Details are emerging that Sony's PS3 will be 'homebrew capable' out of the box, with compilers and other tools being provided as standard. Which suggests that Sony is turning its back on its previous antipathy towards the homebrew development community.
According to a recent interview SCE's network system development manager, Izumi Kawanishi stated (roughly translated) that: "Since PS3 has Linux installed Linux programming is allowed. License fees are not required for individual developers. Licensed PS3 game developers can get SDK and technical support by SCE, on the other hand in the Linux world they don't have to pay license fee but the support is minimum. In Linux, Cell is under the hardware layer of the OS supervisor, but things including SPE are expected to be open to developers. But we don't intend to mix the PS3 as a game platform and the PS3 in the Linux world."
So this suggests that Sony will be actively encouraging homebrew enthusiasts to develop game content and basic applications for the PS3, with (unsurprisingly) minimal official support from Sony.
This opens up the opportunity that Sony may allow homebrew developers to hawk their wares over the Playstation Network service. This would be a return to form for Sony who last encouraged this sort of grass roots development with their Net Yaroze service for PS1.
SPOnG will be speaking to SCE reps on this matter, to scope out what this effectively means for consumers. Is this something that is actually going to add value to the PS3 for a significant number of people? Or will your average Joe who just wants the latest bit of gaming/home entertainment kit give two hoots?
Hopefully this initiative, if true, will re-invigorate the bedroom coding hobby that has been at a low ebb recently after the heyday of the 80's and 90's home computers such as the C64, Spectrum and Amiga.
Let us know what you think.
According to a recent interview SCE's network system development manager, Izumi Kawanishi stated (roughly translated) that: "Since PS3 has Linux installed Linux programming is allowed. License fees are not required for individual developers. Licensed PS3 game developers can get SDK and technical support by SCE, on the other hand in the Linux world they don't have to pay license fee but the support is minimum. In Linux, Cell is under the hardware layer of the OS supervisor, but things including SPE are expected to be open to developers. But we don't intend to mix the PS3 as a game platform and the PS3 in the Linux world."
So this suggests that Sony will be actively encouraging homebrew enthusiasts to develop game content and basic applications for the PS3, with (unsurprisingly) minimal official support from Sony.
This opens up the opportunity that Sony may allow homebrew developers to hawk their wares over the Playstation Network service. This would be a return to form for Sony who last encouraged this sort of grass roots development with their Net Yaroze service for PS1.
SPOnG will be speaking to SCE reps on this matter, to scope out what this effectively means for consumers. Is this something that is actually going to add value to the PS3 for a significant number of people? Or will your average Joe who just wants the latest bit of gaming/home entertainment kit give two hoots?
Hopefully this initiative, if true, will re-invigorate the bedroom coding hobby that has been at a low ebb recently after the heyday of the 80's and 90's home computers such as the C64, Spectrum and Amiga.
Let us know what you think.
Companies:
Sony
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Comments
Bentley 16 May 2006 18:54
1/7
It's about time there was some positive new info about the PSthrii. If they are trying to Wuu me, it might just Bii working.
I used to love coding games on my Speccy, and I can't wait to program a version of "Advanced Lawnmower Simulator III" with the power of PS3 behind the AI of those pesky moles.
In my most obscure internet post ever, only one person in the world will have any idea what I am on about. And he grew up years ago. Hey-ho.
I used to love coding games on my Speccy, and I can't wait to program a version of "Advanced Lawnmower Simulator III" with the power of PS3 behind the AI of those pesky moles.
In my most obscure internet post ever, only one person in the world will have any idea what I am on about. And he grew up years ago. Hey-ho.
tg0006 16 May 2006 21:35
2/7
useing the PS3 as an actual computer really intrests me. anyone who has a psp and has used homebrew knows how cool it is to get free amature games because some of them are really fun.
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vault 13 16 May 2006 22:51
3/7
tg0006 wrote:
useing the PS3 as an actual computer really intrests me. anyone who has a psp and has used homebrew knows how cool it is to get free amature games because some of them are really fun.
Actually most of them are buggy unpolished rip-offs of bigger and better games. And on top of that, ask that you buy there uninspired crapware at a large sum of $19.99. Most of the good homebrewed stuff gets picked up my larger publishers and gets put on shelves at discount rates. THAT is the good stuff!
warbaby 16 May 2006 22:57
4/7
I don't think Sony has learned their lesson yet. Homebrew on the PSP is s**t, I'll start off by saying that... almost all of it is rubbish. EXCEPT, for the ISO loaders. Downloading games and whatnot, granted its not legal, but how many modded Xbox's are floating around.
If there's a lesson to be learned its that technofiles and hackers can crack your s**t even when you intend it to be secure. Make it easier for them and they'll tear you a new one.
Hey, if I can mod a PS3 to play games without a cost, why not pony up the 9 million dollars for one.
If there's a lesson to be learned its that technofiles and hackers can crack your s**t even when you intend it to be secure. Make it easier for them and they'll tear you a new one.
Hey, if I can mod a PS3 to play games without a cost, why not pony up the 9 million dollars for one.
shaka 17 May 2006 09:03
5/7
everybody can easily turn a good news for sony into really bad ones ,gosh everybody hates sony around the web ,hehe.
Dreadknux 17 May 2006 10:48
6/7
warbaby wrote:
I don't think Sony has learned their lesson yet. Homebrew on the PSP is s**t, I'll start off by saying that... almost all of it is rubbish. EXCEPT, for the ISO loaders. Downloading games and whatnot, granted its not legal, but how many modded Xbox's are floating around.
Bear in mind that the PSP wasn't _really_ intended for homebrew. Well, it was, until they stopped allowing people to do so. Had the PSP been able to continue allowing homebrew, chances are the results you'd get would be a lot better than the half-arsed attempts online right now.
These 'bedroom coders' deserve a bit more recognition than you give them credit for. For starters, try programming your own game, particularly on a console that's intent on keeping your program off said console. Secondly, the Net Yaroze movement during the PS1 era brought forth some pretty decent homemade games.
And ISO loaders and playing cracked/modded games is hardly homebrew, you tit. :P
tyrion 17 May 2006 12:07
7/7
Svend Joscelyne wrote:
Bear in mind that the PSP wasn't _really_ intended for homebrew. Well, it was, until they stopped allowing people to do so.
PSP was never supposed to allow homebrew, even from firmware 1.0 a hack was required to get unsigned code to run from MemoryStick.
Sony keep clamping down on the security holes that allow ISOs to boot. Unfortunately those are the holes that allow homebrew to run too.