Is it too late to get into Playstation 2 Development?

dist0rted · Post by **dist0rted** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 11:40 pm

It's just another year before the expected Playstation 3 release, so I'm wondering: by the time I learn all this about the PS2, won't the PS3 already be out? Then I'll try and get into that for sure, but I was told that to program games with homebrew tools for the PS2, you have to write your own software 3D engine (unless you feel like paying big bucks).

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 12:18 am

Well, there are many angles to this.

The main question is, do you have any experience programming a
console architecture ? If not, you might want to start boning up on
a console right now, so you can hit the ground running when the PS3
comes out. Or... you can wait for the PS3 to come out, and take your
time coming up to speed.

If you are motivated right now, do you really want to wait until homebrew
is able to develop for the PS3 ? Don:t expect homebrewability to be possible
upon release. Or, if you are not terribly motivated right now, by all means,
wait.

There is something to be said for getting experience right now though,
again, if you are motivated.

Just my two cents :)

Post by **pixel** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 1:57 am

gorim wrote:If you are motivated right now, do you really want to wait until homebrew is able to develop for the PS3 ? Don't expect homebrewability to be possible upon release

I like the "homebrewability" word :P

I'd even say that homebrew on PS3 won't be possible before some time. Well, maybe I'll be wrong, but, PS2 homebrew will still last long before the first homebrew software will run on PS3.

Moreover: I'd consider the homebrew PS2 development is quite still in a childhish state. Okay, maybe adolescent now (with all the linked ado-crisis, just look at some other websites...). But there's still things to be done there, and worked, before saying the ps2sdk is really "mature" for example (hey tyr! when will we get a usbd?! :D)

J.F. · Post by **J.F.** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 9:18 am

Given the PS3 isn't scheduled to be released until 2006, I'd say there's plenty of time left for PS2 development. Forget the fact that PS2's won't stop working just because the PS3 is out. :)

Post by **Drakonite** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 9:59 am

Right now is probably the best time there has ever been to get into PS2 homebrew development. (With the except of a bit of weirdness in a few libs..)

2BeyondTheGrave · Post by **2BeyondTheGrave** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 10:58 am

yea I agree with everyone else the earlier you start the better it will be in the future( I started programming when I was 13:). The original playstation development didnt get really great till ps2 was out for a while ( emulators,homebrew games, etc...) .I may be wrong on this but most handheld game systems seem to be a little easier(cant really say easier but more fluent really) to develop for (gameboy advance is a perfect example because the homebrew dev is so far if you are motivated you can make a full game for the system) so the PSP comes out pretty soon and it does have similar specifications as the PS2 so whatever you know for the PS2 could come in handy once PSP dev starts to pick up.

Post by **ooPo** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 1:57 pm

Is it too late to get OUT of Playstation 2 development?

Post by **Drakonite** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 5:18 pm

ooPo wrote:Is it too late to get OUT of Playstation 2 development?

Playstation 2 developes YOU!

Post by **mrbrown** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 2:13 am

You forgot to start out with "In Soviet Russia...".

Получите ему правое следующее время, друга.

Post by **Drakonite** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 4:49 am

mrbrown wrote:You forgot to start out with "In Soviet Russia...".
.

Почему ограничивайте его?

dist0rted · Post by **dist0rted** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:53 am

Well, I've been programming my GameBoy Advance SP for quite some time now. How long did it take you guys to really get into this stuff and get some accual graphics outputted from the PS2?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 2:16 pm

dist0rted wrote:Well, I've been programming my GameBoy Advance SP for quite some time now. How long did it take you guys to really get into this stuff and get some accual graphics outputted from the PS2?

On this site are a bunch of tutorials and information that:

0. Provide tutorials on starter programs that let you actually see stuff on screen.
1. Explain what you need to compile and build the programs.
2. Explain how to load them into your PS2 for execution.

Information on the PS2 architecture and internal formats is available all over the place, so that you can go further into your investigation.

If you are seriously interested in homebrew PS2 dev, take a look around at available information. This might also help you ask questions that have high relevance to getting started.

In the end, you can decide for yourself whether the PS2 is any easier or harder than the GB, or whether such a comparison is useful.

ajcrm125 · Post by **ajcrm125** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 11:26 pm

But with the Linux DEV kit no longer avaliable in the US (Or at least for a reasonable price... sure I could spend $300 on Ebay but come on...) how can a noob like myself justify geting into PS2 development?

Post by **pixel** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 11:30 pm

That's the whole point of the whole website here. There no need for the linux kit: we just are writing native code for the PS2, without the needs of a linux environment whatsoever.

ajcrm125 · Post by **ajcrm125** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 1:10 am

Ah... so appently it would help if I knew what the hell I was talking about eh?
:-D
Thanks for the clarification.

Incidentally... are there any performnace differences between the 2 environments? (I.E. would a game writen in this environment run comparably to one writtn under the Linux envionment?)

-Adam

Post by **pixel** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 1:40 am

The "performance problem" you may notice comes from the fact there's not much things around to help you code. For example, there's no big midi player with big synthesizer thing, with big callbacks to sync game with music, or no big opengl or any other graphical layer the official devkit may have... you have to do everything by yourself.

But, since the software we do here are run at the same level of the sony games, that is "native" level, the same "basic" code should run somewhat smoother there than in the linux kit, which has a kernel with memory paging, multithreading and other neat stuff.

So, yeah, it should run faster here. But also, should be more difficult to get something running. Except if you are only doing 2D framebuffers, or if you really want to get into troubles with the VU microcode :D

dist0rted · Post by **dist0rted** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 9:31 am

Does anyone here have a Playstation 2 Linux Kit? I'm about to buy a used one, and I'd like to know if you'd recommend it or not and why. (I'm going to get it anyway, but I'd like to hear your comments.)

Post by **pixel** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:49 pm

I'd say ebay...

dist0rted · Post by **dist0rted** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:39 pm

I said I'm already going to get one - I know a guy who's going to sell it for $50. I didn't ask where to find it at.

Post by **pixel** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:21 pm

Ah, ho, sorry, read too fast, sorry.

Well... I don't have any linux kit myself. And I think it's useless. If I'd like to have a linux, I have computers at home. So, only interest left is programming the PS2 specifically. However, due to the "RTE" thing, you can't export your software to people who don't have the linux kit. That's why I am using stuff available here instead of a linux kit to code the PS2.

Otherwise, it seems you're gonna have troubles with the VGA (did you check if your screen was able to sync on green?)

Post by **Drakonite** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 12:19 am

You can use reload1 and the RTE to boot native homebrew just fine. It's not an inhierent features of the linux kit, but that doesn't mean it isn't there.

Some would say the documentation that comes with it alone is worth $50, and if you have a use for any of the hardware.. Of course, there are at least a few out there that would like to have the kit for the ps2linux aspect of it (like me).

Post by **mrbrown** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 1:12 am

Yeah pixel, even if you don't like the "Linux" part of the "Linux Kit", the RTE comes in handy as a bootloader for ps2link, PS2R media player, etc. The kit has plenty of value either way.

Post by **pixel** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:29 am

Yeah, true. For the docs and the reload thing, it may be worth it.

dist0rted · Post by **dist0rted** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:47 am

Isn't there a way to boot the kit onto the TV screen instead of the moniter? I remember seeing something about how you could press SELECT + another button and boot to the VGA graphics. I'd like to confirm this if you know.

Post by **mrbrown** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 3:11 pm

http://playstation2-linux.com/faq.php#C ... _display__

dist0rted · Post by **dist0rted** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 6:06 pm

Awesome, thanks man.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:54 pm

mrbrown wrote:Yeah pixel, even if you don't like the "Linux" part of the "Linux Kit", the RTE comes in handy as a bootloader for ps2link, PS2R media player, etc. The kit has plenty of value either way.

It may be quite possible that this will be the only way to boot DEV on the newest 7000x PS2 series, at least until modchips become available, or another exploit is found.

Post by **pixel** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:32 pm

Huh ? How the linux kit thing could work on the 7000x, since it doesn' t have any harddrive bay anymore ?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:40 pm

Pixel, the linux kit works just fine without a hard drive, if all you want to do it boot the RTE, load a kernel, and access files off a memory card. Mrb:s reload takes advantage of this useful feature.

Perhaps you need to spend more time investigating the useful dev features of the linux kit ;)

Of course, I hope Sony didn:t disable seeing the Linux RTE disc from the bios like it did in the PSX. That would be mean. Just mean!

Post by **pixel** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:41 am

Aaaaaaaaah, okay, I see.

Well, I never really went into that linux kit thing. Too costly for mah poor wallet back then :P

Now, I bet there are high chances that the RTE is disabled...