

Gamecube Guts 138
CamelTrader writes: "I was runnin around the net looking for info on dreamcast controller hacks and I found this sweet site that exposes the guts of a gamecube. The pics are here. Take a gander at the rest of the GamesX site if you are into hardware hacking, its very cool."
The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:1)
Still as SOON as one come out in the UK i will buy one to sit beside my DC
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:5, Informative)
I doubt the GC could play games from CDR, given the fact it doesn't read Redbook audio discs this probably indicates it doesn't read CD's at all.
Also... did you see the custom authentication strips [gamesx.com] on the innerside of the disc, try and get your DVD-R to burn those!
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:3, Insightful)
1. If taking the top off will help people put full CDs or DVDs in there, then A LOT of them will do it. Who thought anyone would solder a chip to their console, or send it off to be soldered on by a "piracy professional"? Yet lots of people did with the PlayStation.
2. Someone will find a way to replicate the safety strip, probably with regular PC hardware. If not, someone will make something themselves that can do it, and they will sell the pirated discs directly for a cheap price. Cartridges are difficult to pirate, but CDs and DVDs are still widely-used, easily burnable things. I have confidence that someone will find a way.
3. DVD burners aren't ubiquitous in PCs yet. But then again, CD burners weren't ubiquitous when the PlayStation came out. But they WERE ubiquitous in the last three years of the PlayStation's life, and especially in the last two. Unless the GameCube bombs faster than the Virtual Boy, piracy for it will eventually be widespread.
I don't condone piracy of new games. I am saying all of this just because I think the technical side of piracy is interesting, so please, waste your "privacy is wrong" flames on someone that doesn't agree with you.
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:2)
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:2)
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:5, Insightful)
As you indicated if a relatively simply operation allows people to play dodgy games then a lot of people will go down that path, Nintendo know this too well, hence all the engineering to make the drive as non-standard as possible, even if this means they have to fab and press non-standard discs at added cost it's still worth it in their eyes.
I doubt taking the top off the box will let you use standard CDR's as stated before, if it doesn't play RedBook audio disc's then I doubt it plays any ISO9660 discs. They might have gone as far as using a different laser wavelength than standard DVD's.
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:3, Insightful)
They are not hardware compatible with standard DVD's, first of all none of the DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW or DVD-RAM drives are able to write two layer discs, then you have the added problem with the protection strips, and as somebody else has indicated the discs spin in an inverse spiral, that's even if you can get hold of the discs since they're a custom size and spec. This isn't like PSX games, it would be very difficult to burn these things with a off the shelf DVD burner.
This is where the "CD burners weren't ubiquitous when the PlayStation was released" part comes in. CD burners have come a long way since the PlayStation came out. In fact, I think they may have been in the $600-$700+ Dark Ages when the PlayStation came out. In the last year and a half of the PlayStation's life (and the PS1 games can still be pirated to your new PS2), CD burners came standard with your new Dell/Compaq/Gateway/Whatever machine, and were at $100-$150 alone. The point? Sure, you can't pirate GameCube games easily NOW, but technology will catch up fast. If DVD burners don't start coming out with dual layer capability, then packages of blank, specially made DVDs, complete with the GameCube security strip already on them, will start appearing on Lik-Sang [lik-sang.com]. The point is, if someone doesn't figure out how to do it immediately, then technology in general will find a way soon, because writable DVD technology is bound to be a quickly growing market, much like writable (and rewritable) CD technology was a quickly growing market until it became completely ubiquitous in new PCs.
As for the whole "inverse spinning" thing, the page makes no mention of that, and someone here has already said it's a rumor. Personally, I'm inclined to think that it IS a rumor, because I've been to that site many times before, and I seriously doubt that they would've noticed that the laser range is larger than the disc, but not notice that the disc is spinning backwards at the same time.
I doubt taking the top off the box will let you use standard CDR's as stated before, if it doesn't play RedBook audio disc's then I doubt it plays any ISO9660 discs. They might have gone as far as using a different laser wavelength than standard DVD's.
I completely agree. Using CDRs is a long shot, but I think someone should still try it out as a test. It would be dumb NOT to try it out.
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:2, Insightful)
The old Sega Saturn had a security track similar to these "protection strips" as well. It needed this, as Saturn games were all simple Mode1 CD-ROMs. As the game booted up, the Saturn would check the security track (burned on the very edge of the CD, and impossible to replicate on normal burners).
The hacker's solution to this was to muck with the Saturn BIOS so that it "forgot" to check the security track.
My point is, if the Gamecube's DVD-drive mechanism is a standard component (and doubtless it is, probably the same Matushita mechanism in Panasonic DVD players), HACKERS WILL FIND A WAY, whether it's to sell 1337 Gamecube games for $10 on their website or to backup that import game they paid $75 for.
It doesn't matter if the discs themselves use proprietary format, how they spin, or anything lik e that. Sega's Dreamcast used proprietary GD-ROMs that were uncopyable by normal CD-R drives, but since the drive mechanisms were standard Yamaha 12x CD-ROMs, CD-ROM booting was made possible.
The same thing will happen with the "closed" Gamecube, although undoubtedly the Xbox will be easier to hack.
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:1)
Unlike normal optical disc drives, the GC drive does not increase RPMs as the laser moves to the outside of the disc, it stays constant.
But like you said, there will be a hacker somewhere who gets past this too (no doubt).
It's going to take a long time and a lot of hacking though. And I doubt that anyone will find a marketable hack (people are less inclined to rip their stuff apart than you may think).
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:1)
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:1)
Okay, I take that back. Most hackers aren't out to MAKE money per se, but I don't doubt that they don't want to cough up $50 for each new game.
The Utopia Bootloader (the original Dreamcast backup solution) was created by a group of hackers that ripped commercial games and posted them on USENET. While I doubt they actually made money, money was definitely a motivating factor. (I don't deny that traditional hackers' desire to control the machine and help the community was in there too.)
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:2)
With the Dreamcast, it was the same thing. They used a larger (AFAIK 1Gb) CD, but enterprising people were able to strip out the essentials in order to fit it onto 700mb. I seem to remember friends talking about not having music on a game because it wouldn't fit or some such comment. Correct me if I'm wrong of course.
The other thing about burned games is the tendency to wreck the system (I've heard horrible grinding noises from my friend's coupled with the sound not working on games). For a DC, that amounts to about 100 bucks (Canadian), so it really isn't too bad. For a GC, that's substantially more.
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:1)
I expect there to be a backup device for the GameCube just as there have been for most game machines. Take the N64, for example, there was the Z64 [expressbuilder.com], and the Doctor V64 [pacificgrove.com] which let you play N64 backups off of CDs. I imagine a backup unit for the GameCube to use the serial or parallel ports and probably use CD or DVD media, or maybe it would have hard drive or use a network file system.
In any case the internals of the GameCube look pretty smooth. The only hardware hack I can think up at this moment would be replace the cooling fan with a nice, loud ~50cfm fan
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:1)
8mm? don't you mean cm? (Score:1)
Re:The only worry is about pirate games... (Score:1)
Still as SOON as one come out in the UK i will buy one to sit beside my DC
http://www.projectk.com/ [projectk.com] are advertising US import ones in the UK (see back pages of Edge magazine)
GC discs don't spin backwards. (Score:3, Funny)
I dunno who started that little rumor. Or maybe it's only south of the equator they spin the wrong way?
Lawrence.
Re:GC discs don't spin backwards. (Score:1)
Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:3, Informative)
Long live this spirit of investigation. It is what true hacking (as opposed to cracking) is all about.
Whenever I buy a PC, the first thing I do, before I even plug it in, is take the case apart and have a look inside. Am I the only one who does this ? I doubt it :-)
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:1)
guts? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:1)
Seriously, I imagine most people here are familiar with the inner workings of PC's and/or hardware of some variety, and most are likely inquisitive enough to tear apart a PC to see what components were used (for pre-assembled systems, anyways).
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:2)
Nowadays, of course, I just build 'em myself. One of these days I'd like to do a proper soup-up job on that Compaq Portable...
Always yield to the hands-on imperative!
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:5, Funny)
Rich Creamy Nougat.
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:2, Funny)
Yes, but that leads to the question: What the heck is nougat?! It's the universal candy binder, I know, but WHAT IS IT??? I just ate some, but I don't even know what it is. I should maybe be alarmed, but instead I feel mostly satisfied, but hungry for more...
If we can't unravel this riddle, then we really don't know what's inside a gamecube, do we?
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:2)
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:2)
It's kind of like that stuff "retsin" which is in cough drops (to shamelessly rip off Seinfeld). What the heck is retsin?
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:1)
Have a look at The Jargon Lexicon
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:1)
I lose the plot when they start talking about Bus-mastering IDEs and Front Side AGP ports and the like.
Its not quite as easy as it looks to build a PC. Its not lego :-)
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:1)
Re:Glad someone has the guts ! (Score:1)
I've only ever purchaced one PC in my life. The rest of them have been 'cycled through' with continual upgrades. (that is, eventualy you'll upgrade you're PC enough that you'll be able to build another from used parts and a few extras, like cases/power supplies). So, when I get a 'new' There's no real reason to open it back up, since I just closed it
where's my soldering iron... (Score:1)
Hacks maybe? (Score:2, Interesting)
What about a Harddrive like that one webstation that came out from Circuit City a few years ago.
Or maybe a keyboard? I've always hated game controllers, they never fit my hands right.
Re:Hacks maybe? (Score:1)
Re:Hacks maybe? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Hacks maybe? (Score:1)
Is this the same thing for this one, or is it able to
give you a better resolution (I think the N64/Gamecube support more than 320x240), like the DC vga box?
Re:Hacks maybe? (Score:2)
Aren't these consoles supposed to offer HDTV outs?
Re:Hacks maybe? (Score:2)
The chip is only produced by ATI. It was designed by someone else.
Re:Hacks maybe? (Score:1)
Re:Hacks maybe? (Score:1)
Re:Hacks maybe? (Score:1)
I'm pretty sure I saw one in a local import shop..
ATI chip huh? (Score:1)
curious about dreamcast controller hacks (Score:4, Interesting)
i was more interested in the "dreamcast controller hacks" aspect of the post.
what exactly is available and what where you looking for?
dreamcast is now only 80 dollars, a keyboard is 20, plus 20 more for a mouse. add 60 for a broadband adapter and you have a pretty well rounded game console. also, in the coming months, dreamcast stuff will start appearing in funcoland`s and the like and stuff will be cheaper.
also, there are tons of cool stuff like nester dc [emulation64.com] or a vcd player, a divx player, and tons of other stuff including linuxdc [sourceforge.net]
i`m looking for a hack for adding other controllers such as an old nintendo controller to play on dreamcast.
xavii aka bobRe:curious about dreamcast controller hacks (Score:2)
Who the heck modded the parent to Troll? Looks like a good post to me.
How much? (Score:2)
$60 USD? That was the original list price for those little babies, but the fact that they're so hard to find and no longer produced, means that they fetch double to triple that amount these days.
I have a Dreamcast which I bought recently precisely because of its current budget price, however, the Broadband Adaptor is the one thing I want, but really don't see the cost justification in purchasing.
Re:curious about dreamcast controller hacks (Score:2)
If you're paying 80$ USD for a Dreamcast, you're being ripped off.
You can also get the Connectix 4-in-1 which lets you use Playstation/Saturn controllers and PS/2 keyboards (DDR pad + Space Channel 5, Saturn Twinsticks, use an IBM keyboard for 'Typing of the Dead'
Re:curious about dreamcast controller hacks (Score:2)
Official Sega DC Keyboards are more like $10 brand new, or you can buy a PS2 to DC keyboard/mouse adapter for pennies. But if you can find me some BBAs for $60, please reserve me 20 of them.
(I'm dead serious. I'd buy 20 at that price, maybe up to 100.)
< tofuhead >
Art. (Score:1)
Does it run linux ? (Score:4, Interesting)
The CPU is that smaller IBM chip, everithing else is done by the ATI chip.
Well, we know the CPU is a PowerPC derivative, and we know linux kernel have some support for ATI video cards.
I just want to know what kind of proprietary stuff or changes ATI and IBM introduced to make things harder for linux hackers...
Sony already have an official version of our beloved system for PS2, there's a version of linux for the Dreamcast too...
I hope someone (Nintendo, maybe???) puts togheter a distro for the GameCube too. It's a shame wasting all this hardware just for games.
BTW, the guy who gutted his Cube just lost the warranty...
Re:so, what? it's the company's problem now? (Score:1)
What to do if the chip manufacturers refuses to release the data sheets for the components ?
the only way to put a linux distro without these info is by reverse-engineering the console's bios/OS, which may be ilegal in some countries, so we still need some support from nintendo/IBM/ATI...
Nintendo's Warranty (Score:2)
Oh HEAVENS, not the warranty!
Let's think about this for a second--
It'd be neat if the warranty lasted longer though, it really would. I'd think there should be some pride involved with this kind of thing.
Re:Nintendo's Warranty (Score:2)
Is that true? Gee I'm glad I live in the UK. 12 month minimum warranty on everything by law.
I can't believe they let companies get away with setting their own warranties...
Re:Nintendo's Warranty (Score:1)
About a mandatory warranty-- it sounds nice on one hand, but on the other it doesn't. As long as the consumer is made aware of the short warranty, I figure the "let the buyer beware" position should suffice. (And the warranty, atleast for Nintendo products, is almost always on the box someplace.) It is interesting that it's required in the UK though, I didn't know that. =)
Re:Nintendo's Warranty (Score:1)
Re:Nintendo's Warranty (Score:1)
My xbox warranty is going to be a little harder to take advantage of when I import one from the states in a few days. Gotta gut that too.
As for 12 month warranties, yes that's a fun idea for the consumer, but I would imagine this is a contributing reason to the UK paying so much more for their consoles.
Re:Does it run linux ? (Score:1)
http://www.ix.de/ix/artikel/E/1997/04/036/
Re:Does it run linux ? (Score:2)
Only way? My Dreamcast has no hard drive and its been running Linux for awhile, and that sure isn't with any memory card. Ever hard of a bootable CD? Or an NFS root?
Lik-sang had gutted Gamecube long ago (Score:5, Interesting)
They have a bunch of other interesting news, such as the portable screen [lik-sang.com] making the gamecube if not exactly portable, at least luggable.
Re:Lik-sang had gutted Gamecube long ago (Score:1)
GameSX.com is all about my obsessive need to understand how things work, and modify them to suit my own evil ends. If a few other people like the same stuff, great! That's what the site's there for. =)
Lawrence.
Interesting... (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm not an emulator guru, but from what I do know, the fewer chips, the easier a system is to write an emulator for! Of course, if those chips are highly complex (as they probably are), then it's still hard but probably not quite as difficult. Is it possible Nintendo have finally succumbed to emulation and have thought about the possibility of themselves writing a GameCube emulator for PC?
Re:Interesting... (Score:1)
Re:Interesting... (Score:1)
This seems like an oversimplification. If the chips integrate the functions of several normally seperate chips, as these surely do, emulation isn't any easier. It may even be harder, in fact, since you can't build on chip emulations that may already be available. With custom ICs like these, getting specs may be more difficult too.
Re:Interesting... (Score:1)
In other news ... (Score:3, Funny)
Seriously speaking, it's one big heatsink for a processor known for its low power usage! Gotta be for the flipper chip i guess.
Re:In other news ... (Score:1)
Hey, wow, I've been slashdotted! (Score:4, Funny)
It's originally named after a retail store I opened some five years ago - Game Station X - but the store is no more.
It is, I believe, the single largest collection of game hardware pinouts and hacks and so on. It wouldn't be there without the help of all the fantastic people who've sent in their mods and info, so thanks to everyone!!
The ISP hosting the site might freak out if it's hit by the normal slashdot traffic. Please try again later if it buckles.
Lawrence.
Slashdot crushed my site! (Score:1)
Of course, the game-cube page is the single most graphic-intensive page on the site, so it's probably to be expected.
And four hours until I can call tech support!
At any rate, I'm sorry the site snuffed it. Please check again later at your leisure.
Re:Hey, wow, I've been slashdotted! (Score:1)
Question for the webmaster (Score:1)
Thanks.
How they got it so small. (Score:4, Interesting)
The second is the processor. IBM has developed a VERY tiny 485Mhz processor for the Cube. It's called the Gekko and is based on PowerPC technology (uses copper wire tech as well). Have a look at it: GameSpot Dossier [gamespot.com].
The GameCube hardware is unique. The chip is produced by ATI although it was designed by another company (hence, it is not a Radeon). It also features 1T-SRAM developed by MoSys. It's more efficient although not necessarily all that much better than the RAM used in the Xbox. Unfortunately only 24mb out of 40mb of the RAM in the Cube is 1T-SRAM.
Mozilla is already on the Gamecube!!! (Score:2, Interesting)
Does the Japanese machine play US games? (Score:4, Interesting)
A week or so ago it was reported that some of the mainstream game review sites now had final US region discs. Ever since I have been waiting to see if anyone is able to prove or disprove the hypothesis. If it is right, I (and many others) would cancel our orders for an import US machine, and get a Japanese one right now. Ultimately I will be buying US region software, and possibly the odd European title - how I long for the machine to have an easy multi-region hack!
Has anyone heard any further news on this stuff?
Re:Does the Japanese machine play US games? (Score:1, Interesting)
gutting of the gamecube - props (Score:3, Insightful)
good job!
XBox (Score:4, Insightful)
That said, I got a chance to play both the GameCube and XBox kiosks, and attend the XBox Unleashed event in New York. The GameCube has a ridiculously functional controller and some really fun games-- it was just plain old entertaining to see Luigi yell "Mario!" in full 3D. The XBox games vary wildly. NFL Fever looked absolutely awful-- almost like a Dreamcast game. Project Gotham Racing and Dead or Alive 3 looked absolutely beautiful. The controller also gave me a mixed opinion of the system. It's large for "real-sized" hands but bulky as well.
What seals the deal for me, I think, is the hackability. If it turns out that XBox releases some crap games (which is possible) I still have a nice NVidia motherboard, chipset, and PIII to play with. Plus I can always use the hard drive and I'm sure I can tweak the USB ports to fit "regular" USB. GameCube, I don't think, would ever be that tweakable. Heck, I can probably make the XBox into a Linux server if I felt like it.
I'm going to get an XBox for hackability, and you should, too.
Re:XBox (Score:1)
Honestly, this is the dumbest reason to buy an XBox.
I agree. (Score:1)
Re:I agree. (Score:2)
Assumption: you are against Microsoft.
"You could spend the money on upgrading your home PC, which has the capability to do so much more than an XBox."
Microsoft is losing about $100 on every XBox they sell. Thus, you're getting PC hardware at a discount price, WHILE screwing Microsoft if you don't purchase any games (The console industry relies on game sales, not hardware, to drive the market. All royality sales are made off software).
If you really wanted to get Microsoft, you'd purchase the XBox hardware (which has an excellent motherboard) and not buy any games. Fool.
Re:I agree. (Score:1)
Yeah, there Xbox losses are irrelevant (Score:2)
XBox is a multi-billion dollar play to get their systems into homes. They are trying to monopolize the gaming market.
The problem is, without analyzing the console penetration, game developers won't know if Xbox sales are propped up by Slashdotters saying "damn the man" and buying them to play with.
If Xbox looks like it has great penetration (and 1 million "nerds" buying them to play with WILL be significant in the first 3 months), the games will come for the Xbox, and all us Gamecube owners will be left high-and-dry for third party apps.
Oh well, I've been reasonably happy with every Nintendo console because of the first party apps. My favorite was the NES followed by N64 followed by SNES, but I enjoyed them all.
The N64 was a failure, but I loved Mario 64, the first Zelda game, Goldeneye, Smash Brothers, and Hang Time. Those were enough games to keep me interested in the console.
I am getting a Gamecube for Blitz 2002, the new Smash Brothers, the new Hang Time (forget what this one is getting named), plus the new Mario and Zelda games. A new Metroid and Star Wars games are icing on the cake.
I haven't seen anything for Xbox that makes me want one. Halo looks nice, but I'll wait for the full featured PC version. I mean, anything good for the Xbox should be ported to the PC, and the PC will have games that the Xbox won't be good for (RPG/Strategy games that I really love). I have a HTPC for gaming in my system, so the TV isn't even an advantage for hooking up a console.
PS2 is starting to look good with some exclusive games. I may pick it up as a second system. The Gamecube just looks more impressive to me and has the games that I want.
Hackability? Give me a break. I want a gaming machine so my friends (the human kind, not on IRC) can come over and we can play a few games after work. You're right though, MS isn't going to be hurt by losses, not their style. When they have a high stock price, they use it to persue global domination. When they don't have a high enough price, they use cash to do so.
Their shareholders? Management controls enough of the shares to avoid a take-over.
Taking MS on head-on is likely a failure. Your best bet to hurt them is to create an alternative in either core or secondary markets. Buying a Gamecube helps fight MS taking over the console market. Buying Linux servers helps stop NT's spread. Keep MS contained, build alternatives.
The only reason to target MS is if you can find a way to stop them from coercing you. I'm not concerned that they make a lot of money. I'm concerned if they can dictate the Internet on the server side because of a client-side monopoly.
Alex
Re:Yeah, there Xbox losses are irrelevant (Score:2)
What MS really really wants to do is monopolize the set-top computer market. Think of how they could own us if they could replace our tv tuner, video recorder, game console, movie player, music player, and main home computer with one box, and just in time to get the last-mile bandwidth to finally get video-on-demand working to the home.
--Blair
"If this is in their 5-year plan, can you imagine their 500-year plan?"
Monopolizing the set-top market (Score:2)
Once they have the system, all these other uses require no additional processor, etc. They can embed the equivalent of all these add-ons.
They need a strong gaming market to do this however. Why?
The processor/graphics are best subsidized by the gaming market.
Think about it, if there is a $300 price for the gaming, they can add the functionality for little more. They have the $300 Xbox, and several $400-$750 Xbox+ systems.
MS is always about bundling. The audio/video market is split into a low-end integrated solution and a high-end component solution.
MS will target the low-end (their specialty) with the integrated solution, and Xbox will be the first step. I would expect in 3 years Xbox2 which plays Xbox games as well as some new Xbox2 games. They'll speed up the process of console replacement, but game makers will just set whatever requirement they like. No problem that Xbox5 is out, some games will require Xbox1, Xbox2, Xbox4, etc.
The real trick for them, IMO, is getting the gaming market to make people pay for the processor. Once the processor/graphics is paid for, the extra features are just a matter of software and harddrive space, neither of which bumps up the product much.
Xbox is a console, designed to make money off games.
The long term goal is the monopolization of information into the home. Then they get a cut of EVERYTHING: games, music, video, time-shifting, etc.
As a whole-widget company, it will be increasingly difficult for single solution players to compete. Sure the high-end will never adopt the MS all-in-one solution, but Panasonic, AIWA, and everyone else that plays in the space is in trouble.
Expect Xbox based solutions to come in all forms... including those with a built-in amp to power 4, 5, or 6 speaker configurations. Some will include speakers, some won't. They'll create a family of solutions that share the same core and come in different bundles.
That's scary, if only because of their previous licensing strategy.
Alex
Re:Monopolizing the set-top market (Score:2)
Yes, it's easy to derive this from their "past strategies". Moron.
Re:XBox (Score:1, Informative)
Sorry dude, the XBox isn't just a nVidia card and a PIII. You can't just install Windows 2000 on it and hack away. Contrary to what many believe it is more than a PC-in-a-box. Just because your PC has a GeForce3 and a 1.0 GHz CPU doesn't mean that it would even come close to the XBox in performance.. The XBox squeezes an incredible amount of performance out of the system components.
Microsoft also implemented some satanic certification mechanism thingy that prevents retail consoles from playing compiled/developer versions of games. You would require a developer console plus the developer SDK/license (several thousand dollars, and joe shmoe can't go to microsoft and get one with a handful of cash). Then you gotta send your final product to MS for them to embed some digital certificate mojo and burn it onto custom DVDs (binaries cannot be run from the internal HD except on devkits).
I don't think that the XBox would be any easier to hack than the GameCube. Of course, that won't keep people from trying.
I'm not saying that the XBox rules all.. Just trying to point out that it is just like the other consoles and not a PC in a perty box. On a side note: It doesn't have as much 'general-purpose' power as the PS2, but the texturing capabilities make up for that.
I'm not an expert... just reading slashdot, taking a break from programming on an XBox devkit ;-).
Nice one. (Score:1)
I've got to disagree with that. (Score:1)
My suggestion is: get used to it. I did, others have, I'm sure it's within you to love that purple thingus like the rest of us do.
Lawrence.
Re:Gamecube control is a cheap piece o' crap (Score:1)
Re:Gamecube control is a cheap piece o' crap (Score:1)
- Majere
Re:Gamecube control is a cheap piece o' crap (Score:1)
"Hmm, let's have Pikachu use his lightning attack!"
PUNCH!
"Uh, jump out of the way!"
PUNCH!
"One more time Pikachu, do anything!"
PUNCH!
Needless to say, I got my ass handed to me. The A button on this controler is simply too big. I dont know, maybe kids these days have fingers that bend or extend in different ways than mine, because I know no matter what I did, I was hitting A, unless I held the controler like a lobster would. It's not an improvement over the N64 controler, it's just rearranged. The R and Z button mess dosent help much in the heat of battle either. I hope some 3rd party companies release some controlers that make sense quickly!
Re:Gamecube control is a cheap piece o' crap (Score:2)
I agree, though, some of the buttons are a bit of a stretch. Rogue Squadron was an exercise in thumb-strengthening. Not much better than the XBox controllers, though (*sigh* -- seems like a better system for "adults").
Re:mirror requested (Score:2, Informative)