Custom hardware, particularly MIDI

[bcichowlas]

I have a music game developed for XNA PC which I would like to be able to transform into a PS3 title. It uses custom hardware, though, and I don't know how I would go about accessing it in a game. In particular, it currently is designed to use bidirectional MIDI through USB, the same sort of interface that allows your MIDI keyboard and onboard generator to do both input and output with your PC or Mac.

Is it reasonable to expect that I could do similar within the PS3 gaming context?

Thanks,
Bruce

[cheriff]

If you mean under PS3-linux, then yes - you just need a linux USB driver for the device just like you would on a regular linux based machine.

If you mean for a commercial title under GameOS, then I guess you'd have to go through official channels with Sony for info.

[bcichowlas]

Thanks. That's a similar answer to what I received about the Wii. Someone also mentioned XBox/Linux, but I'm not familiar with that.

I hope to take this game through the full legit channels, so could use any contact information there that anyone might have.

Meanwhile, demos are more convincing if you can show operating hardware on a platform, so I might use a Linux version for that.

One other option I have (which I am using on the XBox) is to make my hardware device look like a game controller. Then it is easy to interface using the usual game controller routines. The catch is that is can also be limiting. in particular for me, I need to control a lot of LED's on my hardware device, so I need output bits or the equivalent. On the XBox, the only output I have seems to be the vibrator motor bits (and even they have their complications since the bits are pulsated on the controller in order to use brushless motors). On the PS3 controller, what can I control on the output side? Do I have direct control of the LED's, few though there might be? (I can multiplex.)

Thanks for any information.
Bruce