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Emulation Arrives On the PS3
YokimaSun writes "Following the recent exploit that allows you to jailbreak your PS3, the homebrew community have now breached the console with the first homebrew game, which is the classic Pong. Also released is the first emulator for the system in the shape of a SNES Emulator great for those 16-bit games. Finally drk||Raziel, the coder of the Dreamcast Emulator NullDC, has posted screenshots of his Dreamcast emulator working on the PS3 (albeit at a very early stage). The PS3 is building up to be the Dream Console for emulation."
Usually, people purchase consoles with the specific intent to purchase the games. People(usually) did not purchase an NES or SNES for anything other than to play specific games(hello Mario and Link). Sony, thinking they were "Masters of the Universe" thought they would create a far superior console(and many people will argue they did, and just as many will argue they did not). While Sony might have created a great console, it is their own fault that the game revenue is not higher. Hell, at least 20 of my friends purchased a PS3 Slim because of the fact that is had(at the time, at least) the best Blu-ray player at the price point and it could play games.
First off, the games are expensive for the content provided. You see, games have take a slide backwards. We can argue about inflation and how it has affected the price of games(yes, I know that, in current dollar terms, older games and systems are more expensive), but it is all about perception. You also have to look at how many games can be beaten in very little time and the only thing that game developers could think of was to implement the Trophy/Achievement Points system. Hell, even MMOs, like World of Warcraft(which I still play, albeit casually since early WotLK expansion), though Blizzard did do their Achievement Point system right(in that some achievements give actual, in-game rewards). I am sorry, but rehashing the same game(even when the game is good) does not equate to value for the money.
I know there are constraints and limitations, and that it takes constant progress to overcome some(though not all) of these constraints and limitations. The PSP is a prime example of the current issues with limited expansion. Sony continues to re-release the same old, tired portable that is many years behind the times. My damned iPhone 3G S has more computing power, both in a general and in real-world application sense. I know that the "PSP2" is supposedly out there(MK Devs), but it is far past time for us to have this blessed device. I mean, where in the holy land of fuck is our dual analog controllers?
Secondly, Sony(Microsoft, Nintendo, etc) continues to(try to) hold too tight a grip on the consoles themselves. Yeah, yeah, argue about "pirates" all you want, but I do not give a shit. I paid for the console, therefore I own it. Sony cannot come into my home, one day, and take the machine back when, and if, they(Sony) decided my "license" had expired(well, they could try, but they would be shot). As such, it is my right to decide how to use this console. If I decide to "hack" it or "jailbreak" it, or whatever you want to call it, that is my right. I believe that backing up my games is a great concept.
The games are expensive and if, in a year or two(or more) the game breaks or fails, I cannot get a warranty replacement. Sony(or the game developer(s)) will tell me that I will just have to purchase another copy. Why? I still hold ownership for my one copy, so why can Sony and/or the developers deny me access to the software I still hold legal right to? Microsoft has helped this issue a little bit with the ability for Xbox 360 owners to copy games to the console's hard drive. You still need the disc(which is dumb, but whatever), but at least it is a start.
In the end, I do not care about what someone else will do. I am a trustworthy person that will always do the right thing. As game companies start to squeeze their grip tighter around their product, the more that people will turn to either not paying for the games(either avoiding the product or theft) or they will turn to hacking the games the paid for(which is their right, in my opinion). EA is a perfect example of the horror we(gamers) face. Assassin's Creed 2 for PC is up there with having to pay $15(hello Mass Effect 2, and others) for certain portions of second-hand games.
All of this is starting to push me away from gaming in general.