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Homebrew (video games)
Encyclopedia
Homebrew is a term frequently applied to video games or other software produced by consumers to target proprietary hardware
platforms not typically user-programmable or that use proprietary storage methods. This can include games developed with official development kits, such as Net Yaroze
, Linux for PlayStation 2 or Microsoft XNA
.
Many homebrew games are offered as freeware
, although others are offered for sale, and some can be quite costly. One popular type of homebrew game is the fangame
. In Japan
, these games are usually called "Dōjin soft
".
s for convenience, since testing them requires no extra hardware on the part of the programmer. Development for newer systems typically involves actual hardware given the lack of accurate emulators. Efforts have been made to use actual console hardware for many older systems, though. Atari 2600
homebrew developers use various methods, for example, burning an EEPROM
to plug into a custom cartridge
board or audio transfer via the Starpath Supercharger
. Game Boy Advance
homebrew developers have several ways to use GBA flash cartridge
s in this regard.
Along with the Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation Portable
, the most frequently used platforms for homebrew development are older generations of consoles, among them the Atari 2600 and Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES). The Atari 2600 and NES are particularly interesting because they use the 6502
instruction set, likely familiar to people who have programmed 8-bit home computers, such as the Commodore 64
or Apple II
. Another factor in the popularity of older or portable systems for homebrew development, relative to modern consoles, is that their simplicity enables an individual or small group to develop acceptable games in a reasonable time frame.
All major sixth generation consoles
enjoy some popularity with homebrew developers, but less so than earlier generations. This is mostly the case because software production requires more resources, accurate emulators do not exist yet, and the consoles themselves often employ rather complex systems to prevent the execution of unauthorized code. Homebrew developers must often exploit loopholes to enable their software to run.
Homebrewing is not only limited to games - there are numerous demos
that have been released for most systems with a homebrew scene.
, the world's first home console, saw no new releases since 1973.http://www.revrob.com/sci-a-tech-topmenu-52/129-odball-for-magnavox-odyssey-official-page-
, released in 1977, is a popular platform for homebrew projects. Games created for the Atari can be executed using either an emulator or directly when copied onto a blank cartridge
making use of either a PROM
or EPROM
chip
. Unlike later systems, the console does not require a modchip
.
Although there is one high-level compiler
available, batari Basic, most development for the Atari 2600 is still done in 6502
assembly language
. Homebrews written in assembly are typically considered programming challenges.
The Atari 2600 lacks video memory, and programs run simultaneously with the television screen, updating graphical register
s a fraction of a second before the television draws each scan line
. For each scan line, the system's Television Interface Adapter
can only draw two custom, eight-bit graphical object
s, a twenty-bit "playfield", and three solid pixel
s: two "missiles" and one "ball". Timing is critical in this environment. If a program takes too long to update the registers, the television will update the screen before the graphics are properly initialized, resulting in glitches or other video problems. In this respect, Atari 2600 programming could be considered a form of hard real-time computing
.
, but like the Atari 2600, most development directly applies assembly language. One impediment to NES homebrew development is the relative difficulty involved with producing physical cartridges, although third party flash carts do exist, making homebrew possible on original NES hardware. Several varieties of custom integrated circuit
s are used within NES cartridges to expand system capabilities; most are difficult to replicate except by scavenging old cartridges. The hardware lockout mechanism
of the NES further complicates construction of usable physical cartridges. However, the NES-101 removed the 10NES lockout chip so any game, whether homebrew, unlicensed, or another region of an official game, can be played. The 10NES chip can eventually be permanently disabled by performing a minor change to the hardware.
benefit from limited homebrew development, as there is no physical lockout mechanism, thereby easing the operation of software on these platforms. Homebrew efforts for the Mega Drive/Genesis have grown, as there are now several full games scheduled for release in physical form, such as Rick Dangerous 1 & 2 and a port of Teenage Queen. Pier Solar and the Great Architects
and Frog Feast for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Mighty Mighty Missile for the Sega Mega-CD
are examples of homebrew games already released for Sega consoles.
A QBASIC
-like high level compiler named basiegaxorz exists for the Sega Genesis.
made homebrew ROM images, even without Nintendo's support for the console.
After the release of SNES there was great interest in reverse engineering the system to allow for homebrew and backup play. Nintendo fitted the machine with various security measures such as the lock-out chip to prevent unauthorized code running on the machine.
Eventually the homebrew community figured out how games ran on the SNES hardware and were able to bypass its security mechanisms. Companies such as BUNG release hardware plugins such as Game Doctor SF series. These allows users to not only copy games but also run homebrew developed games to be run on the SNES hardware. Homebrew ROMS could be converted into the Game Doctor SF format and put onto a 3 1/2" floppy. Games as large as 12Mbits could be put fit on floppy disks formatted to 1.6Mbytes.
An alternative device was the Super Flash, by Tototek, allowed for multiple games to be burned into a flash memory chip of cartridge (allowing up to 48Mbits). This chip is the mask rom for the Super Flash development cartridge. The device is easy to use and has a user interface on the computer end. Simply plug in the Super Flash cartridge and upload the games you want. This allowed users to make a SNES game and play it in an actual cartridge rather than a floppy disk.
The legality of homebew SNES game releases has not been tested in court, and it is debatable whether or not bypassing their security measures would fall foul of modern reverse engineering laws. Presumably homebrew games can be produced legally for the SNES as long as no copyright material is included.
Previously in the 1990s, Nintendo sued Color Dreams for producing NES games without an official license. The outcome was an undisclosed settlement, but Color Dreams continued to produce unlicensed games. The strength of Color Dreams position lies with that they worked around the 10NES lockout chip code rather the illegally duplicating it.
was the last console produced by the Tramiel owned version of Atari. The console has an active homebrew development scene strongly facilitated by the release of the publishing rights for the console by one time owners Hasbro. Prominent homebrews for the console have included Battlesphere
and Frog Feast in addition to many other projects. Coding for the console is predominantly done in assembly language and the Atari SDK has been made available. Since emulation of the console is still limited, coding is best conducted using a real Jaguar console with the official Jaguar 'Alpine' Devkit, a Skunkboard Flash Cart or a BJL uploader.
through the use of a modchip
or the double swap trick (or, for the very first SCPH-1001 models put into production, the CD player trick). Homebrew was promoted by Sony with the Net Yaroze
which had a large scene for quite some time, however the official Net Yaroze site was shut down in mid-2009.
homebrew scene is small but active. As with the PlayStation, all models are capable of homebrew. Modchips for the Saturn Model 1 have been scarce for sometime now (as it seems that no one has produced any new modchips in years), so the only two options left are to either perform the easy swap trick or extensively modify a Saturn Model 2 modchip.
Running homebrew on the Model 2 is as easy as bridging two points on the modchip, soldering a wire from the modchip to the Saturn power supply, and inserting it where the CD-rom ribbon cable inserts. The swap trick is more difficult to pull off on this Model due to the lack of an access light.
homebrew scene is small, but homebrew can still be played and developed on one through the use of a Doctor V64
(Acclaim even used some of these to develop Turok).
was a game chip built into several DVD players. VM Labs
, which made the system, released a homebrew SDK just before it went bankrupt. The graphical capabilities are on par with the PlayStation
. Homebrew Nuon apps can only be played on Samsung DVD-N50x and RCA Nuon DVD players.
, which was intended for use with MIL-CD
's, the console can run software from CD-R
without the use of a modchip. Sega reacted by removing MIL-CD support from the BIOS of the later produced Dreamcast consoles manufactured from November 2000 onwards.
The console is especially notable for its commercial homebrew scene. One notable project was the Bleemcast!
emulator, which was a series of bootdisks made to play PlayStation
games on the system. Newer independent releases include Last Hope
, released by Red Spot Games in 2007, and DUX
, both Shoot 'em up
style games. These releases were written using the KallistiOS development system. A port of the freeware high-level development language Fenix
and BennuGD
is available for use in game development; many DIV Games Studio games have been ported and others were originally written for the system. There are also homebrew versions of cancelled PC games available.
have a buffer overflow bug in the part of the BIOS that handles PS1 game compatibility; hackers found a way to turn this into a loophole called the PS2 Independence Exploit, allowing the use of homebrew software. Another option for homebrew development is the use of a modchip
. Also, it is possible for developers to utilize a PS2 hard drive and HD Loader
.
As of May 2008, there is a superior exploit called Free McBoot, which is applicable to all PS2s including Slimlines except for SCPH-9000x models with BIOS 2.30 and up, where the exploit was patched by Sony
. Manufacturing of such homebrew-proof models started in the third quarter of 2008, which is denoted as date code 8C on the console, although some consoles of this line still have the old unpatched 2.20 BIOS.
Unlike the Independence Exploit, which requires a trigger disk, it only needs a Memory Card, which allows it to be used on systems with broken disk drives. The installation is keyed to the Memory Card and will only be usable on the same version consoles that it was originally installed on, unless a Multi-Install is performed. Also, the installation is locked to the region of the original console.
The drawback of this exploit is that it needs to be installed/compiled on each individual memory card. Simply copying the exploit is not possible; this means that an already modded or exploited system is required to install FMCB on a Memory Card. However using a homebrew application called UlaunchELF and a swap magic disc, one is able to simply copy the install files to the memory card by running the homebrew using swap magic and a thumbdrive.
After installing an exploit, unsigned executables (ELF
) may be launched from a Memory Card or an USB drive. Such programs include emulators, media players and hard drive management tools. The exploit is also notable for allowing the user to copy PS1/PS2 save files from a Memory Card to a USB drive, a functionality normally only possible with tools such as a DexDrive
.
Sony also released an official homebrew-development kit that allows PlayStation 2 to run Linux
.
tended to be difficult, since it uses a MiniDVD
drive as opposed to the standard DVD drives of the PS2 and Xbox for piracy protection. Also, its connectivity is limited, as is does not feature an USB port or a HDD port like its competitors.
The barrier to burning Nintendo GameCube discs with a consumer DVD burner is the Burst Cutting Area
, a "barcode" in the innermost ring of the disc, an area inaccessible to most burners and writeable only by very expensive disc pressing machines. For a long time the only way to run homebrew software on Nintendo GameCube was through a patching-system exploit of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, requiring users to find the game and a Broadband Adapter. Both of these are difficult to find because a follow-up has been released (under the name Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Plus) and thus the original PSO was rarely sold after then, and because the Broadband Adapter was not often carried in stores due to the Nintendo GameCube's very limited selection of online games.
Currently the most common method is to use a special loader software, often using a modchip
, and homebrew software can be loaded from DVD-R
, SD card (with an SD card adapter), or over Ethernet. As the Nintendo GameCube's case does not fit a full-size DVD-R, third party replacement cases are available. Most of Nintendo GameCube homebrew software is developed to emulate other videogame systems.
The once slow Nintendo GameCube scene is faring better than it was during its commercial lifespan thanks to bearing technical similarities with its popular successor, the Wii
.
The Xbox
console uses several measures, including cryptographically signed code to obfuscated firmware. The primary method of executing homebrew code required installing a mod chip which could be flashed with a modified Microsoft BIOS
. This BIOS allowed the system to boot unsigned executables (XBEs) and control several hardware variables, such as region coding and video mode. With the leak of Microsoft's official development kit (XDK
) homebrew coders were able to write replacement Xbox GUIs (known as dashboards), games and applications for the Xbox.
A softmod
which uses a commercial game such as 007: Agent Under Fire, Mech Assault or Splinter Cell
to load up homebrew software has been discovered. This method utilizes modified font and sound files to cause the Xbox to intentionally crash and load one of the homebrew dashboards. Once in this condition, the Xbox is able to execute homebrew games and applications.
Because the Xbox uses standard PC libraries, writing homebrew games is relatively easy, as the vast majority of libraries available for a PC programmer are available to an Xbox homebrew programmer.
One of the more common type of homebrew games for the Xbox are ports of PC games whose source has been publicly released or leaked. Many classic PC games have been released for Xbox, but most are created with the XDK which limits their availability. The only places to find these ports are through IRC or peer-to-peer
browsers.
The Xbox system is also very adept at running emulators which have been ported from PC. The Xbox is able to emulate systems up to the previous generation, including the Nintendo 64
and the PlayStation
. For this reason, many different emulators have been created for the Xbox, and some of them have even more development support than their PC counterparts.
Recently, progress has been made in the creation of a legal development kit for the Xbox, known as OpenXDK. The OpenXDK is intended to allow coders to create new applications and games, as well as port existing source codes, without using illegally obtained Microsoft software. The games and applications created under the OpenXDK can be legally hosted on the net, and downloaded by users.
Even after the release of the Xbox 360
, the Xbox homebrew scene remains extremely active, with new game ports, emulators, and applications coming out weekly. Microsoft
is currently encouraging Xbox 360 homebrewed content with XNA
, though at a charge of $99 per year.
s
Team Twiizers created a DSi mode exploit called "Sudokuhax" using the DSiWare "Sudoku" by EA. Sudoku is only available for regions USA and EUR/AU. Sudokuhax launches "boot.nds" from the root of the SD card in the DSi SD card slot. Nintendo removed Sudoku from the DSiWare shop shortly after the hack was released.
There are many Flashcarts like the Acekard 2i that can be used on a DSi console but only in DS mode, so the extra RAM, cameras and the SD slot are not usable using this method. The CycloDS iEvolution is the first cart to support DSi mode homebrew.
has released a version of its proprietary Software Development Kit (SDK) for free, to would-be homebrew programmers. This SDK, called XNA Game Studio
, is a free version of the SDK available to professional development companies and college students. However, to create Xbox 360 games you must pay for a premium membership to the XNA Creators Club. Once the games are verified, the games written with XNA Studio can be made available for 80, 240, or 400 Microsoft Points to all Xbox 360
owners (through Xbox Live
). This allows creators of homebrew content access to their target audience of Xbox 360 owners. This content is available under the Indie Games section of the New Xbox Experience.
On March 20, 2007, it was announced that a hack using the previously discovered hypervisor vulnerability in the Xbox 360 kernel versions 4532 and 4548 had been developed to allow users to run XeLL, a Linux bootloader. The initial hack was beyond the average user and required an Xbox serial cable to be installed and a flashed DVD Drive firmware. Felix Domke, the programmer behind XeLL, has since announced a live bootable Linux CD suitable for novice users, with the capabilities to be installed to the SATA hard drive of the Xbox 360. Despite the availability of such a distribution, the Xbox 360 still isn't considered a popular platform for homebrew development, given the dependence of the exploit on the DVD-ROM being able to load a burnt DVD game, a modified version of the game King Kong, and two older kernel revisions of the console itself.
A group independent of Microsoft is working on the means to run homebrew code, as part of the Free60 project.
Note: The hypervisor vulnerability in the Xbox 360 kernel versions 4532 and 4548 was addressed by Microsoft with the release of the NXE system and dashboard update in 2008.
Homebrew was since re-enabled on any Xbox 360 with dash 2.0.7371.0 or lower via an exploit referred to a the jtag / jtag smc hack but was promptly patched again by Microsoft with the 2.0.8495.0 update.
was designed to run other operating systems from day one. Very soon after launch, the first users managed to install Fedora Core 5 onto the PlayStation 3 via the 'Install Other OS' option in the PlayStation 3's XMB (Xross Media Bar), which also allows configuring the PlayStation 3 to boot into the other OS installed by default.
So far, several Linux flavors have been successfully installed to the PlayStation 3, such as Fedora Core
5, Fedora Core 6, Gentoo
, Ubuntu
and Yellow Dog Linux
(YDL). The latter comes installed with the Cell SDK by default, allowing programmers a low cost entry into Cell programming. See also: Linux for PlayStation 3
Originally, graphics support was limited to framebuffer access only (no access to the PlayStation 3's graphics chip RSX yet), some access to the RSX graphics chip was achieved however Sony blocked this with firmware release 2.10.
Homebrew developers do have access to the Cell microprocessor
, including 6 of its 7 active Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs). The Game OS resides under a hypervisor
and prevents users from taking full control of the PlayStation 3's hardware. This is a security measure which helps Sony feel secure enough to allow users to install other operating systems on the PS3.
The Sixaxis controller has also been exposed to Linux and Windows, but as of yet no driver seems to have been successfully created that exposes its accelerometer
functionality. However other drivers have successfully used it as a controller for gaming etc.
In May 2008, a vulnerability was found in the PlayStation 3 allowing users to install a partial debug firmware on a regular console. However, the debug functionality is disabled, so neither homebrew applications nor backup games can be run yet.
Another exploit was found on August 14, 2008, allowing users to boot some backup games from the PlayStation 3's HDD, although the exact instructions on how to do this were not released at that time. However, a different person posted instructions 10 days later, which explained the exploit.
On January 6, 2009 a hacking ring known as the "Sh4d0ws" leaked the jig files needed to launch the PlayStation 3 into service mode. Although the PlayStation 3 can be triggered into service mode, it is not yet of any use because the files needed to make changes to the console have not been leaked.
On August 31, 2010 PSGroove, an exploit for the PS3 through the USB port, was released and made open source. This exploit works on all of the PS3 models released up until then. A guide for the creation of the PSGroove is available through several online sources.
George Hotz
, better known under his nickname "geohot", has recently appeared on Attack of the Show because he released the PlayStation 3's encryption keys, therefore any homebrew or custom firmware can be signed. Once signed, homebrew can be natively run. It would be difficult for Sony however to fix this because it would most likely require a voluntary recall and the most expensive parts would have to be replaced. In 2011, Sony, with help from law firm Kilpatrick Stockton, sued Hotz and associates of the group fail0verflow for their jailbreaking activities. Charges included violating the DCMA, CFAA
, Copyright law, and California's CCDAFA
, and for Breach of Contract
(related to the PlayStation Network User Agreement
), Tortious interference
, Misappropriation
, and Trespass
.
by Gamepark Holdings
could run homebrew software through a special firmware which required the user to register on Gamepark's website, which also hosted some homebrew software.
is able to run homebrew software from almost any source, such as SD cards, USB hard disks and flash drives, and wireless shares. It is also capable of compiling its own software internally using the GNU compiler collection.
was cracked in early 2006. Because Tiger Telematics
, the creator of Gizmondo, is bankrupt, a small fan base provided a fair amount of homebrew applications and emulators.
Proprietary hardware
Proprietary hardware is computer hardware which is owned by the proprietor.Historically, most early computer hardware was designed as proprietary until the 1980s, when IBM PC changed this paradigm...
platforms not typically user-programmable or that use proprietary storage methods. This can include games developed with official development kits, such as Net Yaroze
Net Yaroze
The is a development kit for the PlayStation video game console. It was a promotion by Sony Computer Entertainment to computer programming hobbyists in 1997. Yarōze means "Let's do it together!"....
, Linux for PlayStation 2 or Microsoft XNA
Microsoft XNA
Microsoft XNA is a set of tools with a managed runtime environment provided by Microsoft that facilitates video game development and management. XNA attempts to free game developers from writing "repetitive boilerplate code" and to bring different aspects of game production into a single system...
.
Many homebrew games are offered as freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
, although others are offered for sale, and some can be quite costly. One popular type of homebrew game is the fangame
Fangame
Fangames are video games made by fans based on one or more established video games. Many fangames attempt to clone the original game's design, gameplay and characters, but it is equally common for fans to develop a unique game using another only as a template...
. In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, these games are usually called "Dōjin soft
Dojin soft
, also sometimes called , are video games created by Japanese hobbyists or hobbyist groups , more for fun than for profit; essentially, the Japanese equivalent of independent video games. Most of them are based on pre-existing material, but some are entirely original creations...
".
Development
Homebrew games for older systems are typically developed using emulatorEmulator
In computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates the functions of a first computer system in a different second computer system, so that the behavior of the second system closely resembles the behavior of the first system...
s for convenience, since testing them requires no extra hardware on the part of the programmer. Development for newer systems typically involves actual hardware given the lack of accurate emulators. Efforts have been made to use actual console hardware for many older systems, though. Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
homebrew developers use various methods, for example, burning an EEPROM
EEPROM
EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory and is a type of non-volatile memory used in computers and other electronic devices to store small amounts of data that must be saved when power is removed, e.g., calibration...
to plug into a custom cartridge
ROM cartridge
A ROM cartridge, sometimes referred to as a cart, is a removable enclosure containing read-only memory devices designed to be connected to a computer or games console....
board or audio transfer via the Starpath Supercharger
Starpath Supercharger
The Starpath Supercharger was an add-on module created by Starpath to expand the game capabilities of the Atari 2600 video game console. The device resembled a long game cartridge with a handle on one end. The Supercharger interface multiplied the Atari 2600's RAM 49-fold, from its meager built-in...
. Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
homebrew developers have several ways to use GBA flash cartridge
Game Boy Advance flash cartridge
A Game Boy Advance flash cartridge is one of several cartridges containing flash memory that have been developed for use in the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. These cartridges enable homebrew applications and games to be used on a GBA. The capacity of the cartridges ranges from 64 Mbit up to 8 Gbit...
s in this regard.
Along with the Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, the most frequently used platforms for homebrew development are older generations of consoles, among them the Atari 2600 and Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES). The Atari 2600 and NES are particularly interesting because they use the 6502
MOS Technology 6502
The MOS Technology 6502 is an 8-bit microprocessor that was designed by Chuck Peddle and Bill Mensch for MOS Technology in 1975. When it was introduced, it was the least expensive full-featured microprocessor on the market by a considerable margin, costing less than one-sixth the price of...
instruction set, likely familiar to people who have programmed 8-bit home computers, such as the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
or Apple II
Apple II series
The Apple II series is a set of 8-bit home computers, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977 with the original Apple II...
. Another factor in the popularity of older or portable systems for homebrew development, relative to modern consoles, is that their simplicity enables an individual or small group to develop acceptable games in a reasonable time frame.
All major sixth generation consoles
History of video game consoles (sixth generation)
The sixth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. Platforms of the sixth generation include the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox...
enjoy some popularity with homebrew developers, but less so than earlier generations. This is mostly the case because software production requires more resources, accurate emulators do not exist yet, and the consoles themselves often employ rather complex systems to prevent the execution of unauthorized code. Homebrew developers must often exploit loopholes to enable their software to run.
Homebrewing is not only limited to games - there are numerous demos
Demo (computer programming)
A demo is a non-interactive multimedia presentation made within the computer subculture known as the demoscene. Demogroups create demos to demonstrate their abilities in programming, music, drawing, and 3D modeling...
that have been released for most systems with a homebrew scene.
Magnavox Odyssey
In 2009 the release of "Odball" ended the longest game drought on any console. The Magnavox OdysseyMagnavox Odyssey
The Magnavox Odyssey is the world's first home video game console. It was first demonstrated on May 24, 1972 and released in August of that year, predating the Atari Pong home consoles by three years....
, the world's first home console, saw no new releases since 1973.http://www.revrob.com/sci-a-tech-topmenu-52/129-odball-for-magnavox-odyssey-official-page-
Fairchild Channel F
A handful of homebrew games have been programmed for the Channel F, the world's first programmable game console. The first known release is Sean Riddle's Lights Out that was released with instructions on how to modify the SABA#20 Chess game into a Multi-Cartridge. http://seanriddle.com/chanf.html There is also a version of Tetris and in 2008 "Videocart 27: Pac-Man" became the first full production homebrew for the Channel F.Atari 2600
The Atari 2600Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
, released in 1977, is a popular platform for homebrew projects. Games created for the Atari can be executed using either an emulator or directly when copied onto a blank cartridge
ROM cartridge
A ROM cartridge, sometimes referred to as a cart, is a removable enclosure containing read-only memory devices designed to be connected to a computer or games console....
making use of either a PROM
Programmable read-only memory
A programmable read-only memory or field programmable read-only memory or one-time programmable non-volatile memory is a form of digital memory where the setting of each bit is locked by a fuse or antifuse. Such PROMs are used to store programs permanently...
or EPROM
EPROM
An EPROM , or erasable programmable read only memory, is a type of memory chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. In other words, it is non-volatile. It is an array of floating-gate transistors individually programmed by an electronic device that supplies higher voltages...
chip
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
. Unlike later systems, the console does not require a modchip
Modchip
A modchip is a small electronic device used to modify or disable built-in restrictions and limitations of computers, specifically videogame consoles...
.
Although there is one high-level compiler
Compiler
A compiler is a computer program that transforms source code written in a programming language into another computer language...
available, batari Basic, most development for the Atari 2600 is still done in 6502
MOS Technology 6502
The MOS Technology 6502 is an 8-bit microprocessor that was designed by Chuck Peddle and Bill Mensch for MOS Technology in 1975. When it was introduced, it was the least expensive full-featured microprocessor on the market by a considerable margin, costing less than one-sixth the price of...
assembly language
Assembly language
An assembly language is a low-level programming language for computers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and other programmable devices. It implements a symbolic representation of the machine codes and other constants needed to program a given CPU architecture...
. Homebrews written in assembly are typically considered programming challenges.
The Atari 2600 lacks video memory, and programs run simultaneously with the television screen, updating graphical register
Hardware register
In digital electronics, especially computing, a hardware register stores bits of information, in a way that all the bits can be written to or read out simultaneously.The hardware registers inside a central processing unit are called processor registers....
s a fraction of a second before the television draws each scan line
Scan line
A scan line or scanline is one line, or row, in a raster scanning pattern, such as a line of video on a cathode ray tube display of a television set or computer monitor....
. For each scan line, the system's Television Interface Adapter
Television Interface Adapter
The Television Interface Adaptor is the custom computer chip that is the heart of the Atari 2600 game console, generating the screen display, sound effects, and reading input controllers. Its design was widely affected by an attempt to reduce the amount of RAM needed to operate the display...
can only draw two custom, eight-bit graphical object
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
s, a twenty-bit "playfield", and three solid pixel
Pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
s: two "missiles" and one "ball". Timing is critical in this environment. If a program takes too long to update the registers, the television will update the screen before the graphics are properly initialized, resulting in glitches or other video problems. In this respect, Atari 2600 programming could be considered a form of hard real-time computing
Real-time computing
In computer science, real-time computing , or reactive computing, is the study of hardware and software systems that are subject to a "real-time constraint"— e.g. operational deadlines from event to system response. Real-time programs must guarantee response within strict time constraints...
.
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Several compilers are available for the Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, but like the Atari 2600, most development directly applies assembly language. One impediment to NES homebrew development is the relative difficulty involved with producing physical cartridges, although third party flash carts do exist, making homebrew possible on original NES hardware. Several varieties of custom integrated circuit
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
s are used within NES cartridges to expand system capabilities; most are difficult to replicate except by scavenging old cartridges. The hardware lockout mechanism
10NES
The 10NES system is a lock-out system designed for the American version of the Nintendo Entertainment System video game console. Various companies found ways to bypass the authorization chip.-Design:...
of the NES further complicates construction of usable physical cartridges. However, the NES-101 removed the 10NES lockout chip so any game, whether homebrew, unlicensed, or another region of an official game, can be played. The 10NES chip can eventually be permanently disabled by performing a minor change to the hardware.
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System
Both the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and Sega Master SystemSega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
benefit from limited homebrew development, as there is no physical lockout mechanism, thereby easing the operation of software on these platforms. Homebrew efforts for the Mega Drive/Genesis have grown, as there are now several full games scheduled for release in physical form, such as Rick Dangerous 1 & 2 and a port of Teenage Queen. Pier Solar and the Great Architects
Pier Solar and the Great Architects
Pier Solar and the Great Architects is a homebrew role-playing game for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, released in December 2010 by WaterMelon Co. The game optionally utilizes the Mega-CD expansion device to enhance its audio capabilities.- Setting :...
and Frog Feast for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Mighty Mighty Missile for the Sega Mega-CD
Sega Mega-CD
The is an add-on device for the Mega Drive video game console, designed and produced by Sega and released in Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The device was also released in North America under the name Sega CD, for the Sega Genesis...
are examples of homebrew games already released for Sega consoles.
A QBASIC
QBasic
QBasic is an IDE and interpreter for a variant of the BASIC programming language which is based on QuickBASIC. Code entered into the IDE is compiled to an intermediate form, and this intermediate form is immediately interpreted on demand within the IDE. It can run under nearly all versions of DOS...
-like high level compiler named basiegaxorz exists for the Sega Genesis.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
After its discontinuation of games in 1998, and production in 1999, the fans of the Super Nintendo Entertainment SystemSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
made homebrew ROM images, even without Nintendo's support for the console.
After the release of SNES there was great interest in reverse engineering the system to allow for homebrew and backup play. Nintendo fitted the machine with various security measures such as the lock-out chip to prevent unauthorized code running on the machine.
Eventually the homebrew community figured out how games ran on the SNES hardware and were able to bypass its security mechanisms. Companies such as BUNG release hardware plugins such as Game Doctor SF series. These allows users to not only copy games but also run homebrew developed games to be run on the SNES hardware. Homebrew ROMS could be converted into the Game Doctor SF format and put onto a 3 1/2" floppy. Games as large as 12Mbits could be put fit on floppy disks formatted to 1.6Mbytes.
An alternative device was the Super Flash, by Tototek, allowed for multiple games to be burned into a flash memory chip of cartridge (allowing up to 48Mbits). This chip is the mask rom for the Super Flash development cartridge. The device is easy to use and has a user interface on the computer end. Simply plug in the Super Flash cartridge and upload the games you want. This allowed users to make a SNES game and play it in an actual cartridge rather than a floppy disk.
The legality of homebew SNES game releases has not been tested in court, and it is debatable whether or not bypassing their security measures would fall foul of modern reverse engineering laws. Presumably homebrew games can be produced legally for the SNES as long as no copyright material is included.
Previously in the 1990s, Nintendo sued Color Dreams for producing NES games without an official license. The outcome was an undisclosed settlement, but Color Dreams continued to produce unlicensed games. The strength of Color Dreams position lies with that they worked around the 10NES lockout chip code rather the illegally duplicating it.
Atari Jaguar
The Atari JaguarAtari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
was the last console produced by the Tramiel owned version of Atari. The console has an active homebrew development scene strongly facilitated by the release of the publishing rights for the console by one time owners Hasbro. Prominent homebrews for the console have included Battlesphere
BattleSphere
BattleSphere is a 3D space combat simulator for the Atari Jaguar console by 4Play/ScatoLOGIC Inc., released in 2000.Released after the Jaguar's demise, cartridge components and other supplies needed to manufacture the game were scarce, resulting in not enough copies to meet demand...
and Frog Feast in addition to many other projects. Coding for the console is predominantly done in assembly language and the Atari SDK has been made available. Since emulation of the console is still limited, coding is best conducted using a real Jaguar console with the official Jaguar 'Alpine' Devkit, a Skunkboard Flash Cart or a BJL uploader.
PlayStation
It is possible to play homebrew on any model PlayStationPlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
through the use of a modchip
Modchip
A modchip is a small electronic device used to modify or disable built-in restrictions and limitations of computers, specifically videogame consoles...
or the double swap trick (or, for the very first SCPH-1001 models put into production, the CD player trick). Homebrew was promoted by Sony with the Net Yaroze
Net Yaroze
The is a development kit for the PlayStation video game console. It was a promotion by Sony Computer Entertainment to computer programming hobbyists in 1997. Yarōze means "Let's do it together!"....
which had a large scene for quite some time, however the official Net Yaroze site was shut down in mid-2009.
Sega Saturn
The Sega SaturnSega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
homebrew scene is small but active. As with the PlayStation, all models are capable of homebrew. Modchips for the Saturn Model 1 have been scarce for sometime now (as it seems that no one has produced any new modchips in years), so the only two options left are to either perform the easy swap trick or extensively modify a Saturn Model 2 modchip.
Running homebrew on the Model 2 is as easy as bridging two points on the modchip, soldering a wire from the modchip to the Saturn power supply, and inserting it where the CD-rom ribbon cable inserts. The swap trick is more difficult to pull off on this Model due to the lack of an access light.
Nintendo 64
The Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
homebrew scene is small, but homebrew can still be played and developed on one through the use of a Doctor V64
Doctor V64
The Doctor V64 is a development and backup device made by Bung Enterprises Ltd that is used in conjunction with the Nintendo 64. The Doctor V64 also had the ability to play Video CDs, audio CDs and had an option for applying stereo 3D effects to the audio.- History :The Doctor V64 came out in 1996...
(Acclaim even used some of these to develop Turok).
Nuon
The NuonNuon
Nuon is a technology that adds features to a DVD player. In addition to viewing DVDs, one can play 3D video games and use enhanced DVD navigational tools such as zoom and smooth scanning of DVD playback. One could also play CDs while the Nuon graphics processor generates synchronized graphics on...
was a game chip built into several DVD players. VM Labs
VM Labs
VM Labs was the company behind the Nuon technology which was used in several DVD players from Samsung, Toshiba, & RCA and the "Streamaster" IP set-top box from Motorola...
, which made the system, released a homebrew SDK just before it went bankrupt. The graphical capabilities are on par with the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. Homebrew Nuon apps can only be played on Samsung DVD-N50x and RCA Nuon DVD players.
Dreamcast
Despite its short commercial lifespan of less than two years in North America, the Dreamcast benefits from an active homebrew scene even ten years after its discontinuation. Due to a flaw in the Dreamcast BIOSBIOS
In IBM PC compatible computers, the basic input/output system , also known as the System BIOS or ROM BIOS , is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface....
, which was intended for use with MIL-CD
Mil-CD
MIL-CD is a compact disc format created by the video game company Sega in 1999.The main purpose of MIL-CD was to add multimedia functions to music CDs, for use in Sega's Dreamcast games console...
's, the console can run software from CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
without the use of a modchip. Sega reacted by removing MIL-CD support from the BIOS of the later produced Dreamcast consoles manufactured from November 2000 onwards.
The console is especially notable for its commercial homebrew scene. One notable project was the Bleemcast!
Bleemcast!
Bleemcast! is an independently developed commercial emulator by Bleem! for Dreamcast that allows one to load and play PlayStation discs on the Dreamcast. It is compatible with most Dreamcast controllers and steering wheels, and enhances the PS1 game...
emulator, which was a series of bootdisks made to play PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
games on the system. Newer independent releases include Last Hope
Last Hope (video game)
Last Hope is a single-player side-scrolling shoot 'em up video game for the Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, and Dreamcast systems. It was developed by German indie developer NG:DEV.TEAM in 2006. While the Neo Geo version was self-published, the Dreamcast version was released by redspotgames in January...
, released by Red Spot Games in 2007, and DUX
DUX (video game)
DUX is a scrolling shooter video game Independent developed by HUCAST.net & KonTechs Ltd. for the Sega Dreamcast. The game was released on 17 June 2009 worldwide. There is also a 500-print limited edition DUX with a game soundtrack on a separate disk...
, both Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
style games. These releases were written using the KallistiOS development system. A port of the freeware high-level development language Fenix
Fenix Project
Fenix Project is the codename for a GNU project to create a free compiler for a scripting language derived from the one created by Hammer Technologies for the game development suite, DIV Games Studio. However, several features have been added which make it incompatible with most games programmed...
and BennuGD
BennuGD
BennuGD is a high-level open source video game development suite, originally created as a Fenix Project fork by Argentinian hacker SpliterGU...
is available for use in game development; many DIV Games Studio games have been ported and others were originally written for the system. There are also homebrew versions of cancelled PC games available.
PlayStation 2
Early versions of the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
have a buffer overflow bug in the part of the BIOS that handles PS1 game compatibility; hackers found a way to turn this into a loophole called the PS2 Independence Exploit, allowing the use of homebrew software. Another option for homebrew development is the use of a modchip
Modchip
A modchip is a small electronic device used to modify or disable built-in restrictions and limitations of computers, specifically videogame consoles...
. Also, it is possible for developers to utilize a PS2 hard drive and HD Loader
HD Loader
HD Loader is a program for the PlayStation 2 video game console which allow users to play games installed on the optional hard drive peripheral via PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor...
.
As of May 2008, there is a superior exploit called Free McBoot, which is applicable to all PS2s including Slimlines except for SCPH-9000x models with BIOS 2.30 and up, where the exploit was patched by Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
. Manufacturing of such homebrew-proof models started in the third quarter of 2008, which is denoted as date code 8C on the console, although some consoles of this line still have the old unpatched 2.20 BIOS.
Unlike the Independence Exploit, which requires a trigger disk, it only needs a Memory Card, which allows it to be used on systems with broken disk drives. The installation is keyed to the Memory Card and will only be usable on the same version consoles that it was originally installed on, unless a Multi-Install is performed. Also, the installation is locked to the region of the original console.
The drawback of this exploit is that it needs to be installed/compiled on each individual memory card. Simply copying the exploit is not possible; this means that an already modded or exploited system is required to install FMCB on a Memory Card. However using a homebrew application called UlaunchELF and a swap magic disc, one is able to simply copy the install files to the memory card by running the homebrew using swap magic and a thumbdrive.
After installing an exploit, unsigned executables (ELF
ELF
ELF may be:Science* Electron localization function, a concept in quantum mechanics* Extremely low frequency, the band of radio frequencies from 3 to 30 HertzLinguistics...
) may be launched from a Memory Card or an USB drive. Such programs include emulators, media players and hard drive management tools. The exploit is also notable for allowing the user to copy PS1/PS2 save files from a Memory Card to a USB drive, a functionality normally only possible with tools such as a DexDrive
DexDrive
DexDrive was a brand of game console memory card readers that allowed data to be accessed by a PC. The DexDrive products were made by now-defunct InterAct for use with PlayStation and Nintendo 64 memory cards. It was shipped to retail stores in January 1997....
.
Sony also released an official homebrew-development kit that allows PlayStation 2 to run Linux
PS2 Linux
Linux for PlayStation 2 is a kit released by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2002 that allows the PlayStation 2 console to be used as a personal computer. It included a Linux-based operating system, a USB keyboard and mouse, a VGA adapter, a PS2 network adaptor , and a 40 GB hard disk drive...
.
Nintendo GameCube
Homebrew development on the Nintendo GameCubeNintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
tended to be difficult, since it uses a MiniDVD
MiniDVD
MiniDVD is a DVD disc having 8 cm in diameter.The 8 cm optical disc format was originally used for music CD singles, hence the commonly used names CD single and miniCD...
drive as opposed to the standard DVD drives of the PS2 and Xbox for piracy protection. Also, its connectivity is limited, as is does not feature an USB port or a HDD port like its competitors.
The barrier to burning Nintendo GameCube discs with a consumer DVD burner is the Burst Cutting Area
Burst cutting area
In computing, the burst cutting area or narrow burst cutting area refers to the circular area near the center of a DVD, HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc, where a barcode can be written for additional information such as ID codes, manufacturing information, and serial numbers...
, a "barcode" in the innermost ring of the disc, an area inaccessible to most burners and writeable only by very expensive disc pressing machines. For a long time the only way to run homebrew software on Nintendo GameCube was through a patching-system exploit of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, requiring users to find the game and a Broadband Adapter. Both of these are difficult to find because a follow-up has been released (under the name Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Plus) and thus the original PSO was rarely sold after then, and because the Broadband Adapter was not often carried in stores due to the Nintendo GameCube's very limited selection of online games.
Currently the most common method is to use a special loader software, often using a modchip
Modchip
A modchip is a small electronic device used to modify or disable built-in restrictions and limitations of computers, specifically videogame consoles...
, and homebrew software can be loaded from DVD-R
DVD-R
DVD-R is a DVD recordable format. A DVD-R typically has a storage capacity of 4.71 GB. Pioneer has also developed an 8.5 GB dual layer version, DVD-R DL, which appeared on the market in 2005....
, SD card (with an SD card adapter), or over Ethernet. As the Nintendo GameCube's case does not fit a full-size DVD-R, third party replacement cases are available. Most of Nintendo GameCube homebrew software is developed to emulate other videogame systems.
The once slow Nintendo GameCube scene is faring better than it was during its commercial lifespan thanks to bearing technical similarities with its popular successor, the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
.
Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
console uses several measures, including cryptographically signed code to obfuscated firmware. The primary method of executing homebrew code required installing a mod chip which could be flashed with a modified Microsoft BIOS
BIOS
In IBM PC compatible computers, the basic input/output system , also known as the System BIOS or ROM BIOS , is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface....
. This BIOS allowed the system to boot unsigned executables (XBEs) and control several hardware variables, such as region coding and video mode. With the leak of Microsoft's official development kit (XDK
Xbox Development Kit
The Xbox Development Kit is a software development kit created by Microsoft used to write software for the Xbox gaming system. The XDK includes libraries, a compiler, and various tools used to create software for the Xbox. The XDK has the option to integrate itself into Microsoft Visual Studio...
) homebrew coders were able to write replacement Xbox GUIs (known as dashboards), games and applications for the Xbox.
A softmod
Softmod
A softmod is a method of using software to modify the intended behaviour of hardware, such as video cards, sound cards, or game consoles in a way that can overcome restrictions of the firmware, or install custom firmware.-Video card softmods:...
which uses a commercial game such as 007: Agent Under Fire, Mech Assault or Splinter Cell
Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a series of stealth video games, the first of which was released in 2002, and their tie-in novels. The protagonist, Sam Fisher, is presented as a highly-trained agent of a fictional black-ops sub-division within the NSA, dubbed "Third Echelon"...
to load up homebrew software has been discovered. This method utilizes modified font and sound files to cause the Xbox to intentionally crash and load one of the homebrew dashboards. Once in this condition, the Xbox is able to execute homebrew games and applications.
Because the Xbox uses standard PC libraries, writing homebrew games is relatively easy, as the vast majority of libraries available for a PC programmer are available to an Xbox homebrew programmer.
One of the more common type of homebrew games for the Xbox are ports of PC games whose source has been publicly released or leaked. Many classic PC games have been released for Xbox, but most are created with the XDK which limits their availability. The only places to find these ports are through IRC or peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
browsers.
The Xbox system is also very adept at running emulators which have been ported from PC. The Xbox is able to emulate systems up to the previous generation, including the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
and the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. For this reason, many different emulators have been created for the Xbox, and some of them have even more development support than their PC counterparts.
Recently, progress has been made in the creation of a legal development kit for the Xbox, known as OpenXDK. The OpenXDK is intended to allow coders to create new applications and games, as well as port existing source codes, without using illegally obtained Microsoft software. The games and applications created under the OpenXDK can be legally hosted on the net, and downloaded by users.
Even after the release of the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, the Xbox homebrew scene remains extremely active, with new game ports, emulators, and applications coming out weekly. Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
is currently encouraging Xbox 360 homebrewed content with XNA
Microsoft XNA
Microsoft XNA is a set of tools with a managed runtime environment provided by Microsoft that facilitates video game development and management. XNA attempts to free game developers from writing "repetitive boilerplate code" and to bring different aspects of game production into a single system...
, though at a charge of $99 per year.
Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS homebrew is very popular with Windows compatible software called "DS Game Maker" or "DSGM" for short. Though there are a few issues with the software, it has made it easy to make DS homebrew ROMROM cartridge
A ROM cartridge, sometimes referred to as a cart, is a removable enclosure containing read-only memory devices designed to be connected to a computer or games console....
s
Nintendo DSi
WinterMute has released an exploit for Classic Word Games that allows to run a small assembler program in DSi mode with no additional hardware.Team Twiizers created a DSi mode exploit called "Sudokuhax" using the DSiWare "Sudoku" by EA. Sudoku is only available for regions USA and EUR/AU. Sudokuhax launches "boot.nds" from the root of the SD card in the DSi SD card slot. Nintendo removed Sudoku from the DSiWare shop shortly after the hack was released.
There are many Flashcarts like the Acekard 2i that can be used on a DSi console but only in DS mode, so the extra RAM, cameras and the SD slot are not usable using this method. The CycloDS iEvolution is the first cart to support DSi mode homebrew.
Xbox 360
MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
has released a version of its proprietary Software Development Kit (SDK) for free, to would-be homebrew programmers. This SDK, called XNA Game Studio
Microsoft XNA
Microsoft XNA is a set of tools with a managed runtime environment provided by Microsoft that facilitates video game development and management. XNA attempts to free game developers from writing "repetitive boilerplate code" and to bring different aspects of game production into a single system...
, is a free version of the SDK available to professional development companies and college students. However, to create Xbox 360 games you must pay for a premium membership to the XNA Creators Club. Once the games are verified, the games written with XNA Studio can be made available for 80, 240, or 400 Microsoft Points to all Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
owners (through Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
). This allows creators of homebrew content access to their target audience of Xbox 360 owners. This content is available under the Indie Games section of the New Xbox Experience.
On March 20, 2007, it was announced that a hack using the previously discovered hypervisor vulnerability in the Xbox 360 kernel versions 4532 and 4548 had been developed to allow users to run XeLL, a Linux bootloader. The initial hack was beyond the average user and required an Xbox serial cable to be installed and a flashed DVD Drive firmware. Felix Domke, the programmer behind XeLL, has since announced a live bootable Linux CD suitable for novice users, with the capabilities to be installed to the SATA hard drive of the Xbox 360. Despite the availability of such a distribution, the Xbox 360 still isn't considered a popular platform for homebrew development, given the dependence of the exploit on the DVD-ROM being able to load a burnt DVD game, a modified version of the game King Kong, and two older kernel revisions of the console itself.
A group independent of Microsoft is working on the means to run homebrew code, as part of the Free60 project.
Note: The hypervisor vulnerability in the Xbox 360 kernel versions 4532 and 4548 was addressed by Microsoft with the release of the NXE system and dashboard update in 2008.
Homebrew was since re-enabled on any Xbox 360 with dash 2.0.7371.0 or lower via an exploit referred to a the jtag / jtag smc hack but was promptly patched again by Microsoft with the 2.0.8495.0 update.
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
was designed to run other operating systems from day one. Very soon after launch, the first users managed to install Fedora Core 5 onto the PlayStation 3 via the 'Install Other OS' option in the PlayStation 3's XMB (Xross Media Bar), which also allows configuring the PlayStation 3 to boot into the other OS installed by default.
So far, several Linux flavors have been successfully installed to the PlayStation 3, such as Fedora Core
Fedora (operating system)
Fedora is a RPM-based, general purpose collection of software, including an operating system based on the Linux kernel, developed by the community-supported Fedora Project and sponsored by Red Hat...
5, Fedora Core 6, Gentoo
Gentoo Linux
Gentoo Linux is a computer operating system built on top of the Linux kernel and based on the Portage package management system. It is distributed as free and open source software. Unlike a conventional software distribution, the user compiles the source code locally according to their chosen...
, Ubuntu
Ubuntu (operating system)
Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
and Yellow Dog Linux
Yellow Dog Linux
Yellow Dog Linux, also known as YDL, is a free and open source operating system for high performance computing on multicore architectures. It focuses on GPU systems and computers using the Power Architecture . YDL is currently developed by Fixstars...
(YDL). The latter comes installed with the Cell SDK by default, allowing programmers a low cost entry into Cell programming. See also: Linux for PlayStation 3
Linux for PlayStation 3
OtherOS was a feature available in early versions of the PlayStation 3 video game console that allowed other operating systems, such as Linux or FreeBSD, to be installed on the system...
Originally, graphics support was limited to framebuffer access only (no access to the PlayStation 3's graphics chip RSX yet), some access to the RSX graphics chip was achieved however Sony blocked this with firmware release 2.10.
Homebrew developers do have access to the Cell microprocessor
Cell microprocessor
Cell is a microprocessor architecture jointly developed by Sony, Sony Computer Entertainment, Toshiba, and IBM, an alliance known as "STI". The architectural design and first implementation were carried out at the STI Design Center in Austin, Texas over a four-year period beginning March 2001 on a...
, including 6 of its 7 active Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs). The Game OS resides under a hypervisor
Hypervisor
In computing, a hypervisor, also called virtual machine manager , is one of many hardware virtualization techniques that allow multiple operating systems, termed guests, to run concurrently on a host computer. It is so named because it is conceptually one level higher than a supervisory program...
and prevents users from taking full control of the PlayStation 3's hardware. This is a security measure which helps Sony feel secure enough to allow users to install other operating systems on the PS3.
The Sixaxis controller has also been exposed to Linux and Windows, but as of yet no driver seems to have been successfully created that exposes its accelerometer
Accelerometer
An accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration, also called the four-acceleration. This is not necessarily the same as the coordinate acceleration , but is rather the type of acceleration associated with the phenomenon of weight experienced by a test mass that resides in the frame...
functionality. However other drivers have successfully used it as a controller for gaming etc.
In May 2008, a vulnerability was found in the PlayStation 3 allowing users to install a partial debug firmware on a regular console. However, the debug functionality is disabled, so neither homebrew applications nor backup games can be run yet.
Another exploit was found on August 14, 2008, allowing users to boot some backup games from the PlayStation 3's HDD, although the exact instructions on how to do this were not released at that time. However, a different person posted instructions 10 days later, which explained the exploit.
On January 6, 2009 a hacking ring known as the "Sh4d0ws" leaked the jig files needed to launch the PlayStation 3 into service mode. Although the PlayStation 3 can be triggered into service mode, it is not yet of any use because the files needed to make changes to the console have not been leaked.
On August 31, 2010 PSGroove, an exploit for the PS3 through the USB port, was released and made open source. This exploit works on all of the PS3 models released up until then. A guide for the creation of the PSGroove is available through several online sources.
George Hotz
George Hotz
George Francis Hotz , alias geohot, million75 or simply mil, is an American hacker known for unlocking the iPhone, allowing the phone to be used with other wireless carriers, contrary to AT&T and Apple's intent...
, better known under his nickname "geohot", has recently appeared on Attack of the Show because he released the PlayStation 3's encryption keys, therefore any homebrew or custom firmware can be signed. Once signed, homebrew can be natively run. It would be difficult for Sony however to fix this because it would most likely require a voluntary recall and the most expensive parts would have to be replaced. In 2011, Sony, with help from law firm Kilpatrick Stockton, sued Hotz and associates of the group fail0verflow for their jailbreaking activities. Charges included violating the DCMA, CFAA
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is a law passed by the United States Congress in 1986, intended to reduce cracking of computer systems and to address federal computer-related offenses...
, Copyright law, and California's CCDAFA
California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act
The California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act is in §502 of the California Penal Code.According to the State Administrative Manual of California, the purposes is as follows:...
, and for Breach of Contract
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
(related to the PlayStation Network User Agreement
Terms of service
Terms of service are rules which one must agree to abide by in order to use a service. Unless in violation of consumer protection laws, such terms are usually legally binding...
), Tortious interference
Tortious interference
Tortious interference, also known as intentional interference with contractual relations, in the common law of tort, occurs when a person intentionally damages the plaintiff's contractual or other business relationships...
, Misappropriation
Misappropriation
In law, misappropriation is the intentional, illegal use of the property or funds of another person for one's own use or other unauthorized purpose, particularly by a public official, a trustee of a trust, an executor or administrator of a dead person's estate or by any person with a responsibility...
, and Trespass
Trespass
Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels and trespass to land.Trespass to the person, historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding, mayhem, and maiming...
.
GP32
The GP32GP32
The GP32 is a handheld game console developed by the Korean company Game Park. It was released on November 23, 2001, in South Korea only.- Overview :The GP32 is based on a 133 MHz ARM CPU and 8 MB of RAM...
by Gamepark Holdings
GamePark Holdings
GPH, formerly known as GamePark Holdings, is a South Korean company responsible for creating the GP2X that was founded by former employees of the game maker GamePark in 2005.-History:...
could run homebrew software through a special firmware which required the user to register on Gamepark's website, which also hosted some homebrew software.
Pandora
The Pandora (console)Pandora (console)
The Pandora is a handheld game console designed to take advantage of existing open source software and to be a target for homebrew development...
is able to run homebrew software from almost any source, such as SD cards, USB hard disks and flash drives, and wireless shares. It is also capable of compiling its own software internally using the GNU compiler collection.
Gizmondo
The GizmondoGizmondo
The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console which was released by Tiger Telematics in March 2005. The electronics design was undertaken by Plextek Limited and the industrial design by Rick Dickinson....
was cracked in early 2006. Because Tiger Telematics
Tiger Telematics
Tiger Telematics or Tiger, was a Swedish electronics company, best known for the failed Gizmondo handheld game console.-History:In 2000, Carl Freer formed Eagle Eye Scandinavian, a small electronics distribution business in Sweden...
, the creator of Gizmondo, is bankrupt, a small fan base provided a fair amount of homebrew applications and emulators.
External links
- Brewology news
- GP2x developers forums (English and Dutch)
- Dev-Scene Nintendo related Homebrew Portal
- Console-Spot PS3/PSP/X360/WII Homebrew
- PDRoms – Homebrew News and Downloads for many systems
- XNA Creators Club Online
- XGS AVR 8-Bit
- Uzebox - The ATMega Game Console
- NESWORLD.COM - NES Homebrew Archive
- GameHacking.org A site with some information and resources related to homebrew, particularly PS2 development.
- PS3 Jailbreak