How To Destroy A Useful Platform: Fight With The Developers Who Make It Useful
from the bad,-bad-ideas dept
A few months ago we wrote about Sony’s damaging decision to try to block out developers from hacking the PSP in order to add more useful features to it. How hard is it, honestly, for a company like Sony to look back at any recent computing history and realize that becoming “the platform” is a guaranteed way to be a huge success. These independent developers/hackers are making their platform much more valuable. With that in mind, the absolute worst thing that Sony should want to hear are people pointing out that Sony is fighting against developers in a constant back and forth over the hackability of the PSP. What that suggests is that Sony is actively trying to make their platform less useful. And we thought Sony had learned its lesson from years of similar mistakes. Sure, the PSP has been selling well (though, perhaps not as well as they’d like you to believe) but there’s still plenty of competition on the way. Letting developers and hackers add more value to the platform should be encouraged. It’s free labor making their product more enticing. Yet, it seems they positively hate that idea.
Comments on “How To Destroy A Useful Platform: Fight With The Developers Who Make It Useful”
No Subject Given
There’s an upside and a downside to letting people mess with the system. The upside is obviously a huge underground fanbase and developer network that is constantly expanding Sony’s original feature list, which is great for Sony. On the downside, what’s usually the first hack for a console? Free games. So the question is, where is there more money? In increased PSP sales because of the demand by the mod community, or in increased game sales by killing the mod community?
That’s simplifying things, but it’s one angle among many to look at.
Re: No Subject Given
I agree. Most Hardware Console developers are taking a loss on the hardware sales but make it on the software sales. Also if you are a game developer you have to wonder how soon until your game is on the net for anyone to use.
I want the hacks and new features but I understand Sony’s fears.
-PSP Wish List-
PDF and eBook Reader
Re: Re: No Subject Given
And to add to this comment. The Gameboy didn’t become a hit because it was hackable. It was mainly due to a lack of a worthly opponent and massive amounts of titles.
Re: No Subject Given
If people are looking for free games, then they’re not likely to be the ones who are going to spend very much on games anyway. On the other hand, if the hackers create many more uses for the device, that could make it much more valuable opening it up to an entirely new market.
Re: Re: No Subject Given
I have to agree with Mike, as I believe I would be the “new market”. I love playing video games, but primarily on the computer. In it’s default format of just playing games and UMD movies, I would NEVER buy a PSP, because I refuse to play games on a tiny screen or waste $20 on a UMD movie . However, with the hacks, it could really be of valuable use to me as it opens up a large number of possible uses, and I am now considering buying one.
No Subject Given
I similar think happen with the skins of Winapm. The users start to hack the program, so they can have a different skin. By the time the developers realize this, instead of try to defend from hackers they sey “hey this is very cool”. They not only let the program soport multiple skins not developed by them, also they alow plug-ins and other customize features and Winapm become a success.
So I don’t think it is a bad idea, Sony is only trying to eat the whole cake by itself instead of share.
No Subject Given
Hopefully developers will move on to better, more open platforms, and support a company that actually respects them, such as the GPX2 Linux handheld
http://www.gpx2.com/product/product.asp
macromedia mobile players
Want to know how to destroy a platform? How about a story on Macromedia’s greed in the mobile device player market?
Dude...
As I’ve posted just 5 minutes ago somewhere else:
Dude, they aren’t trying to stop hackers from making the PSP do more than they intended, they are trying to stop hackers from makignt he PSP run a UMD emulator which would turn the PSP into another XBox or PS2 where the iso’s can be found on the net and run freely. Not that I support Sony’s decision, but what they are doing is saving themselves.
-Mike