Hackers find a way to run PS3 retail games through a HDD

PS3News have been successful with running PS3 Retail game back-ups on a PS3 Test from both Internal and USB HDD (along with DVD). Unlike PS2 and PS1 development systems, a PS3 Test won't play a 1:1 copy/scene release.

It only plays development copies, so the executables (EBOOT.BIN) had to be decrypted and rebuilt for them to load. However, as mentioned previously, the executables also had to be patched to eliminate some disc checks.

VERY cool being able to run PS3 Retail Games via HDD though, and now PS3News can tinker with game data to find a potential flaw in how a game handles included files!

[Joey Gladstone]

By being less restrictive, and giving the purchaser of the PS3 more freedom, such as the option to install their own OS, and save any content to their swappable HD, there is little need to Tear the PS3 open and Hack....
...
...
....."The JOEY has Spoken"

[spandexxking]

have you swapped your HDD in your ps3 yet? oh you have.... then you'l know you have to format the new HDD via the ps3 riiight? oh wait you havent... thought as much. hey i love my ps3 but c'mon its jokers like you that make the sony fanboy the worst out of the bunch

[shine1396]

There is such a thing as an external hard drive right. Can't you run it off that?

[JeepGamer]

And thus game thieves are one step closer to being able to steal things.

[mighty_douche]

im a PC gamer first and you have been able to access pirated games for years, but i never have.

Just because the option is there doesnt mean everyone will use it, some of us are still honest.

[meepmoopmeep]

i agree ^^

i won't say i've NEVER pirated i think almost everyone has in some way or another, but i always buy my games to support the developers. crappy ports or devs is another story though ;)

[Yi-Long]

... is 'theft'.

Ofcourse gamers will resort to illegal downloads etc, when prices are that ridiculous.

They should bring the european prices back to 40-45 euro or something.
If that's the price for a game, more people will go out and buy their games, instead of downloading them or waiting 5 months for a price-drop.

Just look at DVD. Nowadays, DVD's are pretty reasonable priced, and it's become a mass-market product that sells very well, even though we can just as well download a movie.

[JeepGamer]

The "Overpriced Empire" argument, the fact that a game costs more than you'd like to spend justifies stealing it. Stealing software makes it MORE expensive so stealing it because you feel it's not worth the amount they are charging isn't going to help you. Games are also not 100 dollars here, they're almost universally $60.00 for a new PS3 or 360 game but in going with your 70-75 euro price point where you'd like them to be 40-45 euro that'd put games in America at around $35-40... Note: I'm not doing currency conversion I'm estimating that if a game is 70-75 euro or 60 dollars... How much it would cost for it to be "worth it" to you.

Sorry to break your heart but game companies have this thing they like to call "The Bottom Line" and they really like it when that number is black and not red. What do you do for a living? Well, I want you to go to work tomorrow and inform your boss that whatever product or service you provide should be given away to some people because they think its too expensive. Shouldn't be a problem for you to work for free now should it?

[pigninja]

I'm calling the police

[Richdad]

Although this is bad, but this will surely increase the PS3 sales to limits and decrease software sales. Mostly in countries like India and China, Sony do have grip in selling console but games just wont sell, there is also a very good channel here for illegal games cattering and after modding undoubtely hardware sales is gonna rise but software will plunge.
But if Sony is gonna play hard then this could be stopped. 360 has been moded here for a while but many raids have been conducted recently that made the copied disk supply very scarce, So its not easy for anyone to get a copy of 360 game.If Sony does the same thing they could also avoid it. Hope They just do it so, I just dont want any of the illegal arcaders doing bussiness.

[tuaamin13]

Your math is off. 40-45 euros is like $70+ USD, not 30-35. 35GBP is also about the same. 70 Euro is like $100 USD.

Australia's games are like $100USD.

[derseb]

the game prices are insane! i have to buy games at US ebay to get resonable prices. its a pain in the a**

example: orange box
in stores in germany 65-70€ = 102 $
ebay.com:
$44,99 USD
Shipping & Handling via USPS First Class Mail International $10,00 USD
-----$54,99 = 37€

how sick is that?? the american currency is dead

[clownfacemcgee]

Yes, the USD is not worth as much as the Euro or the GBP, but it's not necessarily about the simple conversion rate because people in the countries can make more or less. America has the second highest median household income (second only to Luxembourg). The median household income is the best indicator of how much the average people in the country make. Since when you look at the quintiles and how much they make, it's completely skewed in favor of the rich, the median household income is a far better indicator of what people really make.

Long story short, although American may have a weak currency, we still make way more money than you. I'd like to see our dollar strengthened (by tossing out the Monkey in Chief), but we're not actually doing that badly.

[Hamton]

Your stats are wrong anyway. Switzerland has the highest average income in the world, followed by the USA and UK.

In terms of GDP, the European Union has the highest GDP in the world. As a single country, the USA has the highest GPA, but per capita, European countries have a higher GDP than the USA.

But GDP's mostly irrelevant.

Fact is: America imports more than it exports, and its average household income has DROPPED since 1999.

If you get super specific - like the high earners in the biggest cities (ie; London Vs New York Vs Tokyo Vs Berlin) then London's pretty much the highest earning (and most expensive) city on the planet.

[bootsielon]

To prevent this from happening. I bet that once you update your PS3 or put a new game on it, all your pirated games would become useless

[TheMART]

Like they patched the PSP also? :P

[fredy]

them psp patches are not doing the job..unless you live in the twilight zone..

[doshey]

the mistake with the psp was that you didnt aways have to download them, ps3 makes it where you want to play online then download and install the update that way this things can be avoided

[LJWooly]

I'm gonna hand that one to theMART. Congratulations.

[tweaker]

Lets all remember that PS3newz has been known to spread false claims multiple times. There just a bunch of attention whores IMO.

[LastDance]

Just letting people know any pirating storys i see about any console(or handheld), i am reporting to the corresponding company.

[Erotic Sheep]

Well done Mary Poppins..

[LastDance]

I think all people who want this industry to thrive should do the very same.

Pirating gives devs and companies less money to make great games...

Hook an agree if you believe this to be true....If you dont tell us all why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tatical]

Its good that you want to help, but buy the time you discover new pirating techniques, these companies have already had meetings about them.

[RJ2000]

You know finding out how to pirate software and hardware is as easy as googling. We already know that. As a programmer of software (its just not worth as much as games), if someone was pirating or stealing mine I would know about it.

Sometimes there is just nothing they can do.

[snoopgg]

have fun.......

[mistertwoturbo]

To be honest, it's more worth it to hack the other two consoles. 360 core for $279 or Wii.

Nobody wants a bricked $400-$500 machine on they're conscience. I sure don't.

[Erotic Sheep]

Bricked? no, but I'm sure they will find a "safe" way to do it eventually. The price for a game is way too high at the moment

[cartman313]

$60 really isn't that much. In fact, it's really cheap entertainment. Take a girl out to dinner and a club and see how long $60 will last you.

[Skerj]

Make sure she has a job and have her pay her share, it'll go a long way :D

[tatical]

"$60 really isn't that much. In fact, it's really cheap entertainment. Take a girl out to dinner and a club and see how long $60 will last you."

Are you saying that you'd rather buy a video game than take a girl out for the night?

Sure, after the girl goes back home I don't have a $60 game that I can play any time that I want. But a girl can give me more pleasure than a video game ever will.

[fenderputty]

It's not just about taking a girl out to a club/bar. It's just general entertainment expenses. I can drop $50 at a bar hanging out with friends without much difficulty at all. Theme parks are expensive, going to the movies is expensive, social events are expensive, cigarettes are expenbsive, booze is expensive, weed isn't cheap, Golf is costly as hell and the list goes on and on. Sure I'll have fun but, once that night/event is over, I'll never have that fun again. With a video game, you can keep coming back to the fun. Not to mention the raised production costs of video games these days. The price is pretty fair when you think about it like this.

[killer_trap]

i think some crappy games deserve to be pirated. why i'll buy any inferior pirated 360 to ps3 port just to teach some developers a lesson....like many EA games for example.

[Yi-Long]

.. to later charge you for DLC, deserve to be pirated tbh.

I will have 1 unmodded 360 so I can buy games for it that I feel are worth it, and that I wanna play online etc.
But I'll also probably get a modded 360, for games that use the DLC scam. To me, it's a guestion of principle. I really dont want any part in paying for DLC, unless it's really REALLY worth it. Games are expensive enough as it is already, especially here in Holland.

[AceLuby]

IMO ALL DLC for a game should be FREE! I guess I can see extra map packs a while after release (at least 6-9 mos), but that crap that comes out right after release is ridiculous. I can't believe they added maps to Halo only 3 mos after releasing it. Those should be free because those should have been in the game from day one IMO.

[ambientFLIER]

"I can't believe they added maps to Halo only 3 mos after releasing it. Those should be free because those should have been in the game from day one IMO."

LOL.

I guess that's what developers get for trying to rush out new content to its fans, a bunch of crybabies. Those new maps couldn't come fast enough for me... Do you actually realize that these maps might have not existed at all when Halo was released? 3 months is a long time, and is enough to develop them from scratch.

[WAR_MACHINE77]

I just don't see what the point of all this is. They do all this work trying to hack the PS3 but they will most likely be put back to zero once the next update comes or at least won't ever be able to play online. Theres also the fact that we're talking about games that are 20-50 gigs so your going to end up spending a lot of money to have several external drives and I may be wrong but isn't the point not to spend money?

[v1c1ous]

if ps3 becomes as easy to steal games as the PSP?

when was the last time you saw a PSP game in the top 20 that wasn't Final fantasy, monster hunter, pro-evolution, GTA? top 30? how about outside of japan?

how are PC game sales outside of hyped up games like Crysis?

be careful what you wish for

[gaffyh]

Very true, but also think about the flip-side, what would happen to the Hardware sales, they would go through the roof. The 360 and Wii are pretty much already hackable, but there software sales are still pretty high and so are PS2 software sales when that is also very easily hackable.

The main problem with this "Hack" is that the PS3 HDD is formatted in FAT, so there is a 4GB file limit, meaning that it will be very hard (if not impossible) to play an ISO off the HDD, maybe if the ISO was extracted it would work, but even then if there is a file within the ISO that is 4GB+ it would still not be possible...

[killer_trap]

i don't get it, why is it only psp software that's being affected by piracy. the ps2 has been hacked 6 month after it was released but there are a million million sellers on it. DS games are much smaller than PSP games and are easier to find and download but still software sales on the DS are not affected. so again, why just the psp????

[TheMART]

They might find a way to get it formatted in HFS+ and still working...

Like running HD movies from an external USB 2.0 HDD on the 360 with files larger then 4GB ;-)

[Yi-Long]

... more about there being a lack of really must-have titles for that system? Most are ports of PS2 games, or re-makes of older games.

Most of us here are gamers, and are more than willing to spend 50 bucks on a good game. I think for many people the problem is that nowadays for consolegaming, you get alot of extra bother and costs.
The 360 is still a very expensive console to buy. Here in Holland it's still 450 for an Elite, and that's WITHOUT GAMES! (!)
Add to that Xbox Live Gold, DLC, and that DLC becoming unaccessible when your 360 brakes down (it will) and gets replaced, when you're offline. And games itself being 55-70 euro for a new game (that's 90+ dollars for a new game(!) )

They just need to fix a whole lot of stuff if you wanna expect people to keep cuffing up money.

I'm sorry, but if pirating is becominga REAL threat to gaming, it's only because developers have distanced their costumers that far from them, losing their loyalty by overpricing them and ripping them off (DLC), and those costumers will look for other ways to still enjoy their hobby.

[gaffyh]

I honestly think that the PSP has been affected by piracy so much because it has a very easy connection to PC, standard USB, and it didn't require any hardware modding to be hacked. If you had to, like for a PS2, burn your game on to a disc, and get your PSP modded, it would be more expensive and would stop some people.

[titntin]

Unless you see it in action I'd be very skeptical indeed.
Not only does this site have a history of flase reporting, but the story seems to suggest they can only run dev code, and even then they get errors that they have to patch. I'll believe it when I see it.

[Skerj]

That's how I said they'd do it all along. Sony's going to be on top of this though IF it is in fact true. If your system is online they can push down updates via game patches, and if it gets too rampant they'll probably restrict PSN access until you do update. It's more trouble than it's worth right now, all my other systems are hacked and modded if possible I think this will be the one I won't do it to.

The only thing I'm interested in is RSX access via Linux so we can then use the PS3 to play every media format without waiting for firmware updates.

[Exhaust]

"and if it gets too rampant they'll probably restrict PSN access until you do update"

PSN access is already restricted until you update...

Thats how I know an update is available most of the time.

[Skerj]

Even for the store? I never tried going into it because I've always updated asap.

[TheTruth89]

They run games via HDD with a DEBUG PS3, not RETAIL.
This is is 100% useless

[xaphanze]

Software hacking is useless.You can't play the games after a firmware update.

[Lumbo]

The main missconception is that the news state the "hackers" where able to run recompiled eboots to start retail games on a TEST-PS3 (dev unit) not on a retail PS3.

Now anyone who followed the test-Unit topics will know that these units can run unsigned code (can be encrypted though) unlike the retail PS3's that only run signed code from the very beginning. And still they had to eliminate additional disc checks to run the stuff on the test unit.

It is still a long way to a hacked PS3, seems Sony implemented the signature check better than Nintendo. Or maybe Nintendo was just stupid with the laughable drive security ...

[Yi-Long]

... that once a console is hacked, people are alot more eager to buy it. Nintendo makes a lot of profit on the console ND the accesories, plus even alot of people that DO have a modded console, will still go out and buy a couple of games in the store.

[titntin]

@Yi-Long
Try telling that to PSP developers looking at huge hardware sales and no software sales.
The only reason WII and 360 piracy has not hurt sales much, is because it's difficult, so only a small proportion of users do it.. Most people will not be able to crack their 360, and few people can be bothered to get a mod chip installed in their WII.
Piracy DOES hurt software sales and profits on a platform, and Sony will do well if they can keep the doors locked on this...
Please note, I'm not taking any kind of 'moral stance' on this as Ive been as guilty as the next man on this issue, despite being a developer myself, but it IS a misnomer to think that the PS3 platform would do better if it were hacked. It won't and its doing just fine as is with weekly software attach rates being the highest for all platforms for the last few weeks. I'm sure Sony wants it to stay that way.

[Yi-Long]

... I still say the lack of must-have games for the PSP is what causing the low sales.
360 has must have, original games.
PSP just has remakes and ports. Ibood.com had a PSP for sale 2 days orso ago, and I was considering buying one... but when I thought about what games it had, I just pretty much struck a blank, as I really couldnt think of more than a few must-haves, if any.

If PSP developers want more sales, they should make better and more original games, tbh.

[GutZ31]

I'm calling FAKE on this one. so...

FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE

[fredy]

I think hacked consoles seem to sell very well...part because of.

look at the psp...

evey little thing they discover is a step closer to some being useful.

[ColdWinter]

instead if pirating ps3 games they should find a way to emulate Wii games on a ps3 cuz i want smash bros brawl and i'm not buying a Wii cuz its over priced(it may have a lower price tag than other consoles but still its too over price judging by what u get)

[aiphanes]

And it will make having a wii worthless...they could do it..

[Gamingshouldbefun]

lol 75euro is around 105$

[Gamingshouldbefun]

and Yea I never chipped my ps2. I support ps brand because they have respect. gonna buy mgs1,2,3 packet when its out, I have 2 and 3 but gonna buy anyway.

[actas123]

This hack is useless for now, but it will definitely help those hackers out there get the PS3 hacked. If the PS3 gets hacked, then it'll be the most pirated console, just like the PSP, because it will require less effort to hack it. But since PS3 first titles are over 22 GB, it will be very hard for people to download them, with the bandwidth limitations and governments continuous crack down on pirate sites.. However multi platform games will be hacked the most, also some people will buy Blue ray burners and rent games and copy them.\

[Aleusia]

I could not care less about this.

[kornbeaner]

"PS3News have been successful with running PS3 Retail game back-ups on a PS3 Test from both Internal and USB HDD (along with DVD). Unlike PS2 and PS1 development systems, a PS3 Test won't play a 1:1 copy/scene release."

Not sure what they are trying to say on that line. Because it sounds like they are saying that the PS3 test kits don't play retail version of games. Which is 100% false. PS3 devkits and testkits function like a Regular PS3 but have the ability to run rough (dev code) disc. Its the 360 dev and test kits that do not allow for retail games to be played on those kits. But the 360 test and devkits do have other perks that the PS3 kits don't, for those of you in the know that perk can make a long day of testing really pass by a little faster.

All in all I'm calling this story misleading.

[Bleucrunch]

people need to stop being cheap and put some air in your wallets....$60 for something you can play over and over and over again shut up and quit whinning. Now as for the pirating I dont agree with it but I do agree with the games that are crappy ports to the ps3.....why should I pay for that crap when the developer didnt even take the time out to make sure the game is top notch on the platform...

[Yi-Long]

... but 60+ EURO is alot more, and too expensive.

Games should be 45-50 euro MAX. When games are affordable and offer good value for money, people are less likely to pirate.

[Boink]

as soon as the ps3 is hacked I think I will get one:)

[altimako02]

me too

[koneesha1]

But they are using a PS3 test unit and not the actual thing. It says it right in there. SO this most likely wont work on retail ps3s! MYTH BUSTED!

[slinkey123]

Just look at the PSP!! How crappy is it now all because they found a way to play backup games on it. now they have basically stopped making games for it, any that are released for it nobody pays for them bcus they can just get them for free. this is how the ps3 will end up bcus of this. i used to play pirated games all the time but i NEVER apreciated them so now i pay for all my games and i actually enjoy them alot more. i hope sony stop this very soon! bcus 99% of people will just use this for pirating games.

[aiphanes]

Alot of people do not play pirated games on it...that is just the minority of people who are doing that...most people buy the games and play it.

[Bull5hifT]

a smart thing for sony would be acknolodging that the ps2 is capable of reading 4 layerd ..200 gigbyte blu-ray disk

people would barely wanna waste 54 gigs downloading ps3 games and the time it would take

sony should make the game its 25-54 gig and stuff it in the 200 gig with a bunch of random code,

so it'll take hackers forever to hack open the disk to remove the bare bones games...........so even if they are playable

nobody will wait for a 200 gig file to download, cause of the pain of waiting

[Bull5hifT]

but sony can pass that on as a 6 gig hdd mandatory install on games to pull data from that, and explain that thanks to the hackers this has to be done

the world lovez HAXXORZ......... thank you the only things left to look forward to on psp are God Of War: Chains of Olympus and Final Fantasy Crisis Core

then nothing, thanks

[nanometric]

Sorry, but it's the truth, before PS3, I always pirated games, because they are ridiculously expensive here, sorry, 100+$ for a game with my 800$ salary is just too much... tho now I have no choice. Also don't get me wrong, I would love to shell out my money for likes of MGS4 or FFXII or AC6, and I have no regrets for giving my money to IW for COD4, but I don't wanna pay for games I'm not certain about. Like DMC4, for example, it looks kinda good and I would like to play it, but I don't wanna pay for it that much and same goes for a lot games.

So bottom line is, I would be happy if a last they get this thing going, then I could be able to enjoy all games and not get restricted by my funds.

[Matpan]

I live in Argentina, where PS2 was a HUGE succes in terms of hardware sales, but as far as it goes for original games... The software market for PS2 here is 95% piracy owned...

In a country where 1 dollar costs 3.18 pesos and where origibal games retail for arroun 200 pesos there aren´t many options for the masses...

Imagine paying arround 200 $ for each game if the average salary for a 18-25 year old guy is arround 800-1000 $... 1/4th to 1/5th of your salary just for a game...

Oh... and Sony made the official release for their PS2 years after... so original games where import only, which made them even MORE expensive... We don´t have that much options left.

So PS3 is simply unreachable here... being over 2500 pesos and more... and games selling for 300 pesos...

PS3 will only sell massively here when it is hacked. It is a sad truth. Sony wont even care to officially release it here and give tech support (happened with my 360 when it went RRoD and M$ said I could only get a warranty repair if I had an address in USA!!!)

[ultraviolentz]

i cant beleive everyone thinks this will only lead to piracy.
i cant wait to see some ps3 homebrew

[Matpan]

A hack or weak point will be used, on an 85% for piracy ends... Yes, there will be homebrew, hopefully lots of it. But what most are eagerly waiting for is the ability to run "back-ups"... you know, there are lots of people who don´t want to scratch their "original games" :P just kiddin`

[crematory]

moded one for single player(who cares)the system will be cheap and games here for ps2 2u$d ..how u want me to pay 60 u$D for a game and salary here is maximum 1000U$d i live in middle east where every thing also become expensive but i am still buying original thats worth especially for games have online mods,(RFOM,COD4,THE CLUB SOON)
so its simple one cosole for for single player games and unhaked console for online games..!

[sleepbox]

I may have to get a PS3 now that I can pirate the games. JK

This will be fixed soon enough in a firmware upgrade though I think this is all Sony's fault since it appears as though every frikkin game that's coming out must be installed on the HDD due to the slow-as-crap BR drive.