TheNet Yaroze (ネットやろうぜ,Netto Yarōze) is adevelopment kit for thePlayStationvideo game console. It was a promotion bySony Computer Entertainment tocomputer programming hobbyists which launched in June 1996 in Japan[1] and in 1997 in other countries.[2] It was originally calledNet Yarouze, but was changed to Net Yaroze in late 1996.[3]Yarōze means "Let's do it together".[4]
Conceived by PlayStation creatorKen Kutaragi and priced at around $750US, the Net Yaroze (DTL-H300x) package contained a special black-coloreddebugging PlayStation unit, a serial cable for connecting the console to a personal computer, and a CD containing PlayStation development tools.[5][6] The user has to provide a personal computer (anIBM PC compatible orMacintosh;NEC PC-9801 was also supported in Japan) to write the computer code, compile it, and send the program to the PlayStation.
The Net Yaroze was neither the first nor only official consumer console development kit. The PC-Engine Develo predates it, and theWonderWitch followed it. TheGP32 can run user programs out of the box. Finally, many earlier consoles (Astrocade,Famicom) offered limited programming capabilities withBASIC dialects. Net Yaroze had no direct successors on subsequent PlayStation platforms, but Sony'sLinux for PlayStation 2 and YA-BASIC offered a similar feature to hobbyists and amateur developers on thePlayStation 2 console.
| Requirement | Requirements | |
|---|---|---|
| PC | ||
| Operating system | IBM PC compatible or Macintosh | |
| CPU | 66Mhz | |
| Memory | 4MB | |
| Free space | 10MB | |
| Graphics hardware | SVGA monitor compatible | |
| Sound hardware | None | |
| Network | 28.8kb/s | |
The Net Yaroze kit contains the following items:[5]
Though it lacked regional lockout, the Net Yaroze console exists in three variations: one for Japan, one for North America and one for Europe and Australia. The Europe/Australia version boots inPAL mode, while the others boot inNTSC mode. There are further differences between the Japanese kit and the others; the manuals are in Japanese, the software for Japanese PCs is included, and the discs and access card sticker have different printing. The Japanese version is sometimes unofficially referred to as DTL-3000 rather than DTL-H3000.
The Net Yaroze was only available for purchase by mail order; but Sony also provided it to universities in the UK, France (EPITA), and Japan.[6]
Additionally, a version ofCodeWarrior for PlayStation was released for both Windows and Macintosh in October 1996.[5]LightWave 3D was another consumer-level PlayStation development tool.
The Net Yaroze lacks many of the features the official PlayStation Software Developers Kit provided, such as advanced hardware debugging, special software, certain libraries, and Sony's extensive technical support (includingBBS and live telephone support). DedicatedUsenet groups, with access restricted to Net Yaroze members, were maintained by Sony; homepage hosting was also provided. The access was restricted according to the kit's region of origin, which made collaboration between users in different territories impractical.
The Yaroze's primary RAM was the same as the consumer's model (2 megabytes). Game code, graphics, audio samples and run-time libraries were limited to fit in the 2 MB of primary RAM, 1 MB of VRAM, and 0.5 MB of sound RAM, since the Net Yaroze will not play user-burned CDs, a necessary restriction in order to prevent piracy and ensure that the Yaroze program would not compete with the PlayStation's professional software development kit.[5] This however, was not a problem for licensed developers who owned the official SDK. There are many commercial PlayStation titles (such asDevil Dice, long mistaken as a Net Yaroze game[7]) that can be entirely RAM-resident, and have been developed with the Net Yaroze, while using the CD strictly to spool Red Book audio (CD-DA).
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Sony set up anonline forum where users could share their homemade games, swap programming tips, and ask questions to Sony technical support staff.[1][5] Many games made by hobbyists on the Net Yaroze were released on various demo discs that came along with theOfficial UK PlayStation Magazine (as well as other official PlayStation magazines in PAL regions) from 1997 to 2004. The lastOfficial UK PlayStation Magazine issue, number 108, featured a compilation with many Net Yaroze games. A promotional disc, limited to a thousand copies and featuring a number of user-developed games, was produced by SCEE and sent to PAL-zone Yaroze owners. This disc can only be played on a Net Yaroze since it requires the access card included with the system to work.
Some of these games were based on arcade classics such asMr. Do andPuzzle Bobble, while others (e.g.Time Slip) were illustrations of a novel concept. The Game Developer UK Competition, organized byScottish Enterprise in collaboration with the Scottish Games Alliance, Sony andEdge in 1998, accepted Net Yaroze entries; the overall winner was Chris Chadwick for his gameBlitter Boy – Operation: Monster Mall. An updated version ofTime Slip was later released forXbox Live Arcade in February 2011 and Windows in January 2012.[9] Some of the system's developers moved into the games industry;Fatal Fantasy andTerra Incognita developerMitsuru Kamiyama became director of theFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series at Square Enix.[10]Magic Castle by Kaiga was pitched to various publishers but went unreleased until it was distributed online in 2021 by one of the original staff members.[11]
Sony's Net Yaroze was in fact released earlier this year, amid much apparent public interest but little official fanfare from Sony.
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