The Hot Zone -
January 25, 2001 - Chris Jones
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed
within this column are those of the participants and the
moderator, and do not necessarily reflect those of the
GIA. There is coarse language and potentially offensive
material afoot. I just realized I'm 100% biodegradable.
Don't say we didn't warn you.
Yet more fun interesting news from the good people at Gamers.com:
rumors are now circulating that
the X-Box will be Dreamcast compatible.
I have no idea what to make of this.
Onward.
| First up, the paranoid
take: |
| Dear Chris,
It's interesting that you bring this data corruption topic up right when
Sega says it's going to develop for PS2 or GBA. Here's a possible scenario:
Sega could plan a killer app for PS2, and when I mean killer, I really mean
"killer." The software would sabotage any memory card data, destroy whatever
data you had on your PS2 hard drive, have the DVD drive reading at max
speed, utilize a possible weakness in the PS2 hardware design to fry the
circuits (hey the Death Star was taken out by a tiny proton torpedo), all
while the gamer is staring at the "Now Loading" screen. Ok well, honestly,
I don't think Sega would destroy the player's data, but destroying their PS2
isn't out of the question.
-Fares |
I'd call this a complete fantasy... except if Sega has somehow
fallen under Microsoft's shadow, who knows what could happen? What
treachery could Microsoft Emperor Gates be capable of? It's madness,
madness I tell you!!!
Actually, the PS2 probably isn't vulnerable in that precise manner, as
someone else explains below... but this thing's got me all hyped up.
Crazy, man.
| Next, the non-paranoid
take: |
| Yo Chris,
I think this is a case of paranoia gone out of hand. A DexDrive save can't
have a virus because you get it from a specific source, and it can only be
one type of file extension. I assume that most things that are downloaded
onto a console will be updates that are gotten straight from the source. EA
will release the new rosters for sports game, not some backwater site run by
some sleazy kid.
I think it all comes down to common sense. I've been on the net for years
and have never gotten a virus, even though there have been suspect
mailings...it depends on how sensible you are. Of course, we are talking
about potential X-box buyers, so they do need a little help, I'd guess,
--The Steve, very against the X-box until it shows me something exclusive and
relevant
|
Things are actually a bit more vulnerable than that. Dex Drive
saves could be hacked after they were copied from a memory card, and
then uploaded to a website... any website. But DD saves are just that: saves. I don't
think there's anything in particular you could do to them that would be
all that dangerous. Viruses in general are also probably a little more
common than you think, but generally they're only targeted to a few
specific applications, so unless you're a heavy Word user who exchanges
tons of documents and has the latest virus scan updates, you might not
ever be aware of them. So in that sense, you're right - it is something
of a hollow threat.
| Now see what you've
done? |
| "Will a radical Nintendo fan create a virus with the sole prupose of
erasing every X-Box
save file it can find on the hard drive?"
Great idea, I'll start working on it...
BobbyWatson |
Fortunately, thanks to the legal disclaimer at the top, the GIA
can't be held responsible for anything this guy does as a result of
this column.
*rereads disclaimer*
But I can.
Oh crap.
| I'm an ass? I'M
an ass? No, wait, I am an ass... |
|
CJ,
First of all, when I said "..unless Nintendo comes out with a real killer
app for the GBA, I don't see it taking off," I meant the GBA/cell phone
thing, you ass. Nintendo would need a killer app to make everyone WANT to
buy or use a freaking cell phone with their GBA. Your prediction of cell
phones for first graders, while amusing, won't be happening anytime soon,
unless there is some revolutionary drop in long-distance communication fees.
As it stands, cell phones are a teen-adult sport and thus the GBA would need
a teen-adult kind of game to make them want to use the GBA (and their phone
minutes) like that.
*pause*
Oh wait, we have a topic, right? Of course hackers are going to be wiping
our game files out, Murphy's Law and all that. But it's going to be like it
already is in the PC arena: know the source. You're just going to be taking
a calculated risk downloading something from a fan site instead of getting
it straight from Sony (or whoever). Deal with it, or just back up
everything. Something you're supposed to do anyway.
-Red Raven, stepping on toes wherever possible
|
Cell phones are already incredibly cheap, at least as far as what
the end consumer ends up paying. And as for rates going down: ever
heard the phrase "dark fiber"?
The problem with backing up everything is that it adds yet another
layer of complexity to a console, and one of the attractions of a console
is that it's supposed to be much more hassle free than a PC. On the other
hand, if corrupted files are a real problem, it might be possible for
developers to release an auto-backup routine, similar to what Word does
with open files. But all this still brings up the question - what is the
advantage of a PS2 hard drive, that it's worth putting up with these
worries to begin with?
| Easter Egg 'o the week |
|
I may not be the first to discover this, but on frames 2373-2376 on your
Final Fantasy VI ending movie there is an interesting surprise. And if I AM
the first to discover it; well, then, I must say I demand keys to the
city.
-- The Nefarious Nistelle
P.S.) Lest you think that I found this by obsessively going through the movie
frame-by-frame, you can rest assured that I was simply looking around that
part for a suitable screenshot. Yeah, that's the ticket.
|
The movie in question is
here, and it may well have
been something others have picked up on, but it's not anything I was
aware of and it's fairly interesting if you're an FF6 fan.
Also, just in case your MPEG player doesn't list the frame number (mine
doesn't), it's right after we first see Shadow on the mystery train There's a
flash, and then he looks at the ghosts. Pause the flash, and work with
your contrast a bit. Time index 1:19, by my count. Enjoy.
And, damn, I'd forgotten how much of a babe Celes was at the
beginnining of the movie...
| Only your memories are
vulnerable |
| Okay, here's the deal. When a computer gets infected a file transfer
actually happens. Master Boot Record viruses write to the MBR on your HD.
Macro viruses screw up up template and macro files in Word. In all cases a
file was transfered and then usually executed or delayed execution. So
think about the older systems (NES, SNES, Genesis, PSX, N64, etc.), there is
nothing in the system or the game that can be written to except memory cards
or game save chips which in either case won't destroy the system or the
game, just the save. You might say that the data gets stored in the RAM of
the console which is true. What happens though when you turn the system
off, the RAM clears out and the virus goes away. In the PC all of the data
on the machine is stored on writeable media (HD, FD). So Windows can be
screwed up because it is in the same location. Have you ever had a CD-ROM
catch a virus? The answer is no because the media is read-only (I don't
mean CD-Rs).
So now, onto the newer systems (PS2, Cube, X-Box). These systems have
larger storage devices that are Read/Write capable. Hard drives, digi-cards
etc. can pick up viruses, the question is will it matter? If the game is
kept on CD/DVD and the drives are just for game saves then all that can get
lost is your save data. This of course sucks when you put 40 or more hours
into a game like current trends lean to. If the developers start using the
media for more than just saves, like realtime gameplay changes (seasons, a
realtime clock, Seaman etc.) then yes it can prove more and more
problematic.
Dreading the day when buying a new system includes console, controllers,
game, and Norton-antivirus.
Take it easy
Y@ |
All of that's correct, as far as I know, so this is basically here as a
technical refresher course. Thanks for the contribution, sir.
| It's like the SNES has
take over the entire world, man... |
| There's no simple answer to what Nintendo, or anyone else who will rip the
idea for that matter, could do with a portable game network. Obviouslly,
Nintendo will try to milk their tradmark Pokemon franchise through some
elaborate trading game RPG Hamdinger DooHikie... but I hope to see something
fun come out of this.
Although my instant vision was a global Super Mario Kart network (none of
that 64-bit version rubbish) with 124 player battle ballon bust-a-thon
arenas, I then thought of the awsome role-playing implications with the
GBA... Imagine a wildly huge world the likes of Hyrule with thousands of
travelers and towns, and all sorts of creatures roaming the plains and caves
of said world. I know, it sounds like Ashrons Call or something, but think
of what would happen if Myamoto headed the project and threw in a franchise
to counter SEGA's upcomming PSO phenomonon...
Technically, we know this can work, and thats because anyone who had an
X-Band cartridge knows what it's like riding your SNES on a modem, and look
how far the network has expanded since those days. And unlike the X-Band,
this time we'll have the option to take our adventures fully on the
road.
Smart Blue,
one of thousands's of Links running into each other at 60 fps on a GBA tech
demo... |
The idea of a massively multiplayer spin on some of Nintendo's
traditional properties hadn't occurred to me, and it's a good one. The
only problem is that, at least as far as the Game Cube's concerned,
Nintendo seems to be scorning the idea of online play... although
what's true of the Cube might well not be for the GBA. Otherwise, the
only reason I can see why this might not wash is that it would require
some sort of central server somewhere, which is something Nintendo
hasn't had to put up with yet. Still, it could work, if they're
willing to devote the resources, and would be pretty damn cool to boot.
Closing Comments:
Still trying to come up with something to say about a DC-compatible
X-Box... nope, still nothing. Free topic day tomorrow, see you then.
-Chris Jones, shocked into
incomprehension, once again
|
