Gaming is characterized by war; whether it's seen in top-sellers like Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 or in the oft-discussed Console Wars, gaming may very well be the one thing war is good for. There exists, however, a war that only the most obsessive gamers know of and even fewer participate in: Sony vs. homebrew.

Since the day the PSP first hit shelves, subversive consumers have been busting through the walls of constant PSP firmware updates that address "security issues." With each headline proclaiming "Firmware Cracked!" Sony cooks up a new puzzle for intrepid homebrew supporters to solve. And generally, they solve it with startling speed. As such, it seems Sony's finally stopped resisting homebrew outright, instead opting to learn about the group that's giving them so much trouble.

Through a poll sent to select gamers, Sony hopes to discover what makes homebrew users tick. The poll presents gamers with a veritable mixing pot of questions -- from the typical ("Do you know of anyone who has hacked, or modified, transferred and customized their PSP firmware and software?") to the probing ("Does hacking make you feel like a rebel?").

With any luck, Sony will finally stop trying to impede homebrew's progress; if nothing else, this poll is a decent first step.