Chris, I get the feeling that I have not communicated well what
exactly this product will be. Let me try to clarify...
Okay, the RAM cartridge is what the Visoly makes. This RAM cart uses
RAM instead of ROM, so it can be written to an infinite amount of
times, like a Flash Memory Card! And each card has a unique ID
number. The consumer need buy only one card to play as many games as
he wants (but can only store one game per cart at a time). If the
consumer were to want to change the game, he would upload a different
game to the cartridge (seeing as how the cart can be written an
infinite amount of times). As for the unique ID each cart carries,
this ID number is checked for by the software. Let me further explain
how. When the consumer buys a game over the internet, he submits his
cartridge ID number that he wants the game to work on. The game
developer then compiles a unique binary that checks for the submitted
ID number on the cartridge and only works on a cart that has that
unique ID number. It's an anti-piracy scheme that helps (though not
perfectly) to protect software. This is about the same model used by
the GP32, and so far seems to have worked well.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gp32dev
So, here's the process in work -
ConsumerX buys Visoly GBA RAM Cartridge. This cartridge comes with a
unique ID number.
ConsumerX goes to game developer's websites and pays for the game and
submits the ID of the RAM Cartridge that he wishes the game to work
on.
ConsumerX downloads a special binary image of the game compiled just
for him.
ConsumerX uploads the image to his RAM Cartridge, writing over what
was formally on there.
ConsumerX inserts the cart into his GBA, and powers on.
The game code checks the cartridge it is being played on for the
unique ID number it was compiled to check for.
If the cart's unique ID number is the same as the game's unique ID
number, the game starts.
Else, the game will lock up.

And Viola! You got it!

--- In gbadev@y..., "Chris White" <kisyfier@n...> wrote:
> Okay heres my 2p (maybe go for 5p) worth of opinion
>
> The Id key mentioned @ beginning of thread I think was
intended
> for the PROGRAMMER , and only his Burner could program his carts
(i.e
> someone wouldn't be able to take his DEMO/GAME , and overwrite it
with
> there own i.e nick his rom)
>
> And beens as this would then be a HW issue external from GBA ,
> then hacking would be irrelevent . Unless they are into hacking
> Electronics etc (and that's not impossible for any HW)
>
> Which if this was the intended reason for the ID , then I
would
> love to have one, saves the risk of losing a £100 when some
publisher
> has you demo for evaluation, and LOOSES it (yeah right)
>
> C
>
>
> -- Sig On --
> Ppps. I know i can't spell and all my grammer is wrong , so there's
no
> need to point it out :)
> -- Sig Off --
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TJ [mailto:comfortably_numb_@h...]
> Sent: 31 May 2002 21:51
> To: gbadev@y...
> Subject: Re: [gbadev] Re: To all unpublished developers - You may
find
> this very interesting...
>
>
> Amen to that... the Big N has gotten away with a lot of twisting the
> laws and actually puts up wrong information on it's page about how
it is
> illegal to own ram carts, etc. Fact is is that there are just as
many
> ppl using it for legitimate reasons than those that are not... some
> probably use them for both. But they are amazing pieces of hardware
that
> hopefully will never be banned because they help the little guys so
much
> by knowing how theyre projects will work on real hardware before
they
> spend thousands on the 'official' devkit from N.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: bryanedds
> To: gbadev@y...
> Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 2:44 PM
> Subject: [gbadev] Re: To all unpublished developers - You may find
> this very interesting...
>
>
> Nintendo doesn't make laws, and there are no laws that say you
must
> be licensed to sell games for any system. Look at the Game
Genie...
> it was never licensed! Legality isn't the question, but whether
or
> not Visoly has the legal defense fund to keep Nintendo from
warping
> current laws enough to sue is a question.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/