Yesterday we told you about a group of hackers who figured out how to hack the PS3. Now that the PS3 has been hacked, the first custom firmware for the console has been created. Frankly speaking, the custom firmware doesn't really do much, baby steps I guess. The hacker, KaKaRoToKS, wrote on his blog, "Thanks to the tools made by the fail0verflow team (and thanks to sven in particular for his work on the pkg/unpkg tools), the first 'Custom Firmware' is now available for the PS3!"
Due to obvious legal and copyright issues KaKaRoToKS has opted to not post his custom firmware online. Currently the firmware only offers minor additions; with the firmware you can add "install package files" to the game section of the Cross Media Bar. KaKaRoToKS ended his blog with "eventually we’ll get some more options added to it in the future. This is just starting to get interesting!"
Do you support hackers trying to test the limits of the PS3, even if it leads to playing pirated games?
Source: Arstechnica
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chronoboi
Talking about emulators, it would be interesting to see the homebrew community test the power of the Cells with say an Xbox emulator, or even a 360 emulator would be funny to see. Considering how many cores are in the PS3, it might be possible. Native support for Xbox's USB devices on the PS3 should be the first thing to do. All they need to do is develop the drivers for them to work. If the community could re-add PS2 emulation and perfect it, perhaps Sony could use that in their official firmware.
Regarding all this hacking stuff, consider the main difference between iPhone and Android. iPhone is more like your console, it's closed up to only a storefront(unless you jailbreak). Android is more like your home PC. Androids are very easy to root(it's only there to protect the end-user), Just like on Mac OS X, you can gain root in a similar manner: sudo passwd root, use the preferred sudo command. However, Android allows anybody to install what ever they want when they want(some carriers prevent this).
The reason why I brought that up, if Sony from the beginning took what the Android did years after. Sony would be much further now. The PS3 would allow custom software to be installed, but in a similar sandbox like the Android(for end-protection), open it too much and you have a system like XP. If home computer OSes actually took the Android permission system, they would be much more secure, as the app could only access resources it requested. During install the user would see all these permissions and either accept it or decline the install. Of course on Android, some developers have access to uber permissions that can access the underlying system. Google's own apps use these to control various hardware components from the Java VM.
I remember a few years back, I actually posted on the Sony forums about allowing custom widgets for the PS3 to be created by anybody. Of course either Sony never saw this post or didn't care for it's possibilities. Well a few years later, Widgets and user created content is all the rave! I believe I even had a post about developing more game with editing functions. A few years later, LittleBigPlanet comes out and is a huge success. I'll dig up these posts from the official Sony forums and post another comment to link to them. The point being, if Sony took some of my ideas to heart, it would have gained more popularity and perhaps prevented this whole custom firmware from even happening. Widget support would have distracted people from the Linux dual-boot, as Widgets can reach a larger PS3 audience and would be easier to program.
vinzer0
Look it all boils down to this. Hackers are primitive idiot with nothing better to do than break codes. i admire there intelligence and steadiness in doing this but direct it towards something a little more positive. I fully support moding your own system but hacking IS illegal. read your disclaimer. this is getting out of hand. sony needs to get off there ass and make a firmware or start putting games with keys. nothing is unhackable as our tech is always changing. but slowing them down a bit is always nice
Sam_Jam
Honestly I hope the worst to sony seeing as how despite these "do everything systems," I can't play my lowly PS2 games on my PS3. On top of that I'm teased with the dc that does nothing. So thumbs up Hackers!
faithfracture
It's sad that people will use this to play pirated games. The selfishness of some people is pathetic. I'm a graduate student doing research on programmable GPUs and I've been in contact with Sony recently attempting (successfully) to get my school a PS3 development machine to do research on. It would be awesome to be able to use this firmware to gain access to the PS3s that we already have on hand, instead of being restricted to the hardware access currently granted by the PS3s current firmware. There are all kinds of ways this can be useful. Sadly, the majority of persons who use this are going to use it for other reasons.
Sen4lifE
The new features are definitely interesting, however, I've become against pirating games. A corporation can't make games if it's not gaining any profit. You might say, "It doesn't matter, plenty of people buy games anyhow." Well if everyone pirated, then no, no one would, so me people who can still must by games. I think if you like a company's product, support it. If you could afford a $300 console, you should be able to afford a $50-$60 game. If not, don't waste $300 on a console.
deathbystereo197
Hacked systems will always be a problem, without the people out there trying to break into systems, it will take longer to get good coders out there for system apps and games, not that that is a big deal, but people learn alot from working on breaking into systems, either way pirated games will always be a problem, but Sony and Microsoft deal with that problem by making systems unable to get online and etc with there system, hence, the only people that benefit from such systems is those that only enjoy a single player experience. And in this day and age, that is not everyones main priority, that priority is multiplayer, and I have noticed that most people dont buy games that dont have a multiplayer component. So, in the end, will pirated games truely hurt the gaming community?
RobertInCypress
hack it up, chop it sideways.
AWESOMEgamer875
im a die hard ps fan and im not gonna go back on them now.
GaurdianAngel822
I guess they can do whatever they feel like. I'd be curious to see how pirated games work on the system. But unless i see something REALLY cool take place, I doubt i'm gonna mod my PS3. There's already so much it can already do, I can't imagine anything better to add
gamerjes
Oh, and I really wish they would return PS2 capability to newer PS3s. Much as I enjoy my ancient 60g with full backwards capability, I would like to get a system with more memory without losing my PS2 library.
gamerjes
Hack all you want, Sony cannot really stop you... unless you are stupid enough to connect the hacked PS3 to the PSN and they check it. PS3 hackers will now have to join 360 hackers: one modded offline system and one legit online system. Anyone stupid enough to connect their hacked system deserves to get locked up. It adds a little Darwin to modding and hacking.
Not saying I suppose pirating games, I don't. I merely enjoy laughing at idiots that know hacking is disliked, yet still try to use online services on cracked systems.
yougimble
Well considering this world is obviously now void of any respect possible, why are you asking us if we support it. Who cares that people have put countless hours into the games they make. But that doesn't matter! Afterall i just wanna be a cheap jerk. Sure the hackers also put a lot of time into it but maybe they should also put sometime into something their parents can be proud of, like I don't know LEAVING THE BASEMENT. Or getting a girlfriend etc. etc. There are somethings that need to just be left alone.
G4maniac14
I love how even 1337 hackers are using DBZ references in their hacker-names. Very awesome to see nostalgia is still alive and kickin'!
Severnik
the only thing I ever see myself doing with this is maybe emulators.
BertSaxby
Well, IMHO if you use w4r3z you may as well just sit down and install a virus or post your bank information online. Having said that, there will be really cool stuff that will come out of this, however, Sony will not capitalize on any of it. They really don't seem to like great ideas that don't originate at Sony.
sonicwind510
to sony..... HA HA it was bound to happen it's inevitable (agent smith voice from the matrix). now i can get games for free dollars. i hated buying game that aren't worth the price or in a year it goes down.... like bayonetta... wtf? thanx hackers for making my dreams come true. WE'RE IN A RECESSION!
Manowarface
still think ps3 is a solid product. the fact that it took this long to hack it proves that point. So much for that 7th cell processor which was "impossible", to hack. It's a free country folks do what you want regardless. You won't get busted, but it does take a lot of work and time to make a video game so you should support video games and the developers. But i do think you should most def. pirate movies because acting is the most useless profession on the planet.
LaviRabi
They should make it to where the ps3 plays ps2 for the later models... Just an idea.
shmaron
I think that people should have the right to do whatever they want with their playstations, since they spent the money on it, but I also feel Sony has the right to ban you from their network in consequence.
Greibach
I have no problem with people modifying their own personal hardware/software (modding/hacking). They bought it, in my books that means they should be able to do what they want with it so long as they don't affect others. So, no I don't support piracy/cheats online, but I fully support any other mods for personal use. I don't see why Sony should be able to tell me how I am not allowed to use my own hardware as long as it isn't an illegal or disruptive activity.
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