Subject: Re: [stella] Emulator detection From: "Eric Ball" <ericball@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2005 12:34:06 -0400 |
(Note: the license for Skeleton and Skeleton+ explicitly permit running the code on an emulator, but I do understand the desire of some to discourage this.) Hmm.. to summarize: 1. Although it may be possible for code to detect an emulator and maybe even RAM carts, it is equally possible for the emulators to be modified (by the primary or underground developers) to mimic the "correct" behaviour. 2. Although emulators could be enhanced to recognize a "do not emulate" code, this code could just as easily be removed. Okay that's the world from the emulator POV, but the emulator is useless without the binary. The first task for a cart-only developer is to keep the binary out of common distribution and make it known that they do not wish the ROM image to be generally available. This currently exists today for some ROMs (I'm thinking Ebivision as an example). Obviously someone could buy the cartridge then dump the ROM and release it via the Internet anyway. (Heck, I've gotten an email from a completist collector wanting a development release of SpaceWar! 7800. Some people are never happy until they have one of everything.) Okay, the challenge then is to put something else in the cartridge which will prevent a simple ROM dump from functioning. I can see two possibilities; either a unique bankswitch device, or a dedicated protection device. The difference being the bankswitch device affects how the ROM is accessed, while a protection device is accessed directly. Of course, just like bootlegs in the arcades, someone with enough skill, knowledge, and desire could either reverse-engineer the device or patch the ROM itself to bypass the requirements. (Naturally such things will make development more difficult.) Unfortunately, I suspect it is impossible to make a cartridge (especially for something as simple as the 2600) which cannot be duplicated and/or emulated. The best thing to do is to only make the cartridge available and use a unique bankswitch device. This should, at least, keep it out of the mainstream. (Since emulator developers hopefully won't support the bankswitching.) However, I am surprised by the number of people who have purchased Skeleton and Skeleton+ even though the ROM images are freely available. I sometimes wonder if I would have gotten the same response if it was only available in cartridge form. Who wants to be the first to integrate an authentic Atari Slapstic into a 2600 cart? Archives (includes files) at http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/archives/ Unsub & more at http://stella.biglist.com
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