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[kaching]

I'd think if Sony were doing their "damndest" to kill homebrew, it would involve going after the homebrew/hacker scene a lot more directly than they have been. I believe there's only been one case of that, and that was almost a year ago now.

Homebrew doesn't really want to be legitimate anyway. By and large they don't want the responsibility of supporting a "product", they just want to put out software and move on whenever the mood suits them.

 

[Izzy]

1. 1,300% Sales Rank in Video Games: 1 (was 14)


:lol


Enjoy it while you can, it won't be so easy with the upcoming model...

 

[clav]

So a majority are buying a PSP with Lumines so they can play old classics and retail games for free.

Comes to show how much gamers

Spoiler

who are piraters

like their unlocked firmware.

I am going to do this on my friend's PSP because he's been dying to get his games for free.

 

[el Diablo]

Couldn't find a new copy anywhere CC, BB, Frys, Wal-mart, Target but i did manage to scoop up a used copy at Gamestop for $12.99 . It's actually in damn good shape too, UMD isn't scuffed or scratched and the manual is totally in tact. Usually the used stuff from Gamestop looks like someone wiped their arse with it. Was odd that one store had about 7 copies but the other 5 stores in my area had a combined 2 heh.

Screwed up thing is that i'm buying this to actually play (loved it before i broke my PSP), and unfortunately i can't cause i'm waiting for the new hardware revision to buy another (which will likely lock out the homebrew heh).

 

[MoxManiac]

Picked up a new one at CC for $12. Not even greatest hits! It's not a bad game either!

 

[Fafalada]

So a majority are buying a PSP with Lumines so they can play old classics and retail games for free.

No, as I commented earlier, majority are evidently buying multiple copies of Lumines to sell them to other PSP owners at a hefty profit. You can just look at some of the other places where people brag about ordering 10s of copies PER person.

I am going to do this on my friend's PSP because he's been dying to get his games for free.

Don't forget to tell him it was the last Lumines left so you had to overpay for it and he owes you something for it

Homebrew doesn't really want to be legitimate anyway.

If they were legitimate there would be no way to make headlines about their heroic exploits that open doors to free software. Although if anything, company actively trying to improve protection seems to only serve the purpose of every person online scrambling to make headlines about how it got hacked (whenever it does).
It's a good question what does more damage - just letting the pirates be (like Nintendo does on handhelds) or fixing exploits and ending up with tons more people finding out about them because it's all headline news online. Granted for PSP the lashout was probably worse because of general Sony negativity online fueling these "news" even more.

 

[The Hermit]

If they were legitimate there would be no way to make headlines about their heroic exploits that open doors to free software. Although if anything, company actively trying to improve protection seems to only serve the purpose of every person online scrambling to make headlines about how it got hacked (whenever it does).
It's a good question what does more damage - just letting the pirates be (like Nintendo does on handhelds) or fixing exploits and ending up with tons more people finding out about them because it's all headline news online. Granted for PSP the lashout was probably worse because of general Sony negativity online fueling these "news" even more.

I think it's worse in the case of the PSP, since you don't even need a flashcard like the DS to play them(well now you need Lumines...)
Besides that ,there are a lot of improvements regarding durability, brightness ,load times and the ability to have a nearly perfect compilation of emulators including Snes, Gba and Psx.

 

[Fafalada]

I think it's worse in the case of the PSP, since you don't even need a flashcard like the DS to play them

Last I checked, PSP needed this thing called "memorystick" to do just about anything with piracy/homebrew.

Emulation argument is a wash, PSP does some things better (emulating more modern machines, and faster) NDS does others (better emulation for point&click games, less ghosting on 2d, perfect GBA).
But on that topic, I've yet to see any PS1 game load noticeably faster on PSP (even with fast-load option). It's great having some of those games portable but load-times are as bad as ever.

 

[RobertM]

Last I checked, PSP needed this thing called "memorystick" to do just about anything with piracy/homebrew.

Emulation argument is a wash, PSP does some things better (emulating more modern machines, and faster) NDS does others (better emulation for point&click games, less ghosting on 2d, perfect GBA).
But on that topic, I've yet to see any PS1 game load noticeably faster on PSP (even with fast-load option). It's great having some of those games portable but load-times are as bad as ever.

There are draw backs to everything, now try out some other emulators.

 

[Mejilan]

Not to mention you need some kind of memory stick for the PSP just for normal usage, and most PSP models come with (or came with) a memory stick of some sort. None of this is true for GBA/DS flashcarts.

 

[Brannon]

1) What larger battery pack?

Wasn't there a rumor going around about how Sony would release a larger capacity battery so that they could fully use the processor? Unless it was just that, a rumor.

 

[Fafalada]

None of this is true for GBA/DS flashcarts.

Last I checked, there's no games for GBA/DS that can be played without purchasing at least one flashcart. The official ones may not be rewriteable, but that's just semantics
As opposed to PSP, I can go out on the street and pick up read-only multi-game cart for a few $, OR I can cough up those 40$ for a cart with 1GB micro SD and download the rest of the library for free.

Like I said, IMO it all comes down to public exposure, and PSP scene has more.

 

[iapetus]

INSANE!!!

Lookin' at those bumps on the charts it seems as us Euroland guys sadly confirm ourselves as Capt. Sparrow's land... (not talkin homebrew here guys)

You are, by far, the worst homebrew developer I have ever heard of.

 

[Mejilan]

Last I checked, there's no games for GBA/DS that can be played without purchasing at least one flashcart. The official ones may not be rewriteable, but that's just semantics
As opposed to PSP, I can go out on the street and pick up read-only multi-game cart for a few $, OR I can cough up those 40$ for a cart with 1GB micro SD and download the rest of the library for free.

Like I said, IMO it all comes down to public exposure, and PSP scene has more.

Bullshit. You aren't talking semantics, you're talking apples vs oranges. GBA/DS homebrew require specialized hardware and software you'll never find yourself using otherwise. PSP only requires specailized software. From a hardware perspective, the PSP is homebrew-ready, out of the box. Especially now, apparently.

 

[slidewinder]

A 3.50 downgrader based on this exploit has been released. Site's a little slow. Excerpt from the announcement:

To use this downgrader, you will need the following:

1. A PSP, upgraded to the official Sony v3.50 firmware. You should also set your language settings to "English".
2. A legal Lumines UMD, either the EU (ULES00043) or US (ULUS10002) version. The original, Platinum, or Greatest Hits versions are all fine. Support for the Japanese version will come soon.
3. Sufficient intelligence and english language skills to be able to carefully and throroughly read the instructions.
4. It would also help if you've previously run the Illuminati Hello World, so that you're familiar with how to run the Illuminati exploit.

For instructions on how to run the downgrader, see the Downgrader_HOWTO.txt file in the ZIP.

Future plans? Firstly, we intend to provide a solution for people who are stuck on firmware 3.10 or 3.11, unable to upgrade to 3.50 due to the new Sony checks. The exact format of that solution is still to be decided. We also intend to develop an eLoader for v3.50 HEN, so that those who do not want to downgrade will still be able to run some homebrew.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

You are, by far, the worst homebrew developer I have ever heard of.

But you have heard of him.

 

[iapetus]

A 3.50 downgrader based on this exploit has been released. Site's a little slow. Excerpt from the announcement:

Anyone tried this yet? Anyone managed to download it from the cripplingly slow site? Any mirrors?

 

[slidewinder]

Looks to be available at PSP Updates. That should be faster than the Noobz site.

 

[Mejilan]

Just downloaded it from QJ. I have no use for it, but I'm reading the instructions now.

 

[MotorbreathX]

Trying to download now from the site. It's going at 2k tops. About 21% done. I still have to wait for my copy of Lumines in the mail though.

 

[Carl2282]

ok now I go into system information and my firmware is 3.50 HEN- did i just do what i was supposed to do successfully? Honestly I'm new to this, now how do i get the good firmware on here and the cool homebrew?

 

[kenta]

But you have heard of him.

Seriously stop it. I am falling in love with you and there is TOO MUCH at stake

 

[iapetus]

Damn it. Got all the bits downloaded, shuffled the directories around like I'm supposed to, and NOW I CAN'T FIND MY DAMN COPY OF LUMINES.

 

[DieH@rd]

Damn it. Got all the bits downloaded, shuffled the directories around like I'm supposed to, and NOW I CAN'T FIND MY DAMN COPY OF LUMINES.

Murphy's law for PSP downgradin is working I see...

 

[Mejilan]

THIS DOWNGRADER WORKS.

I just helped a buddy upgrade his 3.10 PSP to 3.50, then downgrade to 1.50 using this awesome app.

Now we're working on installing 3.40 OE-A!

 

[Carl2282]

THIS DOWNGRADER WORKS.

I just helped a buddy upgrade his 3.10 PSP to 3.50, then downgrade to 1.50 using this awesome app.

Now we're working on installing 3.40 OE-A!

how do i go from 3.5 hen to 3.40 oe-a?

 

[Mejilan]

You go from 3.50 HEN to 1.50 using the downgrader (if you're following the readme, it should be called 'PSP UPDATER X.YZ', or something like that, and be accessible from the XMB via Games -> Memory Stick

 

[Corwood Rep]

Jesus Christ, I can't believe they got a downgrader out of this so fast.

P.S. Any word on the incorrect backlight response being fixed in 1.5 mode on TA082/86 boards? You know, when you press the button, instead of going 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, it goes 4 > 2 > 1 (or something like this - the brightness settings do not correspond to their later firmware counterparts)?

 

[iapetus]

Murphy's law for PSP downgradin is working I see...

I'm missing a whole stack of the first PSP games I bought - haven't seen them since I moved house. Think I might just have to bite the bullet and buy another copy of Lumines, if anywhere has them in stock.

 

[Metalmurphy]

Wow, that was pretty damn fast lol


And btw, i just found out the PSP has an infrared port :lol

 

[Mejilan]

Jesus Christ, I can't believe they got a downgrader out of this so fast.

P.S. Any word on the incorrect backlight response being fixed in 1.5 mode on TA082/86 boards? You know, when you press the button, instead of going 1 > 2 > 3 > 4, it goes 4 > 2 > 1 (or something like this - the brightness settings do not correspond to their later firmware counterparts)?

About as fast as the GTA exploit -> downgrader, IIRC. Only took 2 or 3 days then, as well!

 

[The Faceless Master]

wow, that was fast...

I'm missing a whole stack of the first PSP games I bought - haven't seen them since I moved house. Think I might just have to bite the bullet and buy another copy of Lumines, if anywhere has them in stock.

does your landlord have any kids?

 

[The Hermit]

PSP only requires specailized software. From a hardware perspective, the PSP is homebrew-ready, out of the box. Especially now, apparently.

I´m sorry if I didn´t made myself clear before, but that´s exactly what I meant. You only need a patch and a memory card. With the DS, most of the times, you need a flashcard AND a memory card.

 

[Mejilan]

I´m sorry if I didn´t made myself clear before, but that´s exactly what I meant. You only need a patch and a memory card. With the DS, most of the times, you need a flashcard AND a memory card.

?

I was responding to Faf before, not to you...

 

[Carl2282]

when i do that it says after the blue screen can not find update.pbp

 

[slidewinder]

Did you do this, Carl?

7 - Unzip the 1.50 update to a temporary folder. Rename the EBOOT.PBP to
UPDATE.PBP and copy it to <pspdrive>:/PSP/GAME/UPDATE/ . DO NOT
OVERWRITE PSP/GAME/UPDATE/EBOOT.PBP!

You really need to read the instructions (Downgrader_HOWTO.txt, in this case) before messing with this stuff.

 

[Mejilan]

when i do that it says after the blue screen can not find update.pbp

You must not be following the readme/howto. Previously, you should have downloaded Sony's official 1.50 firmware updater, which comes in the form of an EBOOT.PBP file. You were supposed to have downloaded it, renamed it to UPDATE.PBP, and copied it over to your mem stick (location: \PSP\GAME\UPDATE) IIRC.

The 3.50 downgrader cannot function without that file. No harm will come of trying to launch the downgrader without that file, however. So go ahead and set it up again.

 

[Carl2282]

nah i read the readme file, nvm im stupid and skipped a step

 

[kenta]

Is there an ETA on 3.50 OE? Has 3.50 even been cracked yet?

 

[Mejilan]

3.50 is slaughtered. 3.50 OE-A is due out in another week or two. Dark Alex had finals keeping him away from his PSP work.

 

[kenta]

3.50 is slaughtered. 3.50 OE-A is due out in another week or two. Dark Alex had finals keeping him away from his PSP work.

Cool, I'll wait until then to do the downgrade, thanks!

 

[derder]

Dark Alex had finals keeping him away from his PSP work.

Jesus Christ. Just take a step back and read this again. What have you done to me GAF that would make this make sense.

I feel... cold...

 

[Fafalada]

From a hardware perspective, the PSP is homebrew-ready, out of the box.

So Sony ships new PSPs with Lumines/GTA (depending on the FW version)?

GBA/DS homebrew require specialized hardware and software you'll never find yourself using otherwise.

The products I've seen tested were plug&play (no extra software needed) - granted firmware on DS solutions is upgradeable, but it's not required. Could as well mention that lots of people already own SD sticks compatible with the said FlashCarts(arguably more then people owning MemorySticks) making it even 'cheaper'.

 

[M3wThr33]

The idea is that I can purchase a simple game and suddenly I can do everything, rather than having to order from a shady place in Hong Kong that couldn't spell the word "reliable."

I don't know why you are militantly defending the DS homebrew scene as being easier. Does it bother you? Granted it's not much more difficult, but there's the extra step of needing a SPECIAL card as opposed to one of two of the most popular PSP games.

But, hey, when you start saying a GODDAMN MEMORY CARD is an extra purchase, you're an idiot anyway.

 

[Mejilan]

Buying, renting, or borrowing a popular game to run a once-only exploit is a helluva lot cheaper and easier than buying strange devices from Chinese chop shops! And for that matter, not every PSP at retail even REQUIRES GTA or Lumines to crack. There are still plenty of 2.71 machines out at retail that can be flashed immediately.

I picked up a relatively popular GBA flashcart about two years ago (the EZFlash III, IIRC) and the experience completely soured me on both GBA and DS homebrew. When I finally worked up the courage to dabble in DS homebrew again, I half-bricked it during the flash, and worked for 3 hours to resurrect it!

The PSP is an entirely separate beast. As I said, from a hardware perspective, it's absolutely ready to crack out-of-the-box. And the software is much more user friendly than the crap I had to suffer through on the GBA and DS. I'm sure the DS and GBA scenes have improved in the intervening years, but not to the point where it makes cracking the PSP look complicated by comparison!

Jesus Christ. Just take a step back and read this again. What have you done to me GAF that would make this make sense.

I feel... cold...

What?

 

[M3wThr33]

What?

He means that he was demanding shit from a kid in high school/college and felt bad about it.

 

[Wario64]

I dont know if this helps it but I hope 3.50 OE becomes reality soon

 

[Oni Jazar]

Who cares about this where is 3.5 OE?! >/

 

[Mejilan]

3.50 OE-A was on its way well before this. This sure doesn't hurt, though.

 

[Corwood Rep]

More PSP news, on a sidenote, is that there's an update to the N64 emulator. Goldeneye and Super Smash Bros. run now. Crazy.