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PSP Firmware Downgrader Released 300
roka writes "SonyxTeam has just released a downgrader for the PSP using the toc2rta 2.0 overflow in libtiff. This has been tested and found working by PSP news sites. This is basically opening all sold models of the PSP to homebrew applications and will boost homebrew software development for Sony's handheld."
Arrr!! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Arrr!! (Score:4, Funny)
Go on admit it. (Score:4, Insightful)
Now we're all just waiting for Sony to thow it's Intellectual Property Toys out of the pram and let the attack dogs (lawyers) loose.
A sorry state of affairs.
Re:Go on admit it. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Go on admit it. (Score:2)
they will sue if they have someone to sue and basis for it.
(and "Look at the linux kit they released after a few people developed a distro for the PS2" isn't exactly accurately put, they wanted ps2 to go as a computer for their own reasons, and with 'some people' I guess you really mean sony - because there wasn't a linux distro for it before their
Re:Go on admit it. (Score:5, Informative)
AFAIK, the PSP is the first major proprietary system with user-uppgradable firmware. In any case, the 1.00-2.00 trend indicates that Sony does not intend to let the PSP remain crackable indefinitely if it can do something about it... and fixing the exploit sounds like minimal effort.
I am betting that the PSP firmware and/or SDK has provisions for triggering automatic firmware upgrades when a disc containing a newer valid firmware is first loaded. Throw in firmware signature checks in new games and this either makes PSP hobbyists lives increasingly less convenient or forces them to choose between hobby and running Y2K6+ games.
Sony is in the business for profits... and profits come from title licenses for commercial PSP media. To get media endorsement for the PSP, Sony has to demonstrate that the media and platform are a perfect lock-in solution. Exploits like these un-upgrade hacks put a dent in Sony's PSP lock-in desires so they need to be ironed out to make content providers happy and keep the license money flowing in.
Does it suck? Yes. But that is how this particular business model works.
Re:Go on admit it. (Score:2)
Re:Go on admit it. (Score:4, Insightful)
The PSP games will never update the firmware automatically or their warranty offices will get a shitload of bricked units. Firmwares require AC power to be connected for a reason, you don't want your battery going out during flashing.
However, many newer games require a certain version of firmware to run. Currently, you can trick these by using software that modifies the flash to show a different version number. However, eventually, games will start looking for unique encrypted firmware features. There are teams already working on making newer firmwares run over the current ones to allow access to features not available on your flash. There is already a firmware emulator that allows someone to load up 1.0, 1.51 or 1.52 firmwares on a 1.5 PSP
However, I'm optimistic that an exploit will eventually be found that will use something the PSP requires to keep older games functional.
Never piss off the hackers, they always win:)
Hmm the next thing to do will be (Score:2)
Bad idea (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Bad idea (Score:2, Insightful)
warning: Slashdot does not support Greek. Automatic transliteration engaged.
Losing power while down/upgrading will brick the psp, making it transparent to the user would be a bad idea.
"Please connect the AC adapter to continue, or press D to cancel."
Finally! (Score:5, Funny)
*SIGH* Wish all the hackers out there were like this guy.
Re:Finally! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Finally! (Score:2)
Re:and the PS2 and the Gamecube (Score:2)
Please explain.. I couldn't find anything about this on Google.
Re:and the PS2 and the Gamecube (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Finally! (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't think people are excited over the ability to play various asteroids clones [edepot.com] on their PSP. Oh, maybe they're holding out for that killer homebrew Blackjack game, or they're really hoping they can downgrade their version to play Pong with their $250 device.
No, I think pretty much everyone just wants to run emulators of NES, SNES, and Genesis games for free.
Re:Finally! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Finally! (Score:3, Informative)
Now, the PSP isn't the best thing to read on, but as long as the room is rather well lit, I avoid headaches/eyestrain and it's not that much different than reading from an actual book.
There is some benefit to the
Re:Finally! (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Finally! (Score:2)
Re:Finally! (Score:2, Informative)
Apparently, I just imagined that there was a VNC client, ScummVM port, PDF reader, file manager, Doom port, Heretic, Hexen, a port of Quake in progess, etc... in addition to some pretty decent homebrewn games...
I would be lying if I were to say I don't enjoy playing my old genesis favourites on the psp, but even those I own.
Most of which, and many more can be found here: http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/ [dcemu.co.uk]
Re:Finally! (Score:5, Informative)
The hack was so popular that Texas Instruments ended up releasing an assembler application so that people didn't have to hack their calculators to run their own custom code.
Different market, different situration (Score:4, Insightful)
Sony sells the PSP at a huge loss (the fancy screen and marketing blitz couldn't have been cheap) and is designed to make up losses with PSP movie sales and PSP game sales. Neither of which have amounted to anything (yet).
Unless Texas Instruments launches their own 'Virtual Boy', they're pretty much the Nintendo of professional, high quality calculators. Don't expect double digit percentage growth, but constant and consistant growth. Sony on the other hand is already in the ditch. Yes they've made some headway into the market, but so did the Game Gear (arguably the Gameboy's strongest competitor) as did the Neo Geo Pocket/Color and they both lost, horribly for the latter.
The PSP isn't going to go anywhere if it just pushes itself with homebrewed software. It needs games. Badly. Movies are nice, but the DVD versions blow PSP versions out of the water. Sony needs to stop bashing Nintendo and give Sony fanboys something substancial to bash Nintendo.
PSP reign supreme? (Score:2)
Far from it (Score:2)
Re: NDS homebrew... (Score:2)
Re: NDS homebrew... (Score:2)
Alternatively, you can use Wifi to tell it to look at the GBA slot for homebrew, if you have an RALink card.
Personally, I think the DS is better in the long run, because it's not possible for Games to update the firmware - therefore, you only have to make a change once. With the PSP, any new game might come with updated firmware, and it may become more difficult to both play new games and use homebrew.
FlashMe (Score:2)
Requires a flash rom cart and a pass-thru card for the NDS slot.
Doesn't make it inconvenient in practice. Once you use the passthrough card once to flash your DS's firmware (a process similar to downgrading a PSP), you just need the flash cart, which adds 0mm to the size of the machine.
"homebrew software development " ? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:5, Insightful)
"Homebrew software development" is about making legal use of the technology we pay for. Piracy is just along for the ride.
It's sort of like how you can kill someone with a hammer. Murder-by-hammer is already illegal, but that doesn't mean that hammers should be encumbered by use management technology that both prevents homicides and blocks you from using nails made by someone other than the hammer manufacturer.
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:4, Insightful)
Quincy
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:3, Insightful)
If you buy a CD, do you have the right upload it to a torrent and obliterate the music marketplace?
No, of course not. And such activity is already illegal - there is no need for an additional
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:2)
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:2)
Check out www.atariage.com. The homebrew scene around the A2600 is quite healthy. The other Atari consoles also have homebrew scenes although A2600 development is the most active. There have also been some nifty ColecoVision homebrews out lately as well. AtariAge sells many of these.
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:3, Insightful)
I've even dabbled in coding for it myself.
I would gladly pay a reasonable amount of money, for a "Homebrew Compiler".
Look at bittorrent. Same arguments. "Look at all the piracy it supports!!!!*fap*" meanwhile, its legitimatized.
People will -always- pirate software. This isn't something that can be solved. I paid for my PSP with my honestly earned money. If I want to
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:2)
It might make you feel better to think otherwise, but outside of Slashdot and some other hard-core Linux/OSS communities, I really don't think much of anyone gives a damn about the non-illegal uses of hacking consoles.
Just my opinion, though.
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:2)
I was looking into it quite a bit when I bought a dreamcast, thinking "Hey, this has been out for a while, there might be some cool games that people coded in their spare time!" Nope. All just emulators to play NES or SNES games, or hacks to play CD-R copies of dreamcast games. When I got my Xbox, some people said "Awesome, you can turn that i
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:2)
Just my opinion, though.
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:2)
Re:"homebrew software development " ? (Score:3, Informative)
IT MUST BE STOPPED (Score:5, Funny)
and the best kind of retaliation! fruitless retaliation.
gg.
Re:IT MUST BE STOPPED (Score:2, Insightful)
I have a collection of 3-400 DVDs, and I don't want to pay again for the same content in a different format at a lower resolution. It's bad enough I will probably do so when the High-Def battle has been won by someone..
Re:IT MUST BE STOPPED (Score:2)
Like.. with vegetables?
Re:IT MUST BE STOPPED (Score:5, Funny)
No, far far more sinister. Retaliation... with meat [hatsofmeat.com]!
Re:IT MUST BE STOPPED (Score:2)
How long till they patch (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:How long till they patch (Score:2)
Re:How long till they patch (Score:2)
That function that returns a higher version number than the last release seems really popular.
Really, though. Games that are coming out now were started years ago. They'd probably run just fine on the API from some old beta firmware. The only thing changing now is bug fixes (if you're lucky), incrementally higher version numbers, and more "copy" protection.
Re:How long till they patch (Score:2)
Ah, but 2.0 was the first firmware that had other reasons to upgrade beyond "Because Sony wants you to." How many more times can Sony come out with a "killer firmware app" before they run out of flash space?
Long awaited (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Long awaited (Score:2, Insightful)
The best part of the article is the credits... (Score:4, Informative)
Who we say Fuck to: Alonetrio and what remains of the WAB team, Artik from SPAXXX, Toc2rta lamerz and especially Niacin (as they stole the 2.0 overflow discovery from a pspupdate's forum member) and released crappy code like a useless kernel dumper), Cpasjuste who said Yoshi is a liar but whose main hobby his to steal code form others. Any people who joined toc2rta, People who said shit about Yoshihiro or blamed him, people claiming we had to release the downgrader to them as they owned that priviledge, and people who forgot that devs have a life.
now you have the proof Yoshihiro knows to code and doesn't code shit !
The next one who will say shot about him or any respectable devlopper will get my kick on his ass.
I found the French funnier (Score:2)
Ceux qu'on emmerde profond:
Which, back in literal English, is 'Who is in deep shit' . I get the impression 'deep shit' means something slightly different to what we're used to in English
Re:I found the French funnier (Score:2, Informative)
Emmerder quelqu'un means "bothering someone" in a vulgar way. A literal translation would be "those we throw shit at" (when doing so, French people usually wear gloves)
Profond here is used as an adverb ("beaucoup"), ie "much".
Anyway "ceux qu'on emmerde" is rather soft compared to "those we say fuck to".
Re:The best part of the article is the credits... (Score:2)
To Those PSP V2.0 Owners who have Downgraded (Score:4, Informative)
Maybe I should be more assertive... (Score:2, Funny)
The next one who will say shot about him or any respectable devlopper will get my kick on his ass.
I like it!
s/SonyxTeam/MPH/ (Score:5, Interesting)
Sorry for messing up, please update the story for I don't think SonyxTeam's name deserves to be mentioned in the news
Re:s/SonyxTeam/MPH/ (Score:2)
Who are we to believe?
Not my problem, or slashdot's.
Re:s/SonyxTeam/MPH/ (Score:2, Funny)
The hilarious kiddie-ness of it all don't detract from the 1337ness of their h4x0r one iota.
I hear development on the PSP hacking scene may slow a little early next week as SonyxTeam is in detention for pulling a girl's hair and MPH can't upload the PSP kernel sploit code until he's cleaned his soccer boots properly.
Waiting for the GP2X. (Score:5, Interesting)
One thing missing... (Score:2)
ALL LIES (Score:5, Interesting)
SonyXTeam is comprised of former members of Team WAB, a group that conned hundreds of people out of their money.
WAB said that they would be releasing a downgrader on September 1, and opened up a Paypal account for donations.
Then members of WAB claimed to have been arrested, and they claimed that their hard drive crashed. If anyone came on their IRC server and asked about the downgrader, they were kicked off. Then the team split up, and the "main coder" of the supposed downgrader went over to SonyXTeam.
This coder, Yoshihiro, is well known throughout the XBox scene as a fake who stole the code of others and claimed it as his own. He is doing the same thing here with the real downgrader.
SonyXteam Didn't Create Jacksh*t (Score:2, Informative)
Re:SonyXteam Didn't Create Jacksh*t (Score:2)
Gotta do better than that... there are two sides to the breakup, and they say the opposite.
More Information (Score:2, Interesting)
SonyXteam Confirmed to be Liars (Score:5, Informative)
Downgrading is cool! (Score:2, Funny)
DMCA? (Score:2)
However, is this something that Sony could use the DMCA to fight in the U.S.?
(to, you know, alienate current users and cause potentially new customers from purchasing the thing.)
I've tried it - it works (Score:3, Informative)
1. Upgraded to 2.0 firmware from 1.5.
2. Installed the downloader.
3. Ran the downloader - the PSP had a weird screen. It wouldn't shut down, and just showed a screen of garbled text. I wound up having to take out the battery.
4. Put the battery back in, and turned it on. From here, I could run the 1.5 firmware installer. It went to 99% and failed. I had to take out the battery out again to reboot, and it came up fine.
So, a success. Now, there are only 3 PSP games I want to play, and one comes out next month, the other two over six months - and odds are, 2 out of 3 of those games will be made for a 2.01 firmware that removed this exploit. (Which is why the DS has 6 games coming out, two in this week alone, that I want to play, so there's a trade off.)
PSP Firmware 2.0 Warnings (Score:2)
Re:PSP Firmware 2.0 Warnings (Score:2)
Run UMD images instead of disks, saves battery and lets me carry three games without the disks. I have three games on my memory stick right now, and a forth in the UMD drive. Four games (which I ripped from my UMD's).. Thats nice.
Run my emulators, which give me handheld ability to play games that I have been playing for years on my computer.
I was running 2.0, and missing
Sony is in deep trouble... (Score:2)
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112776717132552 400,00.html?mod=asia_technology_primary_hs [wsj.com]
"A WALL STREET JOURNAL NEWS ROUNDUP
September 27, 2005; Page C5
TOKYO -- Moody's Investors Service put Sony Corp. on review for a possible ratings downgrade, citing doubts about the electronics company's revival plan as its shares fell 3.1% to a three-week low yesterday.
The review reflects concern that Sony will be unable "to regain the strong profit and cash flow generation p
homebrew..... (Score:5, Interesting)
and remember, each purchased unit belongs wholly and solely to you. you own the chips inside the machine, you own the lcd screen, you own the interconnects, you own the speakers, you own the right to fully access each of them.
calling it "homebrew" does a disservice to the property rights "movement". it makes it sound like you have no business using and programming the chips you paid good money for.
Arbitrary Code Execution, ACE.
using technical means to prevent you using your own property is a crime in my book.
and no, "business model" is no excuse in removing your lawful rights in using your own property any way you wish. sell it for 3 times as much but leave my access alone. i want it to make it illegal to rent products but call it buying. if you want people to have limited access, call it renting and then set prices accordingly. if you want to sell items outright, then behave accordingly. the problem is, they want the benefits of selling with the benefits of renting. that's a commerce no no not to mention unethical and immoral.
please don't use the word "homebrew" or if you feel you must, at least give it some thought each time you do.... see if it matches up with the world you want to live in. words have a lot of power... use it wisely.
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:5, Insightful)
The mainstream market isn't even aware hacks like this exist (much less where to find or how to use them), for the most part.
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:4, Interesting)
NetHack Port??? (Score:2)
That would be cool.
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:2)
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:2)
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:2)
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:3, Insightful)
If people are hacking the hardware and using free/semi-free/illegal homebrew software, they're not buying the "real" games. If you can explain how that would not lead to lower profits for Sony, i'd love to hear it.
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:2)
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:2)
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:3, Insightful)
If people are hacking the hardware and using free/semi-free/illegal homebrew software, they're not buying the "real" games. If you can explain how that would not lead to lower profits for Sony, i'd love to hear it.
Easy. Make it marginally difficult to mod so that only those interested pursue it.
Now, what happens? A minority of people dedicated to doing so hack the PSP (don't fool yourself, this was going to happen anyway). The less you harass them, the more these people rant and rave on every G3 Atta
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:3, Insightful)
They aren't aware YET, and Sony doesn't want them to be aware ever. Unlike Nintendo's cartridge-based portable systems, on which loading homebrewed and pirated games requires special equipment that is being banned in the US and Western Europe as fast as it is created, once the details are worked out people will have little to no trouble burning PSP discs or booting games and watchin
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:2, Insightful)
So if someone bought the PSP just to use homebrew apps then Sony actually eith
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:2)
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:2)
Sony isn't making money on the units. They're making money on the games and UMDs. (I still can't believe it, but I read somewhere fairly credible that they make more on UMDs than games...) Sony doesn't want you buying it to do this homebrew stuff, they want you to buy it and continue handing them money for stuff that's profitable. Even though I'm a Nintendo fan boy, I could see them doing the same thing. (I'm reasonably sur
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:3)
Pirating PSP games isn't going to be feasible unless you own a UMD fabrication plant, or have a large supply of 1GB Memory Sticks.
Re:Sony should be happy (Score:2)
Oh? You could always just store the isos to PSP games on your PC and upload them to your 1G stick as necessary.
Not that I would know.
Re:People Pay for Content! (Score:2, Interesting)
Weird business model, granted, but it's worked in the past...
Re:People Pay for Content! (Score:2)
And I'm not sure the PSP is losing money, given its high price point.
Re:People Pay for Content! (Score:2)
I've got a crappy business model too. My plan is to quit my job and sit at home playing my PSP all day, hoping to guilt-trip Sony into sending me a paycheck every week. I'll even buy some of their games with the money. It's win-win all around.
Re:People Pay for Content! (Score:2)
Re:People Pay for Content! (Score:2)
No, I suppose not. You're right, if everyone just used their PSP as a paperweight, a doorstop, or an MP3 player/photo viewer, this wouldn't be an issue. But there are much cheaper alternatives to the PSP if you don't care about playing new games: a Game Boy Color can keep your papers from flying away just as well, and it plays all your favorite old games.
Re:I hate to mention this, but (Score:4, Interesting)
the PSP is a rather nice piece of hardware, and you'd be amazed at the stuff that people have got running on it - much more than just 'homebrew pong'.
there are of course the multitude of emulators, so you can have your favourite 8-bit microcomputer, or home console with you on the bus. there is already a good implementation of the SCUMM Virtual Machine, so you can play all (well, most) of your favourite Lucasarts graphic adventures, there's a passable Doom engine running on it, a really promising LUA implementation, DOSBOX, and a zillion other things that are under development right this minute.
slashdot is not condoning piracy with this post, they are simply highlighting the truly creative use of computing hardware - a concept that warms the cockles of many slashdotters!
Re:Giving the other handheld platform equal time (Score:2)
Why? To fill your fanboy needs for platform attention?
This isn't an advertisement site, or a political platform. If something technically interesting (I.E. newsworthy) happens on the DS, it'll get posted. What do you want them to do say "PSP firmware hacked! (Oh yeah, and the DS is kinda neat too.)"?
Why are you hearing about emulation on the PSP, and not on the DS? As far as unofficial software goes, the PSP is far more more interesting, since you don't need any