It looks like Dark_Alex has done it again. His latest custom firmware release will allow your PSP to emulate the 3.02 firmware while running homebrew as if you have a very homebrew-friendly 1.50 PSP. Of course, the custom firmware goes even beyond that: it'll strip region encoding off of UMD movie playback, and more importantly, it'll get rid of the DRM protection of the current lineup of downloadable PSone games. The 3.03 firmware most likely protects the system from such vulnerabilities, but it's clear that the homebrew community is furiously fighting Sony.
There's no doubt that this is a very huge and crippling blow to Sony's anti-piracy efforts. While we don't support piracy here at the Fanboy, we can understand the huge frustration of the gaming community with Sony's PSone download efforts: stop making a PS3 required, please?
[Via Opposable Thumbs]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-23-2006 @ 12:19PM
Trevor said...
Awesome!
Now we can get fewer games for download at low prices so they can port them and sell them on UMD at full, new-game price. And what we DO get to download will cost more to make up for the piracy.
Maybe sony wouldn't fight homebrew so hard if it wasn't immediately used to steal things from them and the people adventurous enough to develop for the PSP instead of cranking out another warioware clone for DS.
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12-23-2006 @ 1:07PM
vR said...
Radical!
Who let the soccer mom out? If your child starts smoking, Trevor, will you blame the cigarette company?
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12-23-2006 @ 2:24PM
chris said...
This is great news, Sony should probably start reconsidering it's look on homebrew as a feature, rather than a nuisance, like GamePark did. This could also help boost sales.
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12-29-2006 @ 9:55PM
weirdal68 said...
Sony is just trying to sell a few more unobtainium PS3 consoles. That's what marketing is focused on ATM. The PSP is yesterday's news and the PS3 is getting the lions share of $$$. Maybe tying the PSP to the PS3 is the only way the PSP devs can get even a scrap of the budget.
I feel sorry for Sony PSP devs but I feel more than a little miffed that I have to buy the titles I already own so I can play them on my PSP. Sony already got a *ton* of my cash from the huge pile of domestic and import titles I *bought* (yes - BOUGHT). Sony has the right to protect their IP but striking the perfect balance is next to impossible. One group might want to sit on the games because they're too lazy and somebody else wants to hand out the old games free (think of the old Infocom games).
As for Sony embracing homebrew, it won't happen. They want total control over console software (and movie/music IP too but that's OT). Remember the Atari 2600? Atari lost control and the market crashed (although that was due to people *selling* crap). Homebrew games have a long history of *helping* their platforms (especially on home computers). Anyone old enough to remember when 8 bit computers ruled the earth knows homebrew/independent devs can sell tons of hardware and software (even with rampant piracy).
Bring on the custom firmware. People like Dark Alex will be supporting the platform for years to come (long after Sony has decided there is no more blood to be squeezed from the stone)
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