We’re back again for the first quick hits of the new year. I’ve only got two stories worth mentioning, but the first one’s a doozy. Let’s get going:
The big news in gaming today is not the release of a new game or a new trailer for something hot. No, instead I tell you that the PS3 has been hacked all the way to the roots. This has been a long time coming and some minor hacks have surfaced over the last year or so that allowed users to run the machine in debug mode. But now, “Geo Hot” (the man who hacked the iPhone) has actually opened up the root key and published it online. The root key tells the machine what it can and can’t read. What does this mean? First, it’s not a simple security hack that Sony can fix with a firmware update. Second, the PS3 is now open for piracy and homebrew. The hackers, and myself, do not support game piracy. But homebrew? Sometimes that’s where you find the best innovations in technology. I’ll be keeping my ear to the ground on this one….
In other news, if you love Rock Sock Em Robots, Polly Pocket or other Mattel toys, you won’t have to wait for homebrew versions to play games based on the proprties. Mattel has forged a multi-year deal with THQ to bring many of its properties to Playstation Network. This isn’t entirely new. We’ve had Hot Wheels racing games in the past. But following the success of competitor LEGO’s franchise and retro titles (including the retro-styled Scott Pilgrim) what else can we see from Mattel? They do own He-Man. Please, please, please. I’m sure someone, not me, would be excited for more Barbie games. Fisher-Price, Monster High, The Singamajigs, Generator Rex, etc. I sense potential.