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First Step In DS Wifi Challenge Complete
josath writes "The DS Wifi Bounty Milestone 1 has been completed! (previously on /.) The hardware registers to use the wifi built into the Nintendo DS has been documented. This is a huge step, as this was done with absolutely no documentation on the hardware. Stephen Stair has received ~$1400 for this milestone, and is working towards getting the other half by creating a tcp/ip stack. Once a TCP/IP stack is implemented on top of the hardware layer, homebrew NDS developers can start using the wifi in their own apps/games! This comes before Nintendo has officially released any wifi-capable games."
Why doesn't Nintendo create an amateur game development kit? ;-)
Because that would be too professional.
Don't you know that vague APIs and equally vauge documentation is rather popular in amateur circles? You must be new here.
Consider the viewpoint of game companies: If an amateur game development kit is available, why bother paying for the full one when the minimal package will suffice?
Consider the viewpoint of Nintendo: They have to get their money out of third-party developers too.
Also consider the cost of making such a kit and the amount of possible buyers: there would be little return for Nintendo. Very few amateur people would pay for an amateur kit when they can just hack their own as featured in the article. Recall that these developers are labelled 'amateur' because they don't have vast sums of money at their disposal. It's not like we are talking about professional OSS software developers who see no harm in paying for something that's truly worth it and will advance OSS more than it hinders.
It's money they'd probably enjoy having that they don't now.
Considering the expected losses they'd incur making such a kit, I doubt it.
I would've said he did it for the money. :P
Have you metaroderated recently?
It's the business model stupid!
The gaming consoles are tools to sell games, their costs are subsidised and professional development kits are licenced to "authorized" developpers, this enables the game companies to control the market.
They do not want somebody to make a game that could potentially compete with theirs.
An amateur development kit generates a risk of loss of customer control for the editor, and this is insufferable for them.
Once upon a time I worked with a group that wanted (with the support of a very large UN funded NGO) to develop a literacy program for a cheap gaming machine.
After six month of trying to get to "the right person(s)" it was clear that there was "zero" interest in this, (in all companies).
Actually I personally strongly disagree with the "mod people", from my point of view it is similar to trying to be the slightly independent sidekick of the big bully at school.
If the effort done to enhance "closed" consoles would be put into creating "open platforms", we might have a much more diverse and creative ecosystem for kids (and other gamers) to play with.
What could Sony possibly gain from opening up the PSP hardware to homebrew apps? Sure, they may sell a few additional PSP's to the homebrew market, but they don't make any money on those anyways (likely they lose money).
They're much more likely to LOSE game revenue to freely available (or cracked) software than anything else.
Don't expect Sony to be happy or helpful with this. They have no reason to.
MadCow.
I used to have a sig, but I set it free and it never came back.
2Mbit really isn't all that slow. For the tasks you'd put the DS to 2Mbit is a lot more than you'll need. Web browsing, Aim, hell even streaming mp3 can all be done at under 2Mbit, for what exactly would you need more?
Hey, it's my OPINION that dogs have eight legs and make a sound like a car horn every time they take a piss.