Hacker Claims to Have Found Vita Exploit

[theultimateend]

A good platform does not need to be hacked: android and the DS line for example

Also hacking on Android and DS was and is easier than PSP so the excuse that hacking/piracy killed it is nonsense.

PSP didn't sell games because there were no games to buy really, those that were worth buying were bought.

I'm sure the same an be said about the 3DS at launch, Piracy was not the reason it was shit balls, it had nothing to play .

 

[GenGenners]

Just because it has a processor and RAM etc., that doesn't make it a 'fully-featured' computer. That's not what it was designed to be. If you want a kick-ass computer, buy a computer, not a portable games console.

I don't need my computers to necessarily be kick-ass - although my primary desktop is decent enough for the purposes of gaming. The thing is that while I own five x86-based personal computers and an old PowerPC Macintosh, I still desire more computing power. For that reason, I also have an ARM-based Raspberry Pi computer, an ARM-based PDA and an ARM-based smartphone. Along with that, I hacked my Wii for the purposes of running Linux on it, largely because there aren't many companies making personal computers with PowerPC processors any more, despite them being an important embedded line of processors, so I wanted the opportunity to be able to compile source code into assembly language and learn how different processors do things differently.

x86-based computers alone don't give you all of the perspectives there are in the world of computing. I'm not one to let my mind stagnate on the one computing platform when there are plenty of others out there, especially as x86 processors have significant disadvantages. As I said, I'm a tinkerer, not a pirate, and I hack stuff to see how it works. The more we lose the ability to hack devices, the less efficiently and impressively we can use those devices.

What? No, I'm sorry, but no.

They created, developed and released the Vita to the public so that people can use it as a handheld gaming device. The entire point of the Vita is to be able to game while out somewhere, or even at home on the couch, they didn't design it so you could screw around with it and find out how it works, or why it works, or whatever "mind-boggling" things you do.

Think of it this way. Mcdonalds didn't release a Big Mac so you can go "OHHH THATS HOW I SHOULD MAKE A BURGER". They released the Big Mac because it is a freaking burger and you are meant to eat it.

Thanks for replying to this post for me

 

[cookyt]

Yes, my car also has the potential to be a Rolls Royce or an Aston Martin, and I would very much want that, but it isn't.
Just because it has a processor and RAM etc., that doesn't make it a 'fully-featured' computer. That's not what it was designed to be. If you want a kick-ass computer, buy a computer, not a portable games console.

So you're saying that if you had the knowledge and tools required to turn your car into an Aston Martin, you wouldn't do it? I know I would jump at the chance to have a custom-built Aston Martin in my garage. It a machine has a processor, it is a computer. Everything else is more or less peripheral. I would say, it was designed to be a computer, and then retroactively locked down so that the only thing it could do is play (Sony-approved) games. That doesn't mean it isn't a computer.

Given that it's a computer, what's wrong with wanting to explore how it's put together? This sort of inquisitive mentality has brought out some of the best ideas in history. A modern example would be all the non-gaming software being produced with the Kinect. Hackers (and later Microsoft) gave people the tools, and now great things are being produced. The Kinect isn't made worse from other people developing for it, so why can't this sort of thing happen on the Vita?

There are people who are determined enough to break whatever locks Sony puts in place. When the dust settles, the bright guys at Sony will have spent all their time trying to the fight equally bright guys breaking their security when they should have spent that time trying to foster a friendly environment which developers are happy to work with and consumers are happy to buy from.

I get that Sony wants to combat piracy, but I don't think this is the way to do it. At its core, piracy isn't a security issue, it's a people issue. Some do it because they can (that's the person who is unlikely to ever buy anything). Others do it because it's easier than the alternatives. No amount of security will ever change that because there has to be a legitimate way for someone to get their hands on the game which means there is a way for that person to undo whatever security is put in place to stop them from sharing the game. The only way I see to reduce piracy is to make the legitimate alternatives more appealing.

 

[cookyt]

What? No, I'm sorry, but no.

They created, developed and released the Vita to the public so that people can use it as a handheld gaming device. The entire point of the Vita is to be able to game while out somewhere, or even at home on the couch, they didn't design it so you could screw around with it and find out how it works, or why it works, or whatever "mind-boggling" things you do.

Think of it this way. Mcdonalds didn't release a Big Mac so you can go "OHHH THATS HOW I SHOULD MAKE A BURGER". They released the Big Mac because it is a freaking burger and you are meant to eat it.

Maybe you bought it because you wanted a game system. Maybe I bought it because I was interested in its architecture.

McDonalds doesn't really care what I do with the Big Mac I buy from them. If I told a McDonald executive that I bought 17,000 Big Macs, balled them in to a giant wad of meat, and shot it at the sun with a massive cannon, the only thing going through the executive's mind is how I just gave him $17,000 odd dollars.

Sony doesn't just want to sell us something, they want to dictate how we are allowed to use it. It's only natural that people would lash out when they find that they're arbitrarily disallowed from doing what they want to do with the Vita and what they know the Vita is capable of.

 

[GenGenners]

Yes, my car also has the potential to be a Rolls Royce or an Aston Martin, and I would very much want that, but it isn't.
Just because it has a processor and RAM etc., that doesn't make it a 'fully-featured' computer. That's not what it was designed to be. If you want a kick-ass computer, buy a computer, not a portable games console.

So you're saying that if you had the knowledge and tools required to turn your car into an Aston Martin, you wouldn't do it? I know I would jump at the chance to have a custom-built Aston Martin in my garage. It a machine has a processor, it is a computer. Everything else is more or less peripheral. I would say, it was designed to be a computer, and then retroactively locked down so that the only thing it could do is play (Sony-approved) games. That doesn't mean it isn't a computer.

Given that it's a computer, what's wrong with wanting to explore how it's put together? This sort of inquisitive mentality has brought out some of the best ideas in history. A modern example would be all the non-gaming software being produced with the Kinect. Hackers (and later Microsoft) gave people the tools, and now great things are being produced. The Kinect isn't made worse from other people developing for it, so why can't this sort of thing happen on the Vita?

There are people who are determined enough to break whatever locks Sony puts in place. When the dust settles, the bright guys at Sony will have spent all their time trying to the fight equally bright guys breaking their security when they should have spent that time trying to foster a friendly environment which developers are happy to work with and consumers are happy to buy from.

I get that Sony wants to combat piracy, but I don't think this is the way to do it. At its core, piracy isn't a security issue, it's a people issue. Some do it because they can (that's the person who is unlikely to ever buy anything). Others do it because it's easier than the alternatives. No amount of security will ever change that because there has to be a legitimate way for someone to get their hands on the game which means there is a way for that person to undo whatever security is put in place to stop them from sharing the game. The only way I see to reduce piracy is to make the legitimate alternatives more appealing.

Kinect is a terrible example, because Microsoft was stupid to release it as an Xbox peripheral. What hackers did to it was simply what Microsoft should have marketed it as in the first place. It was released into completely the wrong market.
The Vita doesn't match that because it actually IS a gaming system, not a non-gaming device wearing a gaming dress.

Anyway, at the end of the day, I'm sure Sony doesn't mind people tinkering with their stuff to get it to print awesomeness, like for example that supercomputer the Air Force Research Laboatory made out of 1,760 PS3's.
Hell, tinkering with their stuff is exactly what developers are encouraged to do.
Sony only starts getting annoyed when pirates ultimately get their hands on the tech and start losing Sony money, because as we all know, Sony isn't exactly rolling in cash right now, so if pirates took hold, then it would definitely hit Sony where it hurt. Also, developers don't like the idea of developing for pirated systems, so Sony would lose even more money. If this circle sticks, it could kill them off in the gaming market for good. If you worked for Sony, the thought of this would make you shit yourself. No one likes to lose their job.

 

[Zer0Saber]

A good platform does not need to be hacked: android and the DS line for example

I beg to differ, there are numerious hacks for the DS and Android.

R4 and action replay devices exist for the DS is a indicator of DS piracy and hacking.
As well as the R4 that is built on the original DS and DS lite does not work on the DSi and 3DS.
The makers of R4 had to make an up-to-date version of the R4 for the DSi and 3DS. And there a new action relay for the 3DS.

I also like to mention the 3DS is the only handheld on the market that is region locked.

As for android, search for Android Root hacks. Rooting a Android device is the same as jail breaking a kindle or iphone/ipad.

Better yet just head to XDA Developers and you can see all the wild android hacks that exist out there.

Yeah, I don't get this 'stick it to Sony' mentality at all. (rest of quote clipped to save space, although alot of good stuff was said) I absolutely despise that Nintendo and Microsoft get a free pass, even though they have just as many cases of screwing with their customer base as Sony.

I agree. Taking a illegal approaches does not ever help a cause. Although I am a Sony supporter.
If you don't like a product don't buy it. Don't like a company don't go for there products and services.

And I agree why is Micro$oft and Nintendon't gets a free ride. Microsoft's XBLA policies are draconian at best. And Nintendo's online shop is almost criminal. I have to buy a virtual copy of the original Super Mario Bros for the Wii and a 2nd copy if I want it on the 3DS? WTF.

On Steam and PSN, if you buy a virtual copy of a game, you got that game on every compatible device you can log on to with your account.

They are sitting on an incredible back [catalog] of PSX, PSP and PS2 games and doing very little to [capitalize] on that.

The Vita just add PS1 Support (with some 23 PS1 titles so far). The list is currently small but it is growing. Also Sony is (slowly) porting over PS2 titles to PSN.

I don't see Nintendo going out of there way to bring out every Game Boy (including Game Boy Color and Gameboy Advance), NES and Game Gear/ Sega Master system (they are the same system when to comes to porting/emulating games) title they could over to the 3DS's online store.
Also another point against Nintendo, I don not need a bloody 3D rehash to Super Mario bros and Kirby's Adventure, just give me the plain old NES port and no one gets hurt. Stop shoe-honing a bloody gimmick that makes my eyes bleed.

Yes Sony taking their time on porting over titles, but at least they are actively working on it.

That pic looks like their brewing jenkem.

I was wondering as well what was the relevance of jenkem to all of this.

only the picture used and nothing else.

Oh I know, just why there may be a picture that might be of jenkem in an article about hacking the VITA just slightly eludes me.

That pic looks like their brewing jenkem.

I was wondering as well what was the relevance of jenkem to all of this.

only the picture used and nothing else.

Oh I know, just why there may be a picture that might be of jenkem in an article about hacking the VITA just slightly eludes me.

The picture is just a reference to people making "Home Brew" software for the vita.

 

[dumbseizure]

So you're saying that if you had the knowledge and tools required to turn your car into an Aston Martin, you wouldn't do it? I know I would jump at the chance to have a custom-built Aston Martin in my garage.

Just going to point out something a bit off topic but whatever.

What makes an Aston Martin is that it was created and produced by the Company Aston Martin.

I could make a car in my garage that looks exactly the same as a Lotus Elise, but that doesn't mean that it IS a Lotus.

Its a naming convention, cars made by that company are named after that company, and seeing as how I doubt you are from Aston Martin, it still wouldn't be an Aston Martin, just a knock off.

Case in point - The knock off sunglasses you see in Indonesia at the markets, just cause they look like Oakley's doesn't mean that you just bought a $4.50 pair of bloody Oakley's.

 

[Lunar Templar]

The people going "It's hacked, now I have a reason to buy it" are just being childish. You're part of the problem.

true enough, but to be fair, Sony's not really provided a real reason to get one

 

[cookyt]

So you're saying that if you had the knowledge and tools required to turn your car into an Aston Martin, you wouldn't do it? I know I would jump at the chance to have a custom-built Aston Martin in my garage.

Just going to point out something a bit off topic but whatever.

What makes an Aston Martin is that it was created and produced by the Company Aston Martin.

I could make a car in my garage that looks exactly the same as a Lotus Elise, but that doesn't mean that it IS a Lotus.

Its a naming convention, cars made by that company are named after that company, and seeing as how I doubt you are from Aston Martin, it still wouldn't be an Aston Martin, just a knock off.

Case in point - The knock off sunglasses you see in Indonesia at the markets, just cause they look like Oakley's doesn't mean that you just bought a $4.50 pair of bloody Oakley's.

You''re right that cars are named after the company which builds them, but that's not really the point I was trying to make. Replace "Aston Martin" in the above quote with "car which functions as well as, looks like, and is built to the quality standards of an Aston Martin," and it'll be closer to what I was trying to say. Though, it gets a bit tough to read at that point.

The point isn't really about what you call it, but about what it is. It's the same thing with the Vita. You can call it a hand-held game system, but it's really a small, locked-down computer with built in support for a proprietary executable format and a OS. At the end of the day, the hardware's all there, it's just the software that's locked. There's no reason a sufficiently determined person could make the Vita do whatever he wants. It's just a matter of time.

 

[runic knight]

Kinect is a terrible example, because Microsoft was stupid to release it as an Xbox peripheral. What hackers did to it was simply what Microsoft should have marketed it as in the first place. It was released into completely the wrong market.

How is that different, really? You are arguing that the intent of the product itself (as shown by the marketing of the product), did not matter since it was better off in the hacked state afterwards.
Who is to say that the Vita might not be better off in the end after being hacked? I know it would be nice to play my library of ps1 and ps2 games, let alone emulator games on a handheld instead of waiting for whatever they decide to officially chuck on the pile, at the expense of me for every one (and not including the long download and install times and the cost of memory the game takes up.)
Maybe playstation is just marketing their device the wrong way, and it could be a near universal portable retro gaming system as well as one for current releases. Because I know marketed as that second one would make it a hell of a lot more appealing.

Also, once it is bought I am of the mind that it is at that point owned by the customer. If they want to break it, it is theirs to make that choice. If they want to break it into it's components and rebuild that into something else, it is theirs to do so (just not resell because of patent issues). That applies to the physical and the programing aspect of the device. If I have ownership, I have right to do with it as I will so long as I do not try to claim it is my own or sell it. I think if I can take a screwdriver to the physical device, then I should be able to do the same to the programs that make the product.

 

[The Lugz]

draconian

People keep using that word for everything. It's come to the point where it's just another buzz word; without much meaning.

Also, for something to be draconian, it must be unusually severe. If everything's DRM is draconian, then it is no longer an outstanding occurrence and stops being draconian.

drm is draconian doesn't matter who's it is it isn't a new occurrence each time it's used and it's been the same idea since it's inception

and yes, i used that word correctly too

all these hackers / gamers want is the right to use their handheld hardware as they please
if sony isn't happy with their current pricing strategy, they could easily release a psp that is
unlocked and 'full price'

as they control the price and agree to a cost / risk payoff of people actually buying 15+ games to
balance the cost

phone companys sell unlocked phones for full price, i really don't see why handheld gaming platforms are any different

 

[Curan Altea]

I never wanted the Vita to get hacked, even though I did some modding to my psp. (For the sake of playing japanese games I imported, call me a liar if you want) But because I use an American and a Japanese account to play and buy games I had to restore my vita every time I wanted to play a game from the other account. Annoying, but if it helped reduce game sharing, whatever. But now I have to format the entire memory card to switch accounts. It's ridiculous. It doesn't help anything, except give hackers more motivation to give users control over their device. Which of course leads to running backups and piracy. It shouldn't take me over an hour to play Type-0.

 

[Atmos Duality]

And already the piracy forum tug-of-war begins...when piracy isn't actually on the table yet.

Lets see...people are happy that Sony's product gets hacked, the usual band of condescending White Knights arrives to defend Sony's honor, "Piracy-is-bad, mk'ay"...

Yeah, same song and dance as before. Just like with the PSP and PS3.

I don't care much if they get hacked because I lost all interest in purchasing their products after the Other-OS incident.
(doesn't mean I won't keep track of them out of curiosity)

At this stage, any hacks done to them are karmic punishment/hubris for their attitude towards customers (and the industry) for the last 6 years.

They want to play God with your system after purchase? Fine, don't buy their system unless you're OK with that. But don't act surprised when someone tries to cut them, and make God bleed.

 

[surg3n]

They are sitting on an incredible back [catalog] of PSX, PSP and PS2 games and doing very little to [capitalize] on that.

The Vita just add PS1 Support (with some 23 PS1 titles so far). The list is currently small but it is growing. Also Sony is (slowly) porting over PS2 titles to PSN.

I don't see Nintendo going out of there way to bring out every Game Boy (including Game Boy Color and Gameboy Advance), NES and Game Gear/ Sega Master system (they are the same system when to comes to porting/emulating games) title they could over to the 3DS's online store.
Also another point against Nintendo, I don not need a bloody 3D rehash to Super Mario bros and Kirby's Adventure, just give me the plain old NES port and no one gets hurt. Stop shoe-honing a bloody gimmick that makes my eyes bleed.

Yes Sony taking their time on porting over titles, but at least they are actively working on it.

I'm British, Brits spell them Capitalise and Catalogue, because we never felt the need to dumb down our spelling, no matter how little sense English can sometimes make. Please don't teach your great-grandmother how to suck eggs ;D.

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

Oh god damn it... I hope this thing isn't hacked. I'm so sick of people pirating games to hell. The PSP had a nice collection of some fantastic games and ended up being hacked and pirated into oblivion.

Im not supporting piracy, and forgive my ignorance but just asking a question. Would you care to elaborate on how exactly the actions of pirates has had an effect on your gaming experience with the PSP or how it diminished the PSP library?

A company won't continue to support a system they're losing money on, and developers won't develop their game for a platform that people will use to pirate it, ergo those of us who don't pirate lose out.

That is why companies are not making any games for the PC anymore since it gets cracked pretty much the moment the game is out...oh wait that's not true we still get PC games.

 

[zidine100]

so i guess they finally have another excuse for poor system sales, here we go again.

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

Kinect is a terrible example, because Microsoft was stupid to release it as an Xbox peripheral. What hackers did to it was simply what Microsoft should have marketed it as in the first place. It was released into completely the wrong market.

How is that different, really? You are arguing that the intent of the product itself (as shown by the marketing of the product), did not matter since it was better off in the hacked state afterwards.
Who is to say that the Vita might not be better off in the end after being hacked? I know it would be nice to play my library of ps1 and ps2 games, let alone emulator games on a handheld instead of waiting for whatever they decide to officially chuck on the pile, at the expense of me for every one (and not including the long download and install times and the cost of memory the game takes up.)
Maybe playstation is just marketing their device the wrong way, and it could be a near universal portable retro gaming system as well as one for current releases. Because I know marketed as that second one would make it a hell of a lot more appealing.

Also, once it is bought I am of the mind that it is at that point owned by the customer. If they want to break it, it is theirs to make that choice. If they want to break it into it's components and rebuild that into something else, it is theirs to do so (just not resell because of patent issues). That applies to the physical and the programing aspect of the device. If I have ownership, I have right to do with it as I will so long as I do not try to claim it is my own or sell it. I think if I can take a screwdriver to the physical device, then I should be able to do the same to the programs that make the product.

Because Microsoft wanted it to get hacked, even had a cash reward for it.

 

[yarrmateys]

I'm British, Brits spell them Capitalise and Catalogue, because we never felt the need to dumb down our spelling, no matter how little sense English can sometimes make.

what's with dumbing down stuff like television into telly then?

it makes less sense than your examples, and sounds like something a kid would use as an affectionate way to name things (or as some baby talk), but i often hear adults using those in regular conversation.