PSP homebrewer creates indie game encryption system
By Conrad Quilty-Harper 
posted November 27th 2006 5:55AM
posted November 27th 2006 5:55AM
PSP homebrewing by its very definition requires a moderate level of subversion. As Sony has shown time and time again, running unsigned code on the PSP is not the way that it wants its customers to use the PSP, simply because there's a lot more profit to be gained in selling games than there is in selling hardware. Hold that thought for a second as we bring you up to speed on the latest from the PSP homebrew scene: a developer by the name of Xart has created an encryption system for homebrew PSP code. Apparently, the problem of homebrew community members copying their fellow coder's work and re-releasing it with their name in the splash screen has become bad enough to warrant this encryption system. So lets get this straight: a coder has made an encryption system for a community that's based partly around bypassing Sony's own complex restrictions. What's next? DRM for freeware games?[Via PSPFanboy]
You gotta give credit where credit is due. It's total BS taking credit for other peoples work in a freeware community.
Hum so the people that create software and emulators that allow people to pirate games and roms don't want their software stolen? Kinda hypocritical don't you think, kinda like those people that sell dvds full of PSP isos and roms.
patrick,
are you naive? These people don't want their software stolen but they want their software downloaded and distributed as much as possible. They just don't want people to take credit for their work.
What are you smoking and what grade are you in not to understand the situation?
Oh I understand, they want their stuff protected but don't care about protecting other peoples work. Such as those who make the games that their software allows people to pirate.
I'm patrick and I posted that comment.
Thats what people are doing. And homebrewers are getting mad.
Compare apples to apples. No one is talking about pirate software, just making sure people don't take credit for other people's work.
Since you are so smart why don't you make an apples to apples comparison right here for the community read.
I'm just saying that the software that they create is illegal so why should they have any right to protect it. Oh and here is your little apples to apples comparison you wanted so bad.
Say I create a program that will break the password on your burglar alarm so anyone can steal your stuff. Even though I will give it to anyone that wants it do I have a right to patent it so no one else can make a copy of it? It just seems to me that copy protecting something that breaks copyrights seems kinda lame.
lol @ patrick, and his yellow oblong rind-covered apples
More like buying an Ikea condo, which normally only allows Ikea purchased furniture through the door. Some people make other types of furniture that can be snuck through the door of the condo that you own (theoretically at a small discount, but not really, the prices were artificially high because you can see a bit of a lake from your window). They're even so nice as to show you how to make your own copy of their furniture designs, but some jerks are now coming along trying to get credit for creating the design.
Oh, and to be more clear about what you're getting wrong (at least IMHO)...
Home-brewers are not doing anything illegal. They are not violating anyone's copyright.
They are not even circumventing security on the PSP (the user has to do that themselves, with the aid of programs or instructions developed by hackers who have possibly violated the DMCA, a vile, backwards, probably unconstitutional law arguably purchased by large companies.)
They wrote a program that happens to run on hardware that the hardware manufacturer doesn't like running other software. Balls to Sony, they got their money for it, the user should be able use it how they want.
Other people are violating the homebrewers copyrights by altering their programs to change the credits. Just because it's given away for free doesn't mean the author isn't entitled to the rights of their work.
This encryption is protecting homebrewers copyrights, homebrew does NOT violate anyone else's rights, or any laws.
As I alluded to in my other post, Sony's argument is that they would sell the device for more if it played anyone's games, but instead they're selling it for less and making it up on software required to make the system useful. That's not a right protected by any law, that's just what Sony wants to happen. If the user can re-purpose a device, that's hunky-dorey. Nothing stops me from using my car as a generator, or putting water in old milk jugs. The same applies to the PSP. Sony wouldn't be able to sell the already expensive PSP at a higher price, so it's a weak argument in many ways - they have to price it at what the market will bear if they want to make money.
A similar, more physical analogy is printers and ink cartridges. Printer manufacturers sell cheap printers, but nowhere is it made known that some printers has protections against using cheap knock-off ink. The average buyer has to buy on price and hearsay company quality, without knowledge of underhanded physical limits to the product's usefulness.
Lexmark has sued companies that make cheap ink because in order to get their ink to work in lexmark printers, they had to reverse engineer a chip that lexmark made - uhoh, DMCA violation! From what I can tell, that lawsuit hasn't been resolved yet, but it's raised a lot of questions about the validity of the DMCA. Please don't even start to argue that we should always follow the letter of the law, no matter how questionable. Do you always stay under the speed limit? Everyone violates a large number of laws on a regular basis - this is a terrible thing and only happens because it makes it easier to throw someone in jail when police, lawyers, and judges decide to bring the hammer down on someone they don't like. The general populace shouldn't go through life simply hoping it isn't them.
patrick,
your comparison doesn't even come close the the poitn that the rest of the people here are making. So far no one is on your side.
First off no one is talking about pirating. Second, the intention of securing a program, in this case, is to make sure people do not take credit where credit is due rather than to prevent people from copying and using the program. You have NOT address this fact in how many post?
To even stay up this late and explain this another time means you are too young to understand or you got some personal vendetta where even the truth wouldn't convince you. I'm sure the rest of the future replies on this thread from other people will piss you off.
I'm done with dealing with ignorant people like you patrick.
The nice thing would be if this encryption worked with the PSP's original system so that we wouldn't have to bother with downgraders anymore.
Patrick, you sir, are an arsewolloper.
Look at it this way -
You go ahead and write some software, its good and all , and you distribute it freely, for others to use. Then, you see a similar pice of software, with a different name, and find out its yours! rebadged by some jerk who is obviously not smart enough to write such a thing themselves. Would you want your software protecting? I know i would.
Anyhoo, its a dog eat dog world, and if sony are to monopolising not to allow others to run stuff thats not theirs, then its their own fault.
Just my few pence..
ps - in the software scenario, youre obviously the jerk who steals it, as shown by the lack of intelligence in your comments.
Relax fellas. It's just Sony's evil consuming itself and everything around it.
-show 'em the Twinkie.
This comment is directed @Rynth, duh and Moogle...
Just like there are PS3 Fanboys, Nintendo Fanboys, Apple Fanboys and XBOX Fanboys, there are Homebrew Fanboys. THese people will defend homebrew till the day that they die thinking its the best thing since sliced bread. While I do not know you guys at all, you are coming across as just that... Homebrew Fanboys!
You're so busy trying to defend the software you believe in so much that you are reading too literally into Patrick's comments and not understanding what he's trying to get at. Whats worst is that like typical fanboys, anybody who has a different opinion than your own, you bash and call them "naive", "ignorant", and tell them they are kids and too young to understand what they are talking about. When in reality, by saying those things and lashing out so quickly w/o trying to fully understand the situation, you are also being ignorant and acting like children. Again, typical Fanboys!!
I understand where you all are coming from. As a programmer myself, I understand the need for securing your IP and would be furious if someone stole it and rebadged it as their own. But you guys seriously have to reasonable as to what software you're trying to protect. You can act all holy all you want and say that homebrew is legitimate software and the programmers have a right to protect but comeon, be honest, we all know that the majority of homebrew, or at least the majority of people that use homebrew, use it for one reason only... to pirate ROMS so that they can play video games on their systems w/o paying for them. I know their are tons of other homebrew out there that is legitimate like PSPradio and others, but you know its all about the games.
I believe what Patrick is trying to get at is its kinda funny to see programmers who have written software to circumvent a systems security and offer software to play ROMS for free that people should really be paying for (i.e. - STEALING) now want to protect that software the same way SONY wants to protect there systems and software. You could argue the point that you purchased it so its your to do with as you wish, but the software on it and the systems that drive that purchase of yours are still copyrighted by SONY and all the ROMS that you guys play are copyrighted by their respective publishers and are not SUPPOSED to be edited or redistributed in any way. I know its the people that use this software to circumvent the system that are at fault but come on, the people that write the software are doing it for that reason alone, so that people can get around sony's security.
I know this one was long but please, before you start bashing other people behind that courageous keyboard of yours, try to think about what the peron is actually trying to get at and spark a serious debate, not one filled with insults because you feel invincible behind that keyboard.
Don't let the Fanboy in you take over.... You must fight it!!!
The majority of Homebrew is used to pirate ROMS? What are you smoking? Why don't you go out and find how many homebrews are tools to pirate roms, and how many are not, and come back with some real facts... I'm a programmer too (see... there's more than just you), and find your comments really ass backwards from someone who isn't even into the scene.
Don't let the (knee)Jerk in you take over... you must fight it!!!
How Many different emulators are there for the PSP? At least 10 or 12 and how many different versions of the firmware hacks are there? I do support legit homebrew such as the lula games and other software tat makes the psp more enjoyable. The thing I am getting at are the ISO loaders and Emulators. Those are most likely what has kept Sony from allowing homebrew on the PSP in the first place. I do believe that those who work hard should get credit for what they do. I just think it is funny that those who don't respect others IP expect others to respect theirs.
long live Xbox Media Center (XBMC)!!!!!
That homebrew did what MS, apple, tivo and others haven't been able to do (stream any format from your documents folder on your winxp machine). Not only that, but it doesn't time out like TIVO and others' implementations.
BOTTOM LINE: Those guys deserve serious credit for doing something completely legal and EXTREMELY useful. I use my XBOX with XBMC more than I even play Halo2 online, and I play a LOT of Halo2. Other people taking credit for that software is just wrong.
@wraith808
Your comments prove my point exactly. Instead of trying to start serious debate, you FANBOYS right away resort to insult on anybody who doesnt agree with your point because you feel invincible behind that keyboard and feel that you can say anyhting you damn well please because no one can see you. In a realistic conversation on the matter, i doubt you would right away resort to insults when discussing the matter with someone in person.
If you read my comment thoroughly instead of lashing out at the first thing you didnt like, you would see that i corrected that statement in the same line i started it in by saying "...or at least the majority of people that use homebrew". I know there are many tools in the homebrew community that are not for pirating ROMS but you cant be serious to think that while there are more tools for legitimate purposes vs. tools to pirate ROMs, that the majority of people arent pirating roms...of course they are. They may be doing other things as well but i'm pretty damn sure they pirating roms as well. And while your "scene" may consist of serious homebrewers, they do not make up the majority of people that use homebrew because the "scene" you know about are those who are registered users of these sites and post regularly on the forums and code the software. The majority just get int to download what they need and get out. Don't constrict your universe to the people who are active in it.
I will feed your obsession to fight this point to the end if you must although you missed my point entirely. My point wasn't about the homebrew community as much as it was about fanboys like yourself attacking those with a different opinion than your own.
Im not a PS3 fanboy, or a psp.. or anything that doesnt contain the word Wii.. i just think that people like patrick should look at the broader side of stuff...
And as for the discussion at hand, I definitely think that programmers should strive to protect their IP and deserve every bit of credit for developing their applications, homebrew or not. But i think the point that patrick and Engadget writer were both getting at is that its kind of funny to see programmers whose basic function of the programs they write is to circumvent another software's security, want to have security themseleves. Using th PSP as an example, even if their apps are legitimate... they still have to circumvent the PSP's firmware for their apps to function. Security for software that breaks security... funny!!
Stealing homebrew cred from others is quite subversive, as one of the strengths of the homebrew comunity is just that, its a community. But don't websites kinda notice it when there are two programs released with the same function and code but different authors?
But i admit, this would be quite nice if it could work on the exploits and downgraders and such. That would make Sony have to spend some time reverse-engineering to figure out the hole they left in their firmware.
Either way, i think i did just lose some respect for the homebrew scene. Because of what they're trying to do, you'd think they'd be more like linux fanboys, or open source fanboys. Some are, but not enough.
There are major instances of this happening in law today. For example, an undocumented immigrant can go over to the United States and have a child, who, despite the parent, becomes a United States citizen by default.
Nevertheless, the debate over whether or not homebrew encryption should be 'allowed' is somewhat pointless. Programmers will use the encryption regardless of public opinion on it, otherwise there really isn't a point to having homebrew at all. This new encryption makes a statement about the PSP itself becoming so driven by homebrew that its even started to have its own piracy. Personally, I don't see a problem with encrypting programs, even those that run ROMs. Regardless of the program's intended purpose, it's up to the user to determine if he or she wants to violate any copyright laws. It can be unnerving for a developer to see his or her code stolen, especially if he or she works so hard for free just to see some other person stamp a different author on otherwise original code.
Finally, to Harry, it's more than obvious that you're trying to patronize the commenters who seem to be passionate about the topic, but really, try to keep a neutral point of view. Your insults are just as obnoxious and blindly courageous as any Fanboy's, so please, try to rise above it instead of causing more issues.
To Adam-
It seems to be such an issue for the PSP in particular because the system is so poorly supported by games, as well as the ease of homebrew for the system (no modchips required), that otherwise normal PSP users are now turning to homebrew just to make the system worthwhile. This, in turn, has made the community so large that its become more than just those who are passionate about homebrew, in which case the 'honor system' fails.
I wonder how the hackers and programers would feel if someone hacked this encryption and gave it away for free? Would they say hey that isn't right we can do it to Sony but you can't do it to us.
@Patrick that system is for preventing others people from stealing your code and claiming its theirs....Homebrew are already free so your comment doesnt make sense...
Does something like this exist on the GP2x since its an open source system?
@Barret
No issues here. I am in no way trying to patronize anybody here. Merely trying to raise the point about those who blindly insult others because of their "passion" instead of sticking to the issue and starting a meaningful debate. I only use the term Fanboys because some people are so quick to defend what they are "passionate" about that they are sometimes blind to other points of view.
Back to the issue, I see your point about it being up to the user to determine if he or she wants to violate any copyright laws. That is valid but don't you think that the software developer that built the means for the user to violate the copyright is liable as well.
I know thats like saying that the manufacturer of CD or DVD burniers is liable for the cd's that the users pirate. I know that is a wrong point of view but dont you think that thinking should be a little different when it comes to some of this homebrew software. Shouldn't a developer who is providing the means to circumvent a software's security or copyright be just a responsible as the person using that software?
What do you think?
By the way, my name's Henry... not Harry :)
Henry Tavarez:
If possible email me at
hiddendesk [at] yahoo [dot] com
Thanks in advance.
I am curious as to why Engadget is supporting something they say is bad? By even talking about homebrew is endorsing it... oh waaaait! It's a Sony Product!
I dunno if they'll mention the HUGE Homebrew Communities for XBOX, X360, and the DS... But if it's Sony... YEA!!
Patrick: you are getting PWN'd badly by users, however what you are saying makes for a good laugh.
There is a major differance between emulators and homebrews. They only share the fact that they are software and they both are running (in this case) on a PSP. Emulators are on the gray line of the legality border. Some consider them illegal, others legal to an extent. But I am not a lawyer so don't quote me on this.
Henry -not Harry-,
While I see your point that people who write software should be somewhat liable, I wonder what you see that is wrong in the situation. Is it wrong that homebrew developers circumvent Sony's firmware to create games, or is it wrong to play games that are specifically designed to run ROMs?
If you agree with the former, then I disagree with you. While it is Sony's job to make sure that its product is secure enough for the average user, its the user's choice whether or not to circumvent his or her firmware security to play homebrew games. There are so many available options on the PSP that many signed games don't use, so I don't see a problem with programs like IR-Remote that allow the PSP to be used as a remote control, or even the concept of a custom web browser with supposedly faster functionality than the software Sony has supplied.
As far as running ROMs is concerned, it's a tough debate that even exists within the homebrew community itself. Consider, though, the extent of the piracy that would occur on the PSP. So far, the only successful emulators are for the PSP itself, the SNES, Nintendo, and Gameboy. The Nintendo 64's emulator has barely gotten off the ground. That being said, games are not produced for any of these systems, save the PSP, so the issue of companies losing money is irrelevent. As far as ISO loaders for the PSP are concerned, many homebrew advocates, myself included, find this practice out of line, so you're not alone in thinking that that's a problem with homebrew. My point is, that's just one scar on the face of many many legitimate programs that have various uses other than piracy. The courts have ruled that if a program has uses that are originally intended for legitimate use, then that program is legal and exempt from the DMCA. Even emulators can get through this, especially for older systems, considering many players actually legitimately own the games they download.
Actually, I don't really see anything wrong with the situation. I one of those that is on the fence when it comes to homebrew in general. I dont actively participate in the communities but I do use some of the apps for my PSP since it currently has no other use for me due to the lack of quality games.
I only brought up the issue to get at the original point of the article which was security. I see you are an active member in the community and I mean no disrespect but you have to find the humor in the idea of creating security for applications that break another software's security. I certainly understand the premise behind it... no one likes to have their work or credit stolen.
I myself am an Interactive Media Designer and have done work for several high-profile clients. Alot of my work recently has been for soem online advertising campaigns so it has been spread around the internet quite abit. The other day, I saw a banner for Windows Live that was a direct rip-off of a banner i created for one of my clients (Volkswagen). There was no way around it, it was a blatant rip-off but since I am just a vendor and it is VW's campaign, all i was able to do is inform them of what i saw. So i now very well what it feels like to have your work ripped off. It's just the situation itself is kind of humorous.
So yes i agree with what you say. I only brought up the point as a subject for debate but you have hit the nail on the head exactly.