The Glitching Debate
![edge2[1]](../../../../img.hsmagazine.net/2011/02/edge21.jpg)
by Burbie52, HSM team writer
This has got to be one of the largest and longest debates in the history of Home.
Glitching is a touchy subject. On one hand, Sony frowns on it. On the other — from the glitcher’s point of view — they don’t want their secrets revealed or their glitches patched, so they are reticent to talk about it.
I am not here to reveal any secrets or show anyone how to do one. I am also not here to pass judgment. This article is to simply ask…why? Why glitch at all? Why are people compelled to glitch?
(Editor’s note: As glitching is technically against Sony’s terms of usage, HSM cannot condone or support any user who voluntarily chooses to engage in such action, nor can we endorse such behavior. That said, it’s a fairly large and well-known social issue which we intend to explore from a journalistic perspective.)
I have asked this question of a few great glitchers — people who are well-known in the glitching community. Yes, there is indeed a community of people who are very good at this. Glitching, despite the editor’s disclaimer above, is a fact of life in PS Home; most of us probably know the easy ones, like getting up on the benches in Central Plaza or climbing the rocks in Sodium. But there are a select few who do things that amaze me every time I see one.
So: why glitch? Bragging rights? The thrill of being where you’re not supposed to be? A desire to harm the system?
The answer to the question seems to be much more simple: it’s a challenge. That’s all. Every time a new personal space comes out, these people see it as a new puzzle they have to solve. A new mountain to be conquered. It is a game to them, and one that they love. These people are very intelligent and creative as well, and this is an outlet they use for that creativity. They even have their own styles of performing the glitches, and are discovering new ways to do them as well.
It can even be argued that glitching, for some, is really the only reason they use Home. And, by extension, spend money on it.
I asked my glitcher friends if they believed that glitching was harmless. I don’t believe that Sony views it as harmless sport (as evidenced by previous patches and core client updates which have been deployed), so I wanted their opinion on it. It can be argued that Sony may actually be allowing people to glitch in some cases; otherwise, at present, we wouldn’t be able to climb those benches in Central Plaza.
So I asked them: where do you draw the line?
Universally, they agreed that they drew the line where it caused anyone — including Sony — harm. A good glitcher will not impede any games in Home, like standing in the lanes at the bowling alley for example. They won’t do anything to hurt anyone; they are doing this for the fun of it, not to cause problems.
It is impossible to ascertain what percentage of glitchers are malicious and disruptive; unfortunately, like anything, a few people have the ability to ruin things for the rest.
There is one question that I’ve always had about glitching: if people aren’t supposed to be doing this at all, why do the developers build 360-degree environments outside the walls of personal spaces? Why build areas that we will never see if we don’t glitch?
A couple of prime examples are the Wizard’s Den and the Final Fantasy XIII space. You can’t see behind or beyond those walls, yet there is a whole world out there to be seen (which, in Primarch’s Vigilarium — a space the size of a NyQuil cup — this is particularly ironic). What is the point if not to glitch? Perhaps a developer can explain this some day; I would be fascinated to hear the answer, and so would quite a few of my friends.
(Also, it should be noted that while this is likely an unintended consequence, the creation and sale of those personal-space teleporters has made glitching considerably easier for people to do. Again, that is not the fault of the developer; it is the user who is choosing to behave in a manner which violates the terms of service.)
So: what do you, as readers, think? To glitch or not to glitch: is that a question?
Predictably, many glitchers believe that if there is no harm being done to anyone else, then there is no foul. A victimless crime, if you will. This is similar to jaywalking in real life; most of us have done it (and will continue to do so), which is technically against the law — but its disruption to society is minimal, except in very extreme circumstances. Is non-malicious glitching nothing more than digital jaywalking?
Conversely, is it in Sony’s best interest to let glitching of any kind remain? On one hand, just as jaywalking is harmless 99% of the time, there’s always that one percent that jaywalks, gets hit by a truck, and gums up traffic for hours on end. On the other hand, glitching — for some — is their primary reason for enjoying Home.
Assume all glitches were wiped out, overnight: that everyone had to play within the proper confines designed for Home, and Central Plaza played “Hip To Be Square” by Huey Lewis. How many people would simply wipe their hands and walk away? How much lost revenue does that potentially represent?
We here at HSM are not qualified to render judgment on this matter; we do, however, want to open it up for discussion. Because the stark reality is that currently, there’s a whole lot of glitching going on, and it is a social issue within Home with multiple perspectives.
February 18th, 2011 by Burbie52 | 7 comments
Burbie52 is a 62 year-old published author and founder of the Grey Gamers group within Home. Born and raised in Michigan, she has lived there her entire life, with the exception of a twelve-year residency on the Big Island of Hawaii. She enjoys reading and writing, as well as video games, especially RPG's. She has one son in his twenties.
I personally don’t see a problem with glitching in a personal space,u did pay 2 use it as u saw fit after all,as long as its not causing sony any trouble,idk if it does.In public places and games i can see where this could b a problem as it could cause trouble 4 others quite easily.Another glitch i know of is at the playground where its possible,unless its been patched im not sure haven,t been there 4 awhile,2 climb up on a fence by the little stage that has the dj table on it.Once over the fence its possible 2 walk behind the buildings,not sure where else as i’ve never done it only witnessed this.4 awhile there was always a crowd there trying 2 get up on the fence which usually led 2 squabbles eventually and became a sore point as those that could do it often made fun of those that tried and failed.I know 1 guy that does this 2 his apts. and it not only gives it a extra degree of individualism some of these things r mind blowing.If sony wanted 2 couldn’t they detect these things and act if they wished?I agree that a developer would b ideal 2 shed more light on this fascinating topic.
Some glitches cause no problems such as any “dance, pop” glitch or getting on the bench glitch. The ones that I see causing problems such as lag and network errors are the wardrobe glitches where you put one outfit on then change to another, which allows you to bypass all the invisible walls of an area. Also, the multiple layers of clothing glitch, which they got rid of thankfully, caused a lot of problems. Any glitch, however, becomes a problem when it interferes with the games in Home. Like the cannon Midway 2 game in the Plaza a while back, people had figured out how to get on top of the target area and walk around. That was very distracting for anyone playing the game. And in October they had the Pumpkin King game, people learned how to get on the pond and some of them were banned for it.
I wish I could add pics in this comment thread. I have some incredible pics done by a glitcher friend who shall remain anonymous. If you have ever been invited by him to sample one of his feats, you can understand the thrill and wonderment. But he will not reveal any of his secrets -- and he is the one who told me that a glitch is like poking a small hole in a fabric. Too many small holes and the fabric is torn and useless. So _ I will post one of his pics in the Forum section of this magazine so you can see what we are talking about;
In the Mall by Christina Lee’s video screen a dude(ette) was appearing out of the wall and then going back in. I was amused and decided to “chase” them and they would disappear behind the wall. At one point I asked if they could see and hear me and the reply was “Yes.” So the game continued until finally I said “You win.” and the “game” was over. It was silly fun and as far as I know did no harm.
As far as I’m concerned if glitching does no harm to game play or doesn’t interfere with general going on’s and if it’s something that annoys a lot of people and garners complaints in Home then it’s OK with me.
I hope that one I played hide and seek with in the Mall is doing well.
Glitching, for some, is wide eyed curiousity and its this curiousity that drives them, maybe or perhaps the bragging rights will come into this later but at the very start at least, its the curiosity that takes hold. It shows the creativity behind these people’s minds and i am blown away all the time by what they can do. Sony shouldn’t be banning them they should be hiring them as potential bug testers for their games.
I don’t see anything wrong in glitching in your own Private space as long as it isnt affecting anyone.
Glitching is fun. It is a thrill to say “hey look at what I can do”. It gives you a sense of accomplishment when new players look at you and say “how did you do that”? It is an escape from the nOObs and trolls that hit on anything resembling a female avatar. It shows you how far the developers went in their designing, and where they “got lazy”. With regards to the FF XIII space, it shows you the marvel and beauty of the imagination that went into designing the space surrounding the “official space”.
Home is where I go to escape reality, and the stress that comes with living RL. The people I associate with on Home are my friends, and the people I would like to spend time with if they lived down the street. It is a global meeting place where I can find people who share common ideas and interests. In my opinion, glitching is not the reason I am on Home, but it does make Home more fun and interesting. If there was no ability to glitch, I would still use Home, but I would never buy another personal space, as the default is good enough for me.
Thats why I always believed Home should build a glicthers zone or an apartment for sale that had beams and a roof that was open to let glitchers glitch.