The Context Machine

All through the history of computer games, individuals have had a compulsion to subvert and hack the game code and also the hardware systems they run on. Be it neat programming hacks on microcomputers such as the BBC, Spectrum, Oracle and Commodore to give you limitless “lives” on games back in the 80s, to DSi flashcarts permitting one to run a larger range of games on their Nintendo DSi.

System manufacturers and software developers have had a tricky relationship with modders and gamers who are often one and the same. In a sense, modders/hackers add extra value to the systems and games - for instance modified chips give great convenience to gamers who can download non-sanctioned games from the web. Similarly, games hacking brings extra value to very-hard-to-complete games, and in the modern gaming era it’s de rigeur for games producers to actually secretly plant cheat codes for gamers to discover.

Then again, games producers opine that such modification damages their profits, as chipmods can also be applied to get around piracy measures, and circumventing firmware that restricts cartridges to work just in certain geographical locations. These are strong grounds for console and games developers to forever develop progressive measures to make chipmods more and more tricky.

Whatever the arguments in opposition to chip modification, modding is now a big industry that isn’t going to disappear anytime soon.