Just an idea: PS2 Phone. Read and tell me what you think.

[Clutz450]

I'm still kinda new at all this but I had an idea for a homebrew program. I don't know anything about programming so I was hoping I could throw my idea out there and if anyone thought it was good and was willing to work on it. Lately when I've been wanting to talk to friends or family back at home I would give them a quick phone call or instant message and tell them to get on our PS2s and load up whatever game we have that we can use online and use the headsets for. I've been mostly using Burnout 3 and Mortal Kombat: Deception. We would go into a game together and talk through out headsets through our PS2s. Sometimes we would play and chat, othertimes I would just go into a game and turn off my tv and talk for a few hours like I was on the phone. I mean it saves on the long distance bill by talking that way and I would think many other PS2 users would love to have a phone like program for their PS2 so they can talk for free. Just about everyone I know has a PS2 and if someone could make a program that we could talk to each other over our PS2s I think that would be a great idea. Maybe something like an instant messaging program with voice chat or maybe even video. And maybe make it so if they have the program on and running you can ring them kinda like in Netmeeting. I already have a program called MaxIM which is an instant messaging program for PS2 (which no one is ever on) and I saw another program where you can use the eyetoy to send video messages to other people with(I haven't tried that one yet). I mean a simple program that someone can start up using the ps2 exploit, plug in a headset, and connect to the internet, I know I would want it and I would help as many people as I can get it to work on their PS2 till I have my own small (and free) kinda like telephone network to talk to people on. So if anyone else has any opinions as to my idea (good or bad. don't hold back) or if there is any program already out there that can do that or be willing to try to make one I would greatly appreciate it.

[HypERSoniC]

good idea!

2 approaches

* Existing phone line via network adapter's modem port
* VOIP over network adapater's ethernet port

i think both are good options, number 2 already open source VOIP clients are available.

[zabolyx]

not a half bad idea... would probably take some work.... but with the crap these coders can cook up any thing is possible....

even just using the eyetoy for stills... and maybe even a multi-line setup... you make a room and anyone that you want in can have a password... say a PC software server... upto what sounds good... 8 - 16 ppl... Instant messaging, voice, and pics.... hell throw in MC game save trading too.....

don't forget the option to save pics and messages to the HDD and or MC....

and if you want to go crazy a P2P program for sharing images from the drive.... ok that's a little crazy...

[HypERSoniC]

yup.. there is still alot of juice left to sqeeze out of the ps2

the hardest part regarding your commends zabolyx is to actaully get the 2 ps2's talking to eachother. that's the hard part.

besides it would be easier to do something like the xbox has done. (where you plug your xbox into your pc, and the software creates a kind of VPN in which other xboxs over the internet join)

[Kryo]

Hehe... Found it...

http://www.dignews.com/games.php?platform=multi&gid=935
This what ya mean?

[PoppedColla]

What I think'd be best to do (for running it smoothly, anyway) is:

- Someone sets up a central server where data such as contact lists and profiles and other things are stored. That would make it easier to keep things more organized and make it easier for people to search for other users, plus you can have general interest chatrooms etc.

- When a one-on-one chat is setup it works like the 'direct connection' on aim and relies on only the two users connections, not the servers.

- For conference chatrooms, have something similar to the direct connection, except have it hosted on whoever starts the chats PS2 as the server. That should run nicely even for voice connections as long as people have decent internet connections (ie. not dialup )

- VoIP would be a much more practical idea then using existing phonelines. Phone lines are so limited nowadays, to many cons:

1. Conferencing would have to include rates from your Telecom
2. International calling would be more difficult, and expensive
3. Lack of file transfers, video conferencing, or MC file swapping!
4. If it had an oldschool dialup server, it'd be far to limited.

However one thing that WOULD be kickass, is having a server at your house with some talk-on-phone-on-pc software that somehow goes across the network and can join w/ VoIP discussions. Dial in or dial out, it'd be cool.

Those are just my ideas, but I'd like to check out EyeToy chat.

edit:

- The only thing that may be a drawback is perhaps encryption and the fact the PS2's only got 32mb ram. Cause the bigger conferences get, the more rams going to be taken =)

[Kryo]

I just borrowed a copy from a friend (Eyetoy chat), runs REALLY nice... getting a full 25 FPS on video conference... Only drawback was, there was only 11 users online at the time of trying it... might just have been the time of night I tried it though...

[Clutz450]

Good to see that there are other people out there who share the same idea as me. Thanks Kryo for that link to eye toy chat. That was exactly what I was thinking. I guess someone already beat me to it. And I thought I was being original, lol. Anyway, I think I am going to go out and buy it now and see how it is. From the screen shots it looks pretty good. Has anyone else tried the eye toy chat and have any comments on it?

[EspI69]

has anyone chose to take up this project...call it "the scene-fone" lol

how much does the eye cam run for?
dont u need to buy the eyetoy phone/chat program also?

[EspI69]

and is there any way to use a logitec ca on your ps2 as a eyetoy?