At this year’s Def Con event, attendees were given badges that were more than just simple pieces of plastic. These badges were designed to be hacked, modded, and repurposed, making them a target for creative individuals looking to push the limits of what is possible with electronic devices. One such individual, coder Kilograham, took on the challenge of getting the badge to run Doom, a classic game that has been ported to countless devices over the years.
Porting Doom to the attendee badge was no easy task, as highlighted by Kilograham in their blog post about the project. The original code for Doom was designed to run on x86 chips running DOS, making it incompatible with the Arm-based dual-core SoC found in the badge. With only 256 kB of RAM and 2 MB of flash storage to work with, significant changes needed to be made to the code and interface in order to make the game run smoothly on the device.
The development and manufacturing of the badges for Def Con 2021 were not without their fair share of drama. The firmware developer, Dmitry Grinberg, was reportedly escorted from the event while giving a talk about the project. The contracted manufacturer, Entropic Engineering, also released a public statement expressing disappointment with the decisions made by the conference organizers. Promises of compensation, visibility, and credit for the work done on the badges were not fully realized, causing tension among those involved in the project.
One of the biggest issues with the badges was the missed deadline for pre-flashing the chips, resulting in the need for each of the 29,770 badges to be programmed manually by volunteers. This tedious process likely caused frustration among attendees who had paid a significant amount to attend the conference. However, it is expected that these issues will be resolved in time, with updated firmware potentially being released on the website for the badge.
Despite the challenges and drama surrounding the attendee badges at Def Con 2021, one shining achievement emerged from the chaos: Kilograham’s port of Doom to the device. This impressive feat of programming showcases the creativity and resourcefulness of the hacking community, turning what could have been a disaster into a triumph of ingenuity. As attendees continue to tinker with their badges and push the limits of what is possible, it is clear that the spirit of innovation is alive and well at Def Con.
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