PS3Hax Network - Playstation 3 Hacks and Mods - PS3Hax Exclusive: Interview with Pirate

Interview With Pirate - Owner of PS3Hax.net

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Pirate has been kind enough to agree to an interview in order to better acquaint himself with all of the new members that have been joining. For those who don't know, Pirate is not only your forum administrator, but he owns the website. His word is law and whatever he says goes. With that said, the interview is a nice read and was very fun to do. I hope you all enjoy it - especially you newbs! :p

1. Hi Pirate. Can you tell us how old you are?

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In my mid-20’s

2. Are you in school? If so, what are you majoring in?

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Yes, majored/currently studying the following degrees: Biology, Business Administration, Software Engineering + Computer science (yes its crazy, but I am a crazy person heh).

3. When did you start PS3Hax.net?

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Started PS3Hax in early 2007, about the time the PS3 originally came out. The initial idea was a game glitching/modding site for the PS3 (more specifically Resistance).

4. PS3Hax.net is a household name when it comes to PS3 scene sites. When you started it, did you think it would get this popular?

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Nope, it was always started to fun – it evolved quickly than I expected over time, and a rapid dedicated user base that kept us going strong till today.

5. What interests you the most about the PS3 scene?

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The drama. I imagine each scene has its own set of underground drama that happens, but the PS3 scene drama could easily be made into a TV show and be a hit. :)

6. What do you believe is the scenes biggest accomplishment?

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Definitely the first break through of 3.55 custom firmware on the PS3 scene. It was the first real hack that didn’t require people to purchase dongles, or anything extra.

7. Who is/are your favorite scene developer(s)?

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Those who actually release useful goodies to the scene.

8. It must be hard running PS3Hax for so long, have you ever thought about calling it quits?

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Nah, this site has shaped a significant portion of my life and I enjoy running as a hobby. This site was coming out of a previous game I used to help run (Subspace/Continuuim), so I already had a very good idea on how to deal with people, work with staff etc.

9. What do you love most about your website?

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I love the layout and design (especially the forums). I invested quite heavily on the forums theme, and work hard to maintain constant organization on forums. One of my biggest problems with other sites in general was the poor layout and how hard it was for a fresh face to the scene to find the information they needed easily. I really like most of our member’s helpful attitude here. We have an awesome PS3 | Help section, where I always see noobs asking questions and getting their replies without any issues. It’s great to be able to ask and contribute information without being chewed out.

10. What quality does PS3Hax have that competing websites lack?

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Mm everyone has an opinion on how to run their respective sites. Some people are running it for nothing much but the money it brings, other people run it for the fun. The biggest issue I see in other scene sites is lack of professionalism (in news posts), and organization of the forums and staff.

11. What is your overall opinion on Sony?

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They definitely made faults with the PS3 this cycle, and I must admit that I do feel almost at a disadvantage versus a Microsoft console. I think people forget that the PS3 was really the FIRST major console by Sony to really have a online network, vs Microsoft who already had a slew of experience from Xbox. But the PS3 is still a solid and dependable piece of hardware and you can bet I’ll still be purchasing future Sony products.

12. What is your favorite PS3 game?

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Offline: Metal Gear Solid 4, Online: Modern Warfare 3

13. What advice do you have for members planning on starting their own scene sites?

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Don't plan to run one if you don't have the passion or are doing it for the money. It is very difficult to do and yields very little revenue (in the "hacking" category anyways).

14. When the PS4 is released, will you open another site dedicated to the PS4 or will you transform PS3Hax.net into a PS4 scene site?

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http://www.ps4hax.net, http://www.ps4hax.com

15. Why the username "Pirate?"

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I was always a fan of "pirates" in general (not to be confused with piracy), I believe at the time "Pirates of the Caribbean" was coming out so I was excited for that, I managed to secure this name on PSN, so it would make sense to use it on my forums starting off (not known we would get as big as we are today). Maybe I'll change my name in the future on the forums to have it more distinct/recognizable but we shall see.

And that's it! Thank you for your time Pirate :) I hope you new members have a better idea on who your administrator is and as always I hope your stay at PS3Hax is an enjoyable one!

~Annelies