At this year’s Def Con event, attendees were in for a unique surprise when they received their badges. Instead of a simple piece of plastic, the badge was more of a Tamagochi-Gameboy-cross, equipped with a screen, speakers, and a Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller. These badges are specifically designed to be hacked, modded, and repurposed, making it a perfect challenge for coders looking to push the boundaries of what is possible.
One of the standout projects from this year’s Def Con event was the successful porting of Doom onto the attendee badge. The project, spearheaded by coder Kilograham, required significant changes to the original Doom code, which was meant for x86 chips running DOS. The new Arm-based dual-core SoC with limited RAM and storage posed a unique challenge, showcasing the impressive programming skills required to pull off such a feat.
Despite the technical marvel of getting Doom to run on the badge, there was significant controversy surrounding the development and manufacturing of the badges themselves. The firmware developer, Dmitry Grinberg, faced backlash and was escorted from the event while discussing the project. The contracted manufacturer, Entropic Engineering, also released a statement detailing the issues they encountered during the manufacturing process, including missed deadlines and manual programming of each badge.
Attendees who had paid a substantial amount to attend the conference were understandably frustrated by the issues with the badges. The promised features and credits for their contributions were not delivered as expected, leading to disappointment among the community. However, there is hope that the issues will be resolved, and updated firmware will be released to address any lingering problems. In the meantime, the Doom port remains a shining example of what can be achieved with determination and skill.
The Doom port at Def Con serves as a reminder of the ingenuity and creativity within the hacking community. Despite the challenges and controversies surrounding the event, the dedication of individuals like Kilograham highlights the incredible potential for innovation in the world of electronic devices. As attendees eagerly await the resolution of the badge issues, they can take solace in the fact that their badges are capable of running one of the most iconic video games of all time.
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