I first thought of making this topic about the current issues with Gateway's bricking code and why this is a problem. However, it got me thinking. Is there really any interest for homebrew development anymore? Are DRM devices like Gateway and previously TB on PS3 simply available for people wanting free stuff and provide absolutely no benefit in terms of homebrew development? And finally, is a lack of innovative hardware the cause for a lot of this? Let's start with question 1.
Interest in homebrew is still around, for sure. However, there are two problems.
1. Lack of hobbyist devs. My best guess is most are making apps for open devices and making profit, which probably explains a drop off in development for the Wii and DS around 2010ish, along with the fact that the hardware was simply getting out of date.
2. New hardware doesn't allow easy code execution. Not easy means less potential people to use your software. Less people using software means lack of motivation. Lack of motivation means no software D: The 3DS is a great example at the moment, with only a minority of users being able to use the small amount of homebrew available. This is mostly caused by the 3DS's security itself
But the fact that the Gateway and clone carts are the main ways to actually do anything useful in terms of custom code at the moment, have probably stalled development of a way to freely run code from anywhere. No doubt that the people smart enough to do this chose to make some sort of DRM device. Now, with this said, the people making this stuff even happen, can do whatever they want. What I'm curious about though, is, do they consider what they lose by creating such devices. In the PS3's case, homebrew was already possible and the TB only provided away to play new games. In the 3DS's case, actual code execution was initially blocked off soley to this DRM software and even now how stuff like NAND emulation and rom loading from the hardware is still unknown. Which makes me wonder, was the decision for a DRM cartridge done because of a presumed lack of interest from the homebrew community and the crowd wanting free games are easy enough to market to that making such a device seems like a good idea for themselves? Or is it just further creating disdain in an already small community in an effort to make cash and they just could care less about homebrew development themselves (unlikely coming from the people making this happen)
The PS3 and Xbox 360 probably suffered from lack of homebrew support due to easy homebrew support not being possible until around the middle of their lifespans and the fact that the hardware just didn't provide anything unique enough to bother developing for. It makes me worried the 3DS is just suffering from those issues along with the whole DRM stuff. Granted, the PS3 started with a dongle like device but was quickly ported over to other things before a custom firmware came about for everyone. The Xbox 360 had the JTAG hack and this was able to be done with some hardware commonly available. The RGH required some extra hardware but this wasn't a form of DRM itself rather the hardware actually being needed to do the hack. The Wii was easily hackable fairly early on and had for the time some innovative hardware. The DS is the same, more so though it's innovative hardware thrived it's homebrew development arguably. The 360, PS3, and now, to a lesser extent the 3DS don't really have anything unique. The 3DS has 3D of course, but I'm not sure if this could really drive development. Add to the fact that open devices are more common now, I really feel like the 3DS, as a device for homebrew, is seriously in jeopardy of failing in terms of homebrew development. To recep, we have a small userbase, DRM driving this userbase currently, and a lack of innovative hardware. The first one might be corrected, it might not be. The second one surely will eventually, and the third of course is pretty unlikely to be as well. These are just my thoughts, but I thought it describes the issue with the 3DS scene
Interest in homebrew is still around, for sure. However, there are two problems.
1. Lack of hobbyist devs. My best guess is most are making apps for open devices and making profit, which probably explains a drop off in development for the Wii and DS around 2010ish, along with the fact that the hardware was simply getting out of date.
2. New hardware doesn't allow easy code execution. Not easy means less potential people to use your software. Less people using software means lack of motivation. Lack of motivation means no software D: The 3DS is a great example at the moment, with only a minority of users being able to use the small amount of homebrew available. This is mostly caused by the 3DS's security itself
But the fact that the Gateway and clone carts are the main ways to actually do anything useful in terms of custom code at the moment, have probably stalled development of a way to freely run code from anywhere. No doubt that the people smart enough to do this chose to make some sort of DRM device. Now, with this said, the people making this stuff even happen, can do whatever they want. What I'm curious about though, is, do they consider what they lose by creating such devices. In the PS3's case, homebrew was already possible and the TB only provided away to play new games. In the 3DS's case, actual code execution was initially blocked off soley to this DRM software and even now how stuff like NAND emulation and rom loading from the hardware is still unknown. Which makes me wonder, was the decision for a DRM cartridge done because of a presumed lack of interest from the homebrew community and the crowd wanting free games are easy enough to market to that making such a device seems like a good idea for themselves? Or is it just further creating disdain in an already small community in an effort to make cash and they just could care less about homebrew development themselves (unlikely coming from the people making this happen)
The PS3 and Xbox 360 probably suffered from lack of homebrew support due to easy homebrew support not being possible until around the middle of their lifespans and the fact that the hardware just didn't provide anything unique enough to bother developing for. It makes me worried the 3DS is just suffering from those issues along with the whole DRM stuff. Granted, the PS3 started with a dongle like device but was quickly ported over to other things before a custom firmware came about for everyone. The Xbox 360 had the JTAG hack and this was able to be done with some hardware commonly available. The RGH required some extra hardware but this wasn't a form of DRM itself rather the hardware actually being needed to do the hack. The Wii was easily hackable fairly early on and had for the time some innovative hardware. The DS is the same, more so though it's innovative hardware thrived it's homebrew development arguably. The 360, PS3, and now, to a lesser extent the 3DS don't really have anything unique. The 3DS has 3D of course, but I'm not sure if this could really drive development. Add to the fact that open devices are more common now, I really feel like the 3DS, as a device for homebrew, is seriously in jeopardy of failing in terms of homebrew development. To recep, we have a small userbase, DRM driving this userbase currently, and a lack of innovative hardware. The first one might be corrected, it might not be. The second one surely will eventually, and the third of course is pretty unlikely to be as well. These are just my thoughts, but I thought it describes the issue with the 3DS scene
