Playstation Emulator Will Ship 55
Pont writes "Sony
failed to get an injunction against Bleem, a
Playstation emulator for the PC. " This is a nice step in
the right direction for an industry struggling to come
to grips with annoying little problems like emulation.
Way to go Bleem. Now how about a Linux Port?
This is not good. (Score:1)
-----------------------------------
Then again, what do I know?
Bleem Linux port (Score:1)
I tried to contact the author about perhaps releasing the source to Bleem. According to the #bleem irc channel, reaching him by email is impossible. I was told to wait on irc for him to come back, but I got bored and left...hopefully there's some easier way of contacting him.
-W.W.
Good! (Score:1)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kinda like civil war--
GENT 1: "I'm sorry sir, but I must shoot you."
GENT 2: "Quite all right, good chap. Do go ahead and kill me--but be warned; I will be returning fire."
GENT 1: "Very good, sir..."
*BAM!*
Why doesn't Sony write an emulator? (Score:1)
I'm thinking roughly along the lines of what Nintendo did with that weird cart for the SNES that allowed you to play GameBoy games. Basically, the games were enhanced.
Why not make PSX a VM spec and add enhancements that games could optionally take advantage of? This could potentially allow PSX and PSX2 developers to add, say, optional multiplayer modes to their games.
It's just a thought.
Sony's problem? (Score:1)
Whee... (Score:1)
Good! (Score:1)
Bottom line, I'd pay for this product provided that it works well and that it runs under linux.
To bleem (or connectix)if you're reading this: If you do commit to a linux port, please, I beg you! Try to code it so that it can take advantage of SMP systems.
This is not good. (Score:1)
bleem source (Score:1)
Why whould anyone buy this? (Score:1)
The controller being key, because most PC joysticks and gamepads don't have enough buttons, and those that do have them in the wrong places to be instinctive to use while playing the game. Plus, the basic Sony controller is pretty hard to beat for quality.
Is the picture on the emu better or something?
Lastly, the whole reason I own a PSX is that it's a completely simple source of instant gratification. No patches to install, no drivers to download, just pop the CD in and cycle the power. No emulator is ever ever going to be that simple to use.
Jon
You answered your own question (Score:1)
Why doesn't Sony write an emulator? (Score:1)
So if it was possible to run playstation games on more platforms, more games would be sold and Sony would make more money. So by selling an emulator for PCs/Macs/Unix themselves, they would be expanding their custommer base.
It would also lower the entry cost for developing for the platform (a CD burner is a lot cheaper than a development model playstation -- you could probably also afford a normal playstation to test the games on with the money you saved
Maybe Sony is annoyed that it is not them who is profiting from the emulators. With Sony's inside knowledge, they should be able to write quite an efficient one. Such an emulator may also extend the life of a platform such as the playstation when it gets superceeded (noone still buys sega master systems, but if you could play the games on your computer, some people may consider buying the games).
There is the argument about pirating, but you get that problem with every platform (like the cartridge dumpers for older systems like Mega Drive). It is impossible to prevent piracy of this type while still allowing people to make a backup of the software they bought (which I think they should be allowed to do -- they bought a licence to use the software, not just the distribution medium).
Sony does not lose money on the consoles. (Score:1)
Sony wants PSX to last. (Score:1)
PSX will only slow it down when those machines unlease killer games on the market...
Backwards compatibility is a strong selling point, but it isn't actually in Sony's favor for half the world to write PSX games when everyone is buying and playing Dreamcast games... People will migrate to prettier, faster, cooler games, and Sony wants it to be with PSX2 by offering PSX compatibility...
However, with PC hardware and Mac hardware, PSX will be good enough, and still would deny Sony the licensing and marketing muscle when PSX2 is out, because the PSX1 would be dead were it not for the PCs and Macs...
AS
Good! (Score:1)
Reportedly, there will be three versions of Bleem!. One for the US/Canada, one for Europe, and one for Japan. You can only play the games for each region on the version made for that region (i.e. no Japanese games on the US version).
"and (b) if the graphics would be bug-for-bug compatible or the ugly polygon distortion found in every Playstation racing game ever made would be fixed."
Bleem! will support D3D hardware acceleration up to 1024x768 32-bit which will result in most games looking better than they do on the Playstation. They have pictures on their site from Gran Turismo which are amazing.
"I probably wouldn't pay for the emulator though. I'd much rather see a Free Software version. That way if it sucks I could chuck it or try to fix it -- either way all I would lose is time. (A lot more time for the latter...)"
I don't know, but if you order now it's only $24.95 - very cheap for what you get. I would rather it be free of course, but when someone work that is that good, 25 bucks isn't that much to pay for it.
Damn, free speech/free beer confusion... (Score:1)
The problem is Free has too many meanings. Sorry if I mislead you in that.
As for 1, I wonder if you can buy the Japanese version if you're in the US.
I guess 2 just means the games would look how they're supposed to look, not how the regular Playstation hardware renders them.
Also on that note, I wonder if the Playstation 2 would be bug-for-bug compatible or "correct"? Oh well, I'll just have to wait on that one.
Good! (Score:1)
I wonder if (a) the emulator would play genuine Japanese imports as well (imports != warez) or if it's US-only and (b) if the graphics would be bug-for-bug compatible or the ugly polygon distortion found in every Playstation racing game ever made would be fixed.
I probably wouldn't pay for the emulator though. I'd much rather see a Free Software version. That way if it sucks I could chuck it or try to fix it -- either way all I would lose is time. (A lot more time for the latter...)
This is not good - oh yes it is... (Score:1)
It's far from warez puppism - this is free competition in action.
Piracy on console vs. emulator (Score:1)
I can only hope that this will not get a reaction from Sony/vendors of upping the prices to 'make up for lossess due to piracy'. I buy all my games and the only reason I would get a Mod-chip is to play imports (I hate not being able to play Parasite Eve!!). PSX games are expensive enough as it is, I wouldn't want another 20% tacked onto it, just because some immoral people decide that they want to play pirated PSX games on their PCs.
If you believe software vendors increase their prices due to "losses" incurred from piracy, I have a bridge you might be interested in buying.
Anybody with the smallest clue will recogize that this is not how economies of information products work.
The per unit cost for a product like a PSX game is basically 0. This means the retail cost structure has nothing to do with supply. It has EVERYTHING to do with demand.
Compare: If you want to make more money with a conventional material good, you jack up the margins, and hope that demand is enough that the decreased sales wont kill you. This only works if the margin is a (relatively) small percentage of the goods' cost.
An information-based good has zero cost of production. This means that no matter how many units you sell, your margin is always 100%. What does this mean? This means increasing your price gets you nowhere. The assumption is that you are already at the price point where people are willing to buy your product. i.e. if you were to raise it any more, the marginal increase in sales $$ is less than the marginal decrease in sales # of units.
What does this mean? If there is piracy, the only way you can compete is by LOWERING the price (duh).
Look at it this way if you don't understand economics.. you are competing with a "company" (pirate) that is "selling" (giving) an identical product of yours for $0 (for free). How do you compete? By INCREASING the price? Please. Don't be a moron.
You can't compete with piracy by raising prices. Ever. You can only trust that the government intervenes for you, and prosecutes the pirates. Our economy can't handle products that are inexhaustible (like information) without government intervention.
That piracy INCREASES the cost to the consumer is the biggest UL ever. But people like you continue to buy the corporate line. Pathetic.
If a company raises their price "due to piracy", its only because people like you believe them.
Good! (Score:1)
The Bleem! site (Score:1)
men with small pen#s,code in asm when not needed. (Score:1)
Why whould anyone buy this? (Score:1)
just my 2 hundredths of a dollar...
Damn, free speech/free beer confusion... (Score:1)
All information I have heard have said that it will be 'exactly' compatible. Seing as the backwards compability is achieved by adding the same stuff that's in the old PSX, I'd imagine it would be exactly like the old system.
There was some talk about using the new processors to real-time improve the old games, but Sony has denied that, at least in public. Who knows, if Bleem! is a hit, maybe they will change their minds, just to compete. :)
Piracy on console vs. emulator (Score:1)
Thank you for your constructive critique, that was possible to find among the ad hominems. You'll forgive me if I don't continue this discussion. Although I don't mind being flamed, I have no interest in participating in such discussions. You believe what you want, I believe what I want. I obviously don't have a doctorate in economics, like others. *snort*
Piracy on console vs. emulator (Score:1)
On a real PSX, you need to solder a little chip on the hardware, and on the newer models, it is not exactly something anyone can do, those are thin lines to mess with. Not to mention that if you break it, or if it breaks later, you would look rather silly handing it in for reparations...
On an emulator, all that's really necessary is for some wiseguy to crack it, removing whatever mechanisms are placed there to require original games. The difference is, although you might 'break' the program, there will be no embarassing questions when you want it 'repaired'.
Perhaps it will be difficult to crack this emulator to enable playing of copied CDs, but it will happen. For the same reason as people crack PC games/programmes, for the same reason someone created the mod-chip, for the same reason some people cheat and steal given the chance.
I can only hope that this will not get a reaction from Sony/vendors of upping the prices to 'make up for lossess due to piracy'. I buy all my games and the only reason I would get a Mod-chip is to play imports (I hate not being able to play Parasite Eve!!). PSX games are expensive enough as it is, I wouldn't want another 20% tacked onto it, just because some immoral people decide that they want to play pirated PSX games on their PCs.
I want Sony controllers for my PC! (Score:1)
SONY, Open Markets, Bleem, DIVX, and a bird. (Score:1)
Sony is already subjected to pirating. Just wait Bleems emulator will get pirated too. If sony was smart they would work out a lincensing deal with Bleem make money for a system that is going to be obsolete in anonther year, for nothing. Make it a SONY endorsed product and work through these channels and branch out in to a newer market. I might get the software even more if SONY was helping produce it. I don't ever see myself buying another console anyway. I know I am going to catch on fire for this. But they could team up with DIVX and keep there software from getting pirate. YEA RIGHT! The fact remains people don't always have the means for pirating files. Everyone copies music CD's what is the difference. If I can't get the software pirated I am not going to buy it anyway and the company isn't any richer regardless. Open markets just capture more of an audience in the long run. They everyone benifits. Next we are going to have a court battle where SEGA sues SONY for having a monopoly on cons
thoughts comments, file them under trash.
~pearcec
Leadership is action, not position.
Why whould anyone buy this? (Score:1)
Why whould anyone buy this? (Score:1)
This certainly isn't a PlayStation replacement though. It by no means runs all the games, and some that do run have flaws of one kind or another. Anyway, the whole experience of sitting with the PlayStation controller in hand in front of the TV is lost.
The biggest reason I'm buying Bleem! is just because it's a very cool technical achievement and I think the people concerned deserve some payback for their hard work. Randy Linden is an extremely nice guy and a talented programmer.
By the way, the whole thing is written in x86 assembly. That, coupled with its use of DirectX for sound and graphics likely make it tough to port to Linux.
If you're interested in Bleem!'s compatibility, here's a shameless plug for my little webpage listing the games I've tried. I have another 11 games to add to the page (been busy with work and Rollercoaster Tycoon
http://members.tripod.com/bleemgraham/ [tripod.com]
hey! i don't get it. (Score:1)
Ahhh... i'll sit here waiting for Arena with you Linux geeks.
But yeah, Sony absorb a loss on the hardware, it's weird they're so against the emulators. I guess they're freaked about the piracy potential. but don't worry -- they'll cave on this like they're doing with mp3s!
schmack.
A point noone has mentioned yet -- Compatibility. (Score:1)
THE biggest advantage of a console is not the shear number of people who have one, but the fact that they are all the same and compatible. You don't have to list a million system requirements on the box. You don't have to worry if buggy OpenGL drivers will cause angry gamers to call your support line.
Now, however, there is a platform claiming to play playstation games, which doesn't play all of them. If the emulators become popular, then the game makers will, due to market force, have to program their games in a way that the emulators can handle. I can understand why Sony wouldn't want that to happen.
Bleem Linux port (Score:1)
My grandma has her psx modded. (Score:1)
Good! Gooder! (Score:1)
This is not good - oh yes it is...No it is not! (Score:1)
Sony wants PSX to last. (Score:1)
men with small pen#s,code in asm when not needed. (Score:1)
bleh
This is not good. (Score:1)
but when it is sold, it makes like hard for underground developers. When this Bleem crap does come out, I will make sure it is free on my website. No one should pay for it. if they are going to make my favorite console company lose money, they can count on not making any.
This is not good. (Score:1)
The source is not clean, I am a psx underground coder, and some guys (few) did the main work on reversing psx, and it was after these guys released their infos for free, that all these PSX emulators started flowing. Duh, is bleem in their right mind going to say that their code is dirty? of course not. But they are the biggest liars if they claim, they didn't get infos off the net, the MDEC, the GPU, the SPU, no easy shit to reverse. took lots of work to get done.
We are not seeing a PSX2 soon, go and check the specs, we can see a PSX2 simulator, like ultrahle for n64, ultrahle is not an emulator, it simulates with wrappers, write an asm code for n64, run it on ultrahle and it dies. Go see the specs on PSX2. Nothing is uncrackable. It will only take a few minutes to hex it if you have some taco bell, and a few hours if you are drunk.
This is not good. (Score:1)
This is not good. (Score:2)
Emulators have been sold as shareware for a while. And needless to say, some people actually want the hardware - like those without a computer equipped enough to run it.
this emulators is not 100% clean from original SONY information
And how do you know the bleem! team isn't clean? The guys at Connectix reportedly did it clean - do you have a source proving that bleem! is reverse engineered or whatever you're claiming?
no one is seeing a working emulator for PSX2 in the next 7 years
Speculating on the next 7 years is not a wise thing to do. People said we'd never have a PSX or N64 emu, but we do. Besides, is making the hardware specs go through the roof the same as making emulators 500 times harder to code?
Bleem claims that their emulator will only runs original CD, but this is crap
Not if they coded it right. CVGS was crackable at first to mod chip it, but I have yet to see a mod chip patch for version 1.2. Never mind this - is the bleem! team responsible if users crack their programs? Is that grounds for a lawsuit?
This is not good. (Score:2)
Sony doesn't lose... (Score:3)
So how does Sony make money off the PSX? Software licensing. It gets a cut of every game made for the PlayStation. That's one hell of a lot of cash, way more than enough to make up for the losses it incurs selling the consoles. The point: Sony is actually saving money when emulators are sold; it does not lose them.
Now, as to hexing the program to run gold: that's a lot harder than you would have us believe. Perhaps, eventually, someone will do it. But as you said, even your grandmother's PSX is modded; this won't promote piracy any more than the average modchip.
Finally, you assume that the emulator cannot possibly be 100% cleanroom. I admit, I have my doubts as to how such an emulator could have been developed so quickly by so few people. But it is always possible. It's not easy by any stratch of the imagination, but it's possible.
Sony's problem? (Score:3)
Sony may *not* want the PSX game base to last longer, especially with their PSX2 close to fruitation. With a healthy emulator, their PSX games would not die; people would still release games for it and people would still buy them, especially as PC hardware gets more powerful.
Imagine that the PSX2 is out, but likewise that the average PC is P3-450, with a TNT2 level accelerator as the base. Bear with me, this is like 2 years from now... Bleem has released version 2.0, fully backwards compatible with all original PSX games, but also enabled with additional features, now that the original PSX is no longer available on the market. Sony won't license out new games and SDKs in an effort to feed their PSX2 developer base, but a second tier game development community will arise around Bleem, shortchanging Sony of a bunch of profit.
All the big players like Square and Konami will be releasing PSX2 games of course for the console, but dinky small no name companies who still want to reach a large audience and want to use a decent stable platform will code for the PSX1, plus additional features!
Can you imagine? How ironic that the PSX emulators create a truly crossplatform gaming situation, with hardware acceleration and all! I don't know if this is the case, but if Bleem and Connectix VGS became standard on PCs and Macs, then M$'s Direct3d would lose some of its fire when such a stable, available, and open platform exists...
AS
Sony's problem? (Score:3)
If there were a software only package, all Bleem or Connectix have to do is release their own libraries and such for development on the PSX, and Sony loses control of their baby...
In the software emulation scenario, Sony loses all control and profits from licensing of the SDKs and libraries because competitive distrobutions exist for alternative platforms...
In the PSX2 case, Sony could just deny approval of games if a company were to release a PSX1 game in the PSX2 era...
AS