Why Am I Sad Today?

[sabrecheeky]

I have come to a stark and upsetting conclusion about my life. I have too much invested in this hobby.

I've got that feeling again in the pit of my stomach – that feeling that my gaming future is going to much less bright than I thought. I got this feeling when Rare were sold to Microsoft, when Sinclair Research went bust, when CraigIX posted his infamous 'what's your order number?' post, and of course many other times with disappointing games, more Pandora delays, etc, etc.

The latest cause of my gaming angst is the imminent arrival of mass piracy on the PS3. I love open source gaming; that is why I am here. I love emulators of old systems too and I know these will come to the PS3 as well, but riding on its back like some hideous parasite will be piracy.

I read a headline on another website – 'SNES on PS3!'. I know – I had a SNES emulator on my PS3 three years ago. One of the first things I did when I got my PS3 was install Linux on it using the OtherOS function. I had my Amiga 1200 cloned on it, I messed around with Python, and yes I had a SNES emulator too. I only used it once, just to try, but to be honest I have loads of devices that allow me to play SNES games on my TV, including, radically enough, a SNES.

I thought there would a big community of people doing lots of stuff on the PS3, like this one or the various PSP and Dreamcast forums out there. It was dead. No community of people creating PS3 stuff worth mentioning anywhere. When Sony decided to stop supporting the OtherOS function, I backed up my stuff with a small amount of sadness, but at the end of the day, there seemed no one really cared about it, and it did nothing my Linux laptop couldn't do. There had been no big community projects or anything. People have since said that it was because OtherOS didn't allow access to the GPU, but none of the PSP homebrew I've seen uses its GPU either.

Then came the hackers. I thought SCE had gone out of their way to answer peoples reasons for hacking their games consoles. We want to run our own code – we got OtherOS. We want to play import games – we got region free. Hell, they even allow you to share PSN games with four of your mates. Whatever the reasons for Sony removing the OtherOS, I'm sure lack of interest was one. I for one didn't expect so many toys to be thrown from this tiny communities pram.

Now we get headlines like the one above. Suddenly there is interest. In homebrew? Maybe, but where was that interest before? No, people are interested because it seems likely piracy is coming big, and coming hard. People will shout hypocrisy at me. 'But you play ROMs on your Wiz and GP2X!', they will say – and that is true. Retro games. Games for which the machines on which to play them are no longer made. Most of the games are no longer made, or available. The damage that does to the games industry is minuscule compared to piracy on currently economically active consoles.

I worry about it. My Wiz and my PS3 are my main gaming machines. I am a first day orderer of a Pandora. My Wiz (soon Pandora, hopefully!) for open source and retro. My PS3 for the latest and greatest. If, for example, Bethesda decide not to release Skyrim on the PS3 because of this; or I can't get Disgaea 4; or playing Little Big Planet becomes hellish because of hacker kids, I will seriously need to resist the urge to go round to George Hotz's house, and punch him repeatedly in the face. That, like typing this post, would be good therapy for my gaming angst!

(edit for spelling x2)

 

[dnlgreenwood]

I know exactly how you feel about "hacker kids". These days, I can only play a fair game of multiplayer Mario Kart (DS), Metroid Prime Hunters, or Call of Duty (DS) with friends because so many players are using cheats, no doubt on a flashcart if not using an Action Replay, which is more expensive than an R4, strangely enough, most likely a cheap R4. Cheats should only be used when you're alone if they're to be used at all. I'm all for homebrew, and homebrew is nearly the only thing I run on my DS, besides the limited amount of games I have.

Piracy (with modern games) changes the way people obtain games; it ruins the excitement of going out to the store (eg. on the first day), buying it, and running back home to try it out. I still buy retro games today (I've too many IMHO), and I get the same feeling as if I'm buying new games, so I guess piracy kind of ruins the excitement of buying anything.

Right now, I'm a bit angry and anxious over the fact that I've waited for Canada post to deliver my money order for my Caanoo for two weeks, but I guess that's what I get for delivering mail this time of year. I hope the money order doesn't get destroyed or lost, and I hope I finally hear FedEx knock on my door. I can't even imagine how Pandora customers feel. I haven't been able to get anything done this past few days.

 

[Pleng]

I'm sorry but hardware and software companies have only got themselves to blame.

Case in hand: I've recently got myself back into employment and I as a treat to myself I've been thinking about getting myself a PS2, so I can finally have access to every game from my youth that I still wish to play.

The trouble is, like the Dreamcast before it, there are only 2 games on the PS2 that I actually want to play, and they are NiGHTS and Virtua Racing. Neither of which were released in the UK. So I am forced to hunt down a chipped PS2 just so I can actually play the games, then I'm going to have to get the games imported from Japan to actually be able to play them.

Unfortunately the only chipped unit I've foound going is one of the old school fat units. So if I decide to buy it I'm going to have to find a lot more space for it.

Meh I had more ranting to continue with but I can't be arsed. Screw em.

 

[sabrecheeky]

@Com64 - I suppose the DS is a positive example of about rampant piracy not killing a machine. I read somewhere that the attach rate in South Korea is less than one; that is, there are more machines sold than games! I've been in game shops and seen kids with their dad pointing at DS titles and asking dad 'can we download that one please?', sad.

I never really got into the DS - I have one, but think I have only used it a few times. Strange, as I adore and still use my GBA!


@Pleng
Yes, I know what you mean, but thankfully, there is no region locking on PS3 games. I have quite a few imported games, no trickery need to run them. I hope with the PSP and PS3 being region free this gen, that no next gen console will be region locked. (Although look what good it did them!)

 

[Pleng]

@Com64 - I suppose the DS is a positive example of about rampant piracy not killing a machine. I read somewhere that the attach rate in South Korea is less than one; that is, there are more machines sold than games! I've been in game shops and seen kids with their dad pointing at DS titles and asking dad 'can we download that one please?', sad.

It may not have killed the console, but it certainly has harmed the software houses. Nintendo of course is the only manufacturer to actually make profit on the hardware.

@Pleng
Yes, I know what you mean, but thankfully, there is no region locking on PS3 games. I have quite a few imported games, no trickery need to run them.

Well that's all well and good but the games *I* want to play aren't available for PS3. I am forced down a route to spend extra cash on hardware than allows me to play imported games. At which point temptation is put right under my nose, as this hardware also opens up the piracy door. And the resentment felt over having have had to source, pay for, and install the equipment required doesn't mix well with the temptation...

I hope with the PSP and PS3 being region free this gen, that no next gen console will be region locked. (Although look what good it did them!)

Yeah but Sony ****ed themselves by blocking the alt OS functionality. It was nothing to do with region locking. These companies seem to think that the homebrew scene and open source world is a massive threat to their income and it's just horse crap. People are still going to want to buy the latest big budget fancy arse games. And no amount of Super Mario Wars is going to stop that. If manufacturers provided ways for individuals to program the hardware then these chip companies couldn't even exist. They couldn't possibly have any valid reason for existing.

 

[dnlgreenwood]

I'm glad Sony kept PS1 compatibility, but I hate that most PS3s don't support PS2 games; it's nonsense! Just as nonsense as if the GBA supported GB games, but not GBC games. I've got a huge stack of PS2 games, I can't play them on my PS3, and Most of my PS2 controllers are half broken.

I used to have a GBA SP, and used it as much as my DS (for both GBC and GBA games, the DS Lite looks ugly with GBA games, and the shoulder buttons suck) but a certain someone took it a few years ago without my permission lost it, along with my favourite GBC and GBA games. That person was also a compulsive liar, so I don't even know if he lost it or not. <_<

These days, the first thing I do when I get a (modern) console is modify it to run homebrew. That is, if it doesn't require me to buy anything extra. I wish a major gaming company would allow/endorse some form of homebrew, even if they limit the homebrew's capabilities. We have GPH and similar smaller companies, but that's about it.

My Caanoo is now payed for and it'll be shipped tomorrow morning; I'm finally done with waiting.

I guess parents don't want to keep buying games, and because piracy is so easy now... (trails off)

 

[sabrecheeky]

Yeah but Sony ****ed themselves by blocking the alt OS functionality. It was nothing to do with region locking. These companies seem to think that the homebrew scene and open source world is a massive threat to their income and it's just horse crap. People are still going to want to buy the latest big budget fancy arse games. And no amount of Super Mario Wars is going to stop that. If manufacturers provided ways for individuals to program the hardware then these chip companies couldn't even exist. They couldn't possibly have any valid reason for existing.

Well, as I said in my rant - there was no homebrew scene on the PS3 with OtherOS, at least not one I could find. No-one cared.

I think they made the mistake of letting an engineer initially design the PS3. Now we go back to the norm - consoles designed by accountants.

 

[Reo]

I will seriously need to resist the urge to go round to George Hotz's house, and punch him repeatedly in the face. That, like typing this post, would be good therapy for my gaming angst!

No need now, he's getting sued by Sony. If it works, then you get some happies.

 

[hmn]

...I will seriously need to resist the urge to go round to George Hotz's house, and punch him repeatedly in the face. That, like typing this post, would be good therapy for my gaming angst!

Dude... seriously, PS3 hacks should be rather low on the list of things YOU need to worry about...

 

[sabrecheeky]

I will seriously need to resist the urge to go round to George Hotz's house, and punch him repeatedly in the face. That, like typing this post, would be good therapy for my gaming angst!

No need now, he's getting sued by Sony. If it works, then you get some happies.

Just read about this. No- not happy about the suing at all. Will not solve anything, only make matters worse. They have also decided to sue the FailOverFlow (sp?) team, it wasn't them who released the security keys. Mr Holz did, once he saw that someone else was getting some publicity, I'll wager!

...I will seriously need to resist the urge to go round to George Hotz's house, and punch him repeatedly in the face. That, like typing this post, would be good therapy for my gaming angst!

Dude... seriously, PS3 hacks should be rather low on the list of things YOU need to worry about...

That was the whole point in my post, read the first line! I worry that I DO have too much invested in this hobby, that trivial things worry me. I am well aware of my less than optimal mental state (and so is my doctor).

Edit: Just read that no-one is getting sued - seems it is restraining orders being requested.

 

[WizardStan]

I would like to counter your question "where was that interest before?" by suggesting that people inherently love to procrastinate. Why develop today for a system that will be there tomorrow? "I'll get a PS3 someday, code up some great homebrew for it" a developer might say. Until one day it isn't there anymore, and suddenly you've got this throng of people who were planning great things but just never got around to it complaining. Enter hacker with reputation who sees a new challenge where before there was none.
I don't think piracy drove his motives in any way. If piracy were a major interest, hackers would have been into self signing code much earlier. Instead, it took 4 years and the removal of OtherOS to crack it. I don't believe it took 4 years of work: it was done in weeks, and if they'd wanted it for piracy it could have been done 4 years ago. The fact that re-adding OtherOS into the custom firmware that came as a direct result of this hack should be further evidence. If it was just about running unsigned code, why go to the trouble to allow it to run Linux again?
Now you could be right, it could be that it's getting huge publicity because the hack now extends beyond homebrew and into piracy, but that's all journalism: "Man does thing he's allowed to do" is boring; "Man makes machine bend to his will in ways he isn't supposed to" is exciting news (in the tech world, at least) and I don't think Hotz should be held responsible for it; you may as well say it's Sony's fault he hacked it because they removed the OtherOS feature to begin with.

 

[Goity]

Actually, Hotz hacked it before Sony removed OtherOS. The reaction was the other way around.
It's just that that hack was completely useless, however the precedent had been set and Sony were forced to remove OtherOS before anybody really managed to exploit it.

 

[WizardStan]

hmm... quite right you are. I've reread the article, now I don't know what to make of it anymore.

 

[DaMummy]

its time for my rant....im angry at logitech, lg, sony, asus, hp, dell, gateway, samsung, bosch, nissan, chevrolet, fiat, etc...why must they make products that take away sales from the company that first started making headphones, audio players, phones, cell phones, tvs, aftermarker car parts, keyboards, gaming consoles, computers, cars, flash media, etc...why cant we just have one company for each product, why cant it just be atari for video games, ibm for computers, ford for cars, apple for audio players, etc...instead of everyone constantly taking customers away from each other. when will car manufacturers start suing people for putting big rims on their cars, thats not what the cars are designed to look like, you as a customer shouldnt be allowed to modify the products you own that someone spent millions of dollars designing and produce. when will music composers take an idea from sony's books and start copyrighting music notes so that nobody can use those notes in anything EVER! why dont governments copyright their countrys alphabet so other countries cant use those letters? why doesnt apple make money everytime somebody takes a bite out an apple and exposes it?

rant to be continued

 

[Cameleon]

why cant we just have one company for each product, why cant it just be atari for video games, ibm for computers, ford for cars, apple for audio players, etc...instead of everyone constantly taking customers away from each other.

Because it's competition that drives the markets. If there was a single manufacturer p[er device there would be no innovation. The products would just stagnate, and more importantly it's competition that keeps prices down. if it were only Atari making games then they could charge as much as they damn well liked and no one could do anything about it. A free market is a good thing.

when will car manufacturers start suing people for putting big rims on their cars, thats not what the cars are designed to look like, you as a customer shouldnt be allowed to modify the products you own that someone spent millions of dollars designing and produce. when will music composers take an idea from sony's books and start copyrighting music notes so that nobody can use those notes in anything EVER! why dont governments copyright their countrys alphabet so other countries cant use those letters? why doesnt apple make money everytime somebody takes a bite out an apple and exposes it?

The case with the PS3 is not because they spray-painted it yellow or some aspect of customisation. Hotz published the root key of the PS3's security system on the web, he can say he doesn't condone piracy as much as he likes but he MUST have know that when he released that key piracy was inevitable. Also the EULA of the PS3 says that yes, you own the hardware but GameOS is Sony's and that by buying the console you have been granted a software licence for the OS. Hotz breached the EULA by chopping apart the OS to find the root key, he'd already been noticed by Sony for hacking the system, that's why OtherOS was removed and if he claims his intentions were to regain OtherOS functionality then why publish the root key and not a CFW with OtherOS patched back in?
A comparable situation would be some mechanic giving away car keys that would open the doors and start the engine of any car that people wanted, regardless if they'd bought it or not and claiming that he didn't want people jacking cars.

 

[DaMummy]

so in other words, geohot is fixing our ps3s cause sony broke them?

 

[sabrecheeky]

To simplify...

I have a console, which I paid for. I use it to play games which I choose and pay for. Some of that money pays the people who create and allow me to play these games. They create, test, publish, distribute, these games so that some of the money I pay goes to them to feed, clothe and house them and their families.

I like this situation. So something that might upset that situation worries me. So the possibility of piracy, meaning that perhaps less niche games will be published, worries me.

I have a console, which I paid for. I use it to play emulators of old redundant systems and homebrew. These I don't pay for. The people who create these games do so for fun and to share*. I assume they don't do this for a living.

I like this situation. So something that might upset that situation worries me. So I see this community splitting up, seeming to be flounder, or the constant delays to the pandora mean everyone is losing interest, that worries me.

I know. I worry too much. I should get help, really... anyone feel like setting up a support group?!?



*(I have only created one homebrew game in my life, an Amiga game, available for years on aminet! Hope I'll do more soon, give something back)

 

[Cameleon]

so in other words, geohot is fixing our ps3s cause sony broke them?

No, I don't think geohot's intention was to ever 'fix' anything...and Sony never 'broke' anything. They removed a feature from their OS, with full notice to those who used it, because it was being used(by geohot no less) to attempt to circumvent security in GameOS. In this previous case geohot had no homebrew intentions, this much is obvious as Linux was still available and it supported development for the Cell BE, his only intention was to break the copy protection of GameOS and provide a CFW that did the same.

 

[sabrecheeky]

so in other words, geohot is fixing our ps3s cause sony broke them?

I'm sure you've all seen the 'Kid Goes Crazy when Mom Cancels World of Warcraft Subscription' video on youtube or wherever.

I feel that the Sony engineers must feel like this kids mum when OtherOS is brought up.

'Why the hell did we let him have it in the first place?!?'

(sorry for double post)

 

[dnlgreenwood]

To simplify...

I have a console, which I paid for. I use it to play games which I choose and pay for. Some of that money pays the people who create and allow me to play these games. They create, test, publish, distribute, these games so that some of the money I pay goes to them to feed, clothe and house them and their families.

I like this situation. So something that might upset that situation worries me. So the possibility of piracy, meaning that perhaps less niche games will be published, worries me.

I have a console, which I paid for. I use it to play emulators of old redundant systems and homebrew. These I don't pay for. The people who create these games do so for fun and to share*. I assume they don't do this for a living.

I like this situation. So something that might upset that situation worries me. So I see this community splitting up, seeming to be flounder, or the constant delays to the pandora mean everyone is losing interest, that worries me.

I know. I worry too much. I should get help, really... anyone feel like setting up a support group?!?



*(I have only created one homebrew game in my life, an Amiga game, available for years on aminet! Hope I'll do more soon, give something back)

I think you might want to seek a new hobby if it all of your worrying worries you.