The DCEmu Network Public Interview (Question #7)

[grin.ch]

I would have to say emus. Simply b/c w/ emus, the games are endless and were originally released as official software. I have been enjoying the homebrew scene for almost a year, but I have to say homebrew is just getting old. I think it kinda stinks everytime you want to play a homebrew you have to start from the beginning b/c most homebrew games don't support a save feature. You try playing Terra Incognita (an RPG for PSP) and not beating it first go around... you have to start ALL OVER again. To start the same game over and over and over makes the game lose its replay value very quickly. So emus are where it's at. If authors of homebrew can make games which are more in-depth and create save options, then homebrew would probably be better, but for now emus. So I would have to say emus. In the way of apps, OMG to FA++!! And other apps. I have a v1.50 PSP but it's more like a PC. I have the Fired up web browser, I have notepadv0.3. So I have the web and basically microsoft word and everything. Apps are awesome, games are tight, but I can't stand demos. No matter which system. Simply b/c it's a tease and you can get into very easily, but then it's over. kinda like homebrew games. (I do, however, remember playing the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 demo all summer once!)

[felonyr301]

easy emulators and that was the reason i forked over 250 bucks to buy the psp the homebrew is a bonus a lovely bonus i might add lol

[StealthCP]

Emulators. Equals unlimited games, and yes, with Monkey on the N64 boat, there is no reason why emulators aren't better. Ports are good too, obviously run better than emulators. There's a question I must ask though. Wragg, the way emulators recompile or interpret programs for other devices onto the one in use, to save processor usage (I'm thinking of Brunni's GBA emu), why not have all the roms etc already recompiled? It would be so much faster for Monkeys emu to run already compiled games. He could be working on a program that recompiles n64 code to psp code, and using the recompiled roms on his emulator, or hence, now would be a runner.

[shenske37]

i go EMULATORS all the way. i love the all of my home consoles very much, but i have the opportunity to play those systems on the go, and anywhere. i don't use that many homebrew games, but there are a few. Emulators are also a good way those rare games that you can't find anywhere.

[John Vattic]

when i bought the psp i never even thought there would be emulators. now i can't play anything else. snes hell yeah!

[RCON]

I think that emulators will always win when it comes to games. With so many games available for emulators all done by professional game companies it just can't be beat for games.

On the other hand, homebrew has applications that put new functionality into a system that may not exist yet that people want.

[gavind]

emulators.... because the games u play have already been "tried and tested" if u get what i mean.

[SSaxdude]

Emulators because one emu can let you play 500+ games. Meaning, the PSP can play more than 25,000 games. Emulation brings games back from the dead.

[bacteria]

Definately emulators. You then have access to hundreds of games on a platform. The vast majority of homebrew offerings are not up to the standard of old commercial titles (sorry).

[b8a]

I love the idea of homebrew games, and homebrew apps are what keep the PSP alive, interesting, and even semi-relevant, so on that level, it's homebrew. However, homebrew apps usually have very specific, limited functionality, and homebrew games, as many other people have stated, usually just aren't up to par. Which isn't attacking the homebrew games. Unless you're using a pre-made engine, it takes a lot of work and testing to iron out even simple concepts, and I know from my own personal experience, that by the end of the testing phase, no matter how great the original idea, the project can become so tedious that you don't really have the interest in continuing it anymore. It would be a different story if I could make even $30k a year from working on personal games, that'd be plenty of incentive to see a project through to the end. But, as long as the motivation remains personal and not financial, I can't blame homebrew game developers for not properly tying projects up.

So, as far as what's more entertaining, practical, and useful on an everyday level, you just can't beat emulators.