What drives the hacking scene

[Mantis41]

There have been many discussions on this site regarding hacking and piracy. I have always wondered what drives the top level. What is the motivation for the same individuals or groups to continually release games or system hacks?

Is it the prestige or a case of power to the people or do they just want to stick it to the big guy?

What do you think?

 

[ShadowSoldier]

I see some as looking at it as a challenge. To prove their smarts.

 

[NightsOwl]

I think the people that actually do the hacking of systems to enable homebrew do it for the homebrew. Then a smaller guy makes an app for piracy and then all the free loaders just use that.

Then in what I believe to be the minority are the people who have a hacked console and only use homebrew with no interest in piracy.

S'what I think it is anyway.

I could be 100% wrong.

 

[DaggerV]

Either to step up to the challenge, or they want to utilize the console for themselves tend to be common answers.

 

[ouch123]

Hmm... well, I'm not a console developer or a console hacker and never have been, but when I first got involved with ROM hacking, it was out of a mix of curiosity and a desire to contribute something worthwhile to people who might be interested. I figure developers that quit due to senseless hate probably hack because they did so for the latter and people that end up making really interesting hacks that they never release probably hack primarily for the former. For me, I find hacking fun (when it's not frustrating), so that's why I like hacking, and if I end up making something I feel is worth sharing, all the better.

 

[Fear Zoa]

There's something fascinating about something you own suddenly having new features that were never intended to be there, its like uncharted territory.

 

[Mantis41]

Seems strange to me that the same groups want to continually dump and then release games.

 

[The Catboy]

I personally see it as a challenge. I enjoy seeing what more I can do to my electronics, then the normal usage.

 

[DaggerV]

I tend not to release them, but I do my own dumps too. Personally I like the homebrew aspect. I look forward to trying to make a 3D game for 3DS some day.

 

[Mantis41]

I personally see it as a challenge. I enjoy seeing what more I can do to my electronics, then the normal usage.

It was more the constant scene releases you see in the forums that has me confused.

 

[The Catboy]

I personally see it as a challenge. I enjoy seeing what more I can do to my electronics, then the normal usage.

It was more the constant scene releases you see in the forums that has me confused.

I really can't speak for everyone. I think everyone has their own personal reasons for doing so. Maybe some see it as a challenge and maybe some just do it for kicks.

 

[Deleted_171835]

Seems strange to me that the same groups want to continually dump and then release games.

Archival purposes.

 

[FAST6191]

There is some interesting overlap (early on in the DS, some of the 360 stuff and some of the PS3 stuff especially) but by and large the people releasing hacks and the people releasing games once those hacks get turned into exploits ultimately able to run commercial games are usually seen as two different groups with the former not being overly fond of the latter.

Hacks- there are paid hackers in this world (in some ways I am probably one of them) but intellectual curiosity is a powerful force and probably the dominant one. Back when it might have had some more meaning- now every TV has a VGA and HDMI port it is a different matter but a cheap general computation device you can plug into your TV back when was too good to pass up, not to mention the likes of the amiga, c64, vic 20, atari and such and most similar vintage "games" machines were general computation devices after a fashion. Likewise the handhelds were fairly powerful little devices and if they could be programmed that is great- it is only recently phones have become relatively open (they have long been somewhat more powerful than the handhelds) which had a fairly devastating effect on DS homebrew development when it did.

Today I am not so sure that still works like that and there are more reasons given by various people- people hacking ISP locked routers often cite a whalehugging (not unfounded mind you) type reason, sometimes hacking things is good CV/resume fodder.

The games. Racing, points, not necessarily on consoles but PC then cracking things, the Scene is a community which appeals to many and doing so can allow access to topsites, scene storage and such which makes life quite nice. Again there are more reasons (some people do like to share things) but a form of intellectual curiosity is present here as well.

This is the sort of situation/location I try not to make this kind of analogy but ever met someone that enjoys taking photos, writing, participating a sport, painting..... all with no real reward for it in the end: it is no different here.

 

[Satangel]

I see some as looking at it as a challenge. To prove their smarts.

Either to step up to the challenge, or they want to utilize the console for themselves tend to be common answers.

I personally see it as a challenge. I enjoy seeing what more I can do to my electronics, then the normal usage.

A mix of these, definitely for the glory of being the first, but also just to know how to do it, and how they made the console. It's a real challenge for these guys, and they gladly meet it.

 

[Rydian]

Here's my reasons.

1 - The find what's hidden, to learn more about the history of something.
2 - To enable functions that have been locked away or should be obvious but aren't included. I wanna' do more with that I have.
3 - I find it fun to be able to mess with things the way I please. It's kinda' like playing with legos or something. If I, personally, think that something should act a different way, I can make it act that way. I can make these things bend to my will, and it feels great.
4 - To learn more about the inner workings of a system on a technical level.

 

[Blaze163]

Well for me it's fits of unparalled rage combined with a lack of suppo...oh right, you mean piracy. I thought you were talking about that unfortunate incident with the fire axe...

Seriously though, I think when it comes to hacking, it can be for a variety of reasons. I'm sure most of it is just to save money, but on the other hand, rom hacks are a good way for up and comers to practise their programming skills. Hell, there are some rom hacks out there that are so vastly superior to the original file that I'd rather give the hackers my money. The many Pokemon hacks that remove the need for trading, hacks that fix game-breaking errors, or my personal favourite at the moment, a hack of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 I found that totally restores the missing stages. Granted, the Death Egg zone is a re-skinned Chemical Plant Zone (yeah, that's right, we noticed. Nice try but no) but the restoration of levels like the Wood Zone, Dust Hill, Genocide City (both acts are the same there but better than nothing), etc, finally allows me to put an end to the mystery of the 10th song in the sound select menu by not only knowing about Hidden Palace Zone (many thanks, Pop Fiction) but having actually finished it. A childhood dream realised, and all thanks to hackers. I'd like to think that some of them do it to allow their fellow gamers those wonderful moments.

 

[Veiva]

That is an interesting question. I can only speak for myself, but I'd assume a large part of the motivation is to help oneself in some form. So basically, selfishness. Be it to achieve a goal or show off.

I once analyzed and located a flaw in a certain mechanic of a certain media player. Correcting this flaw allowed me to properly view videos I had bought from an online video service on a few devices I could not normally do this on. The reason was not for fame or glory, but just so I could watch some videos I legally purchased without the hassle of buying it three or more times. Some may consider the time I spent on this project not worth it (it took me about four weeks and took up most of my free time) just for some videos. I'm not even sure it'll work come the next update to aforementioned-but-unnamed media player (it probably won't).

Also, a less interesting one was regarding a game I play online. Earlier this year they released an update that said would eliminate all bots from working for a lengthy period of time. I managed in a week to bypass it with a rudimentary knowledge of the game's workings (I only play it fairly, but when they said "There's no way someone will bypass it anytime soon," I just had to try and see how good their measures were).

Both of these little toys I worked on were never released. And why should I? I'm only a decent programmer, and this was just to test my skills and develop them further. Any programmer of my skill level or better could do the same, perhaps even more easily or even quicker. Also I don't feel like getting hit for copyright infringement or some other frivilous crap like that, where the one with the most money shall win (I don't have the most money ).

 

[leic7]

If you mean groups such as RELOADED, SKIDROW, etc. they always seem to tell people to support the developers by buying their games...

I've noticed there are some uploaders and seeders who've shown enormous dedication in uploading and reuploading game after game after game, day in, day out... I believe at least some of these folks genuinely want to share and help others in getting their entertainment as conveniently and as cheaply as possible. I've tried uploading relatively large files before and the process was a PAIN. Those people who've dedicated their time and energy every day to uploading for other people's convenience deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. And it'll be the least controversial Nobel Peace Prize, ever.

 

[Rydian]

Eh, it sort of depends on the connection. When I've got 0.3Mb/s upload it's annoying to upload even a few megs, but back when I was on fiber-optic and had 5Mb/s upload, I got my up:down ratio on Demonoid ( don't freak out, it's dead now) to 16:1.

 

[FAST6191]

but on the other hand, rom hacks are a good way for up and comers to practise their programming skills

No argument with most of what you wrote, but, tool building aside, I am not convinced messing around with assembly and formats found on embedded devices is that useful for modern programming. Do not get me wrong I do wish more modern programmers had a more intimate knowledge of how things play out at the lowest level but ROM hacking is not the thing that taught me or, some online PC games aside, anybody else modern database design, GUI development (there is a difference between good font and good UI*) or how to make easily maintained/updated, reasonably portable code.

*possible exception for macro programming for shortcuts to things the original developer left out.