Homebrewers and Hackers - The #1 Video Games Fans

[XioN980]

Good article, but i think the phrase "We have taken on the likes of...and won" is slightly worded wrong, we cant have beaten them if they didn't make the console, homebrewers and hackers didn't spend ages programming and designing the console.

Also its just silly sony who makes firmware upgrades, i think the big N have noticed they can still kick everyones arses without patching homebrew hence no firmware upgrades, im not sure about microsoft though....

[ficksucker]

I generally tend to dislike viewing homebrew as a 'war' against SONY or any other company. If it wasn't for them, these consoles wouldn't even exist.

Since then, our only real 'battle' is simply to be recognised as a viable subset of the consumer base.

Sure, homebrew isn't a war, but it is a form of resistance. We want changes to be made to unfair policies, but not to bring down the whole system.

Since then, our only real 'battle' is simply to be recognised as a viable subset of the consumer base.

It sounds to me like you're talking in thier language now. Which is fine when you're talking with the companies, because that's what they understand, but not with us. We may be consumers to them, but that's not who we really are. When was the last time somone asked you "what do you do?" and you told them that you just consume. What we want is to be treated like people, but we know that's not gonna happen so we'll settle for being treated seriously as consumers.

[Tesseract]

It sounds to me like you're talking in thier language now. Which is fine when you're talking with the companies, because that's what they understand, but not with us.

Think of it more as a 'translation'. If we just say "Yeah, we're just here to have fun with all the ways we can REALLY use the console", that's not gonna get through to them.

They, unfortunately, have to worry about the Bottom Line. Sometimes I get the impression when I'm watching Phil Harrison play with his duckies on the Eye of Destruction demo that if he could make the console and all the games he wanted to and do it for free with no ill-effects, he would. Same with lots of software developers.

So you basically have to get the point across that we want to have fun with programming (and using) homebrew, and that that simple reason has probably lead to a solid majority of the PSP's sales. I know it's the main reason I bought mine over a DS.

If they can embrace Homebrew without running afoul of the myriad of OTHER considerations they have to worry about, I think they may do so eventually. Things seem to be moving in that direction. The PS3's 'OtherOS' feature seems to be an experiment in seeing how much freedom they can give without giving away the whole farm. It's even concievable that down the road, they could open up Linux access to the Graphics accelerator in a Firmware update. Who knows?

All I can say is that it looks like the message is definitely being heard, it's just a matter of how quickly Sony and the others are able to move.

[Atari]

I didn't allow myself to be dumbed down enough, by the ineffectual US public school system, to be turned into a "good little consumer"; one who constantly buys buys buys to impress people I don't like. So my attitude towards homebrew is one of freedom to create without the confines of really caring what those who do not matter think. By those who do not matter, I mean those who look at someone else's creation as merely a commodity, to be used up and thrown away like so much other disposable crap.

I could care less one way or the other if the big corps embrace homebrew, as long as I can continue to create. Of course, my choice of platforms are usually considered among the underdogs. Works for me, as I really write games for my own pleasure. If those who play them enjoy them, then great. If not, then great too. But I've digressed...

I'm not trying to spew elitist "artiste'" crap here. To each their own. But I don't count on large conglomerates to EVER give anyone what they truly want. So I just ignore it and go on creating.

Now if only I weren't so goddamn perfectionist about my games, I'd actually release a complete one...

[Tesseract]

Hah! I wish I could actually code! I've had an epic game Idea floating around in my head for AGES, with no way to output it.

I really DO wish I could contribute to the scene, honestly. I just REALLY don't have the head for programming anything more squirrely than HTML/CSS/XML.

[mnuhaily22]

I agree...

[onetwentyeight]

hackers are only the greatest video game fans if they do so in cosplay. "coscoders" anyone?

[Fanjita]

The PS3 already has homebrew, don't forget - and that concession from Sony is something that should be encouraged.

To my mind there's very little legitimate reason to seek out PS3 exploits, when what is already legitimately available is sufficient for most purposes.

The only major reason to exploiting the GameOS is to be able to play non-legit game copies - which doesn't seem like a good reason to me at all.

[starogre]

ya, i believe sony does try and add features the public wants...they take surveys all the time - way more additions and updates than the DS has i think...

sony doesn't want homebrew because it opens up to illegal downloading and copying of their games, and if everyone is playing old GBA games on an emulator, no one will be buying the actual psp games in the first place

that means they will sell more psp's but way less games

i think sony should release a smaller, inexpensive, machine that has a sole purpose to run homebrew, then maybe people will ease up on the downloading of the psp and ps1 games in a desperate attempt to cure their boredom.

it's like the wii virtual console, technically its the same thing as the ps1 games on the psp. if u could get all the wii virtual console games for free, i'm sure nintendo would lash out also...its not just sony, imo, sony wants the public to have more of what they want than nintendo - whether its just extra features and surveys, nintendo doesn't seem like they do those things

[DragonPimpsta]

wow everyones saying alot, im just gonna say i kind of agree, cuz i check updates like everyday and use my psp everyday. Where as my other systems were almost short lived once the games for them got boring and old the psp which i check releases for from hackers and homebrewers continues its life without me getting tired of playing hte smae game over and over