was saying that Sony can't sue Microsoft because there is a PS1 emulator on xbox 360 but Sony or Microsoft could sue Michael Johnson because he made a PS1 emulator for xbox 360.