Posted Jan 19, 2007 at 12:43AM by Tim Y. Listed in: Magazines, News Tags: Christmas, PSOne, Dark-AleX, Custom Firmware
Ó

Edge Magazine snapshot - Image 1 


Dark_AleX is in the news again, though this time, it's not for making another ground-breaking homebrew (aww). Edge Magazine's February and went into detail on the strange relationship homebrew devs and Sony have over the PSP.

This latest article, it focused on Dark_AleX's contributions to homebrew development, mentioning his Christmas-released 3.02 OE-B custom firmware, which, allows users to play PSOne titles on their portable without having to wait for an official release from Sony.

They also reported Sony's (traditional) stand on the homebrew scene, with a spokesperson saying "We are against piracy 100 percent and will continue to protect out intellectual property in all forms." There you have it. On one hand, it's the homebrew scene that constantly pushes the envelope on the PSP's specs. On the other, Sony does legally own the unit, and hence having devs hacking into it is opening up a potential can of worms. The magazine photo's right up there, so feel free to browse.


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39 Comments


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   by SBUK (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Sony own the Unit.. erm

Sony don't own my unit.. I do. they can do whatever they like with the ones they haven't sold.. but this ones mine and i'll install whatever i like thank you very much sony.


   Re: photoboy (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Hear, hear!

Couldn't agree more. If I want to paint my PSP purple with yellow spots I will, and if I want to play homebrew I will.

   Re: dreary79 (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » goods and services

I don't know what country most of you are from, but in the USA we don't sell goods any more.

Since the Millennium law everything copy protected becomes a service not a good. If you buy a PSP with any form of encryption then Sony owns it and your paying for the right to use it. If someone decided to make an encrypted refrigerator it would be illegal for you to repair it because you are only paying for the service to use it.

I know that I'm exaggerating things, but most companies are viewing the Millennium law this way. Thank God that the Judges of America aren't.... yet.

   Re: Dee (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » asd

jap psps for the win!!

f**k america and their ***** laws. If i want a service ill go to the health spa or a prostitute, when i want buy a physical object its my property!!

   Re: Pinhedd (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Fortunately, I live in the great north

Canada has refused to buy into the DMCA, and as such I am thankful. I truely do OWN my PSP, there's nothing anyone can do to change that fact. If I want to change the firmware, I will. If I want to tear it apart, hack it, reverse engineer it, I will, and no one can stop me. Hell I can even give out the firmware files if I want to because internet piracy has no codified law in canada.

   Re: Chris (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » This sucks.

The U.S. always had a *****ed-up legal system, but *****ed-up laws? This is too much!
   by CruelAngel (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » instead of flaming sony

(they did create a pretty fun gadet called PSP....)

Congrats for Dark_AleX for appearing (first time maybe?) on printed media that's not 100% related to PSP. Congratz!!11

   by StroppyGoblin (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Funny

So did PSP Updates get permission from Edge to display a copy of this page? If not, that's really funny - breaking copyright to show a story on breaking copyright - lol

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   by sadsadasd (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Yeah

Sony does own a PSP unit before buying. After I get mine it's only mine and I can do whatever I want & imagine with it.


   Re: fffff (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » oh and ...

besides, there is nothing illegal - I got PSX games legally and I want to play them on PSP. I ocnverted them and Play. My PSP, my PSX games - 100% legal.
   by Kristian (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » ...

Before everyone starts *****ing and complaining about their psp not being sony's psp... use that thing between your ears.

Sony owns the intellectual rights to the firmware. Therefore, it's illegal to distribute their firmwares directly if they do not want it.

If the world wasn't full of crooks who would rather download games that take millions of dollars to create instead of paying what they companies are asking, then homebrew wouldn't have ever been a problem. Everyone who has ever not paid for a game that they play - even if you think you can justify it by your own means. You're hurting the industry - and you are the reason Sony can't afford to allow an open system.



   Re: not (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » so wrong

Show us all where in Custom Firmware "Install Package" DAX is releasing anything that even resembles Sony official firmware. There isn't any, so your argument is moot. It's the end user that must get the 1.5 and 3.03 firmware updates and use the installer on those 2 pieces of software to get to the final custom firmware solution that DAX designed. If you ask me, it's a very good way to develop stuff. The bottom line is that Sony is pissed off because now they not only have PSP ISOs floating arround, but also PS1 ISOs. Because of this, instead of blaming the distributors of the ISOs, they decide to blame the makers of the custom firmware because as they put it... "It's hacked software from us". That's just BS in my opinion.... hell, while they are at it, why don't they just blame the makers of CD/DVD readers/burners and the software people use to get the ISOs made?

People, everyone will have to understand that in today's world there are a lot of tech savvy users out there. We have gotten to a point in time where our society is so advanced in knowledge that it no longer takes an MIT graduate working for IBM to design a computer or piece of software. Society and it's people are changing and advancing to better ourselves and everything around us, but at the same time you have the big a$$ companies trying to whack us over the head and tell us that we're all too stupid for our own good and that they know better.

The new generations of society are no longer the same "robot idiots" that you currently see in middle-aged adults. Because of this these new generations will continue to succeed where their parents failed and will push this planet and it's societies (eventually) past the petty things like money and war over bu11sh1t arguments.

Get this streight people... one day money will no longer rule this freaking planet and no one will give a sh1t if someone decides to "better" a solution make by someone else. The only real reason why money still does now is because of the "old school" idiots that are still in power. Old tradition and values are slowly changing... the real question is... what will it take for everyone to realize this and stop fighting the change?

   Re: PSPZorZ - 2007-01-19
 » @Kristian

Sony first tried to blocked off homebrew when they released the 1.50 patch, before it was even possible to play ISOs on the PSP. Sony obviously doesn't want any homebrew to be run on the PSP :/
   by accordian boy (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » getting reputation for stolen news!

firstly, spell my name correctly, its got a space, and a incorrect 'a' for a reason

next time i post news i will make sure to water mark the image.
i do believe news should be shared, but just copying it is different. Hosting news from another [much better] psp news site, and having the option to 'digg' it and so recieve higher hits and reputation is quite disgusting.

the image of .qj gets worse every day...



   Re: xche78x - 2007-01-19
 » hey accordian boy, tnx for this news

im not from qj.net but i think the "a" to 'o' typo can be easily changed. but not the space due to QJ's website script design, it doesn't allow spaces on particular entries. please forgive the qj staff responsible coz he maybe in such a hurry to post your news here.

anyways yeah qj is getting worse somehow, specially the loading of the page.
btw, you should have used a scanner rather than a cellphone to capture the magazine for better readability. tnx again
   by ***** Sony (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » I Bought The Dam Thing So...............

Sony Can Suck My Ballz


Dax Rulez All

   by TPot - 2007-01-19
 » Hmmm.

Is that what Dark Alex looks like. For some reason I was expecting something else.

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   by Sony Sucks (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Full-Res Video...

DAX gave us full-res video. Even if you ignore the ability to play YOUR OWN PS1 BACK-UPS instead of paying $7 to the PS3 store, that's pretty damned significant. What has Sony done for US, the consumer, lately? Sure, they keep releasing all of these firmware updates, but Dark_AleX has given us what we REALLY wanted. So I say ***** Sony, ***** them up their stupid asses.

   by JDX (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Sony doens't 'own' it

The only thing Sony has done to its fans, especially PSP owners, is dissapoint and PISS THEM OFF. It's people like dark_alex that keep me from selling my PSP off. The homebrew scene has done FIFTY times the amount of work and progress that Sony has for the PSP. As a PSP owner, I support homebrew because homebrewers KNOW what owners want and actually DO something about it, Sony, however seems like they are just sitting in a dark room scheming on cheap ways to suck our money. Screw you, Sony. Good on you homebrewers.

   by mohaas05 (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » millenium law my ass

sony may think they own my psp but do they?
nobody's stopping me from loading pr0n on my psp or putting a big fat nintendo sticker if i wanted to do that. Sony has no control over what i do with my psp. (speaking of which my internet keeps freezing so i might have to buy one as a "service" from sony

   by Good Job (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Dax Rules.

Dax totally deserves this. He is awesome.

   by mahjonti (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » millenium law

bollocks to sony

   by Do U Care? (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » *_*

Its been 9 Hours Since I Said Sony sucks And right now They Still Suck


   Re: Chris (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Yeh

Make good TVs though..

   Re: WB (Unregistered) - 2007-01-20
 » sum

mhaw they dont suck productly wise.... i stll love every product i ever bought of the brand sony...
   by adDict (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » hahaha

"Hollywood-Grade hacker Dark_Alex" thats so cool!
well done mate.

   by evil (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Dark Alex?

is Dark_Alex a girl? in the picture or what?

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   by DoodleManBob (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Erm...

Dude, I doubt the person in the pic is Dark_Alex.

   by Chris (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Listen up people

Intellectual Property is ONLY confined to SOFTWARE.

If you use Custom Firmware, Sont does NOT won your PSP.

*Praise Dark Alex*

   by ValiX (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » ^^^Exactly

The custom firmware hasn't been made by Sony and therefore they do not own it and I can therefore do what I want with my PSP! XD

The way I see it, if Sony wants to blame someone for Homebrew they should blame themselves. If they didn't want homebrew to exist and actually listened to their customers needs and ideas then there wouldn't be a problem. F**k you Sony. I hope you all burn in hell.


   Re: FlarePhoenix (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Yeah...

...but realize this. The official firmware files are Sony's property. You are abusing their intended purpose with the use of those files.

Also, even if Sony bent over backwards to give customers what they wanted, there would still end up with someone being disappointed, and still others who want to test their own skill and the limits of the PSP or other system, thus leading inevitably towards homebrew.

And you say Sony can burn in hell, but do you realize that without Sony, the hardworkging people who designed the PSP, and the millions upon millions it cost to create the system, you wouldn't be able to sit there and view your portable pr0n or play your PS1 games, would you? Nor would you be playing PS1 games at the closest possible specs as the original, would you? You say f Sony, but they have the right to be upset about homebrew, because it was them who spent countless fortunes and months upon years to create that system. Imagine having years of hard work decimated when your division is shut down, because the "community" decided they would no longer actually purchase games.
   by feust (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » in another way

marketing is bull***t.
all they try to do is to sell more something than they did in the past. how ?? seeing us like idiots (that's the case more and more)
sony seems to think like that.
exemple : in france how many dead pixel psps have been sold before sony reacted. you have less than 12 dead pixels ? so we can do a repair for you. if not, go to hell, we now have your money.
so brothers, it's the time to count your dead pixels.
you have eleven, your psp is brand new ? sorry guy, you're a dead customer bull*****, but try to buy our next console !!!
homebrew is exactly what people expect. more things to do, without paying a lot of money. really, thanx to guys like Dark Alex.
why isn't there a word processor, a text reader, or some games freely downloable via sony psp's homesite ?
because instead of giving more they try to catch more.
ok ok without that philosophy sony wouldn't be what they are in the business, but what about good things to download instead of f*****g trailers which help us only to consume more ? no more utility...
now it's time for philosophy to be injected the business i say to myself. in business we do not fight against people who comes from another planet, but between ourselves.
now it's time, as sony created very good products, to give people more than things to buy.
so homebrew exists. if they don't do, we'll do it for them.
thanx to all homebrew scene.
thanx to all developers that think like that.
And who did something for all of us. hell consumers.
it's the proof that we're still humans "brothers".
(signed : an 2d/3d artist who also infitered marketing schools ^^)
i'm sorry if my purpose shocked anyone. really.
and soorry for my poor bad english style.

   by Blackwolf (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » lol

I think it's really quite funny how the tide has changed. One day, i used to look at YourPsp site in hope of the next firmware upgrade for my handheld.
Now I wait for Dark_alex to hand out firmware updates. No sony doesn't own my psp, but Dark_alex does come pretty close ;)

   by DoubleDragon - 2007-01-19
 » Sony doesn't own anything....

Once something has bee sold, it is no longer the "sellers". It's freaking BS that Sony thinks they can tell me how to use my PSP. So under their logic, If I were to buy a house and I wanted to drill a hole in the wall, Do I need to get permission from the previous owner? NO!!!!!!!! I know it's a lame example but it expresses my point. Anywho, My PSP is mine and I'll do whatever the heck I want with it.

   by God (Unregistered) - 2007-01-19
 » Idiots

Sony does not "legally" own the unit. I understand that you need some kind of shock value to get people talking but being honest is the better route. Lets be realistic, there are only a few PSP titles that are worth buying, other than that its pretty terrible. Homebrew keeps this thing alive and it always will. Sony knows this expecially considering how bad its doing with the PSP in comparison to the DS. The UMD format is a failure, period. The addition of custom firmware opens up a new library for the PSP . I'm sorry, but I would be extremely pissed if I bought Dave Mirra for PSP or the other 98% medicore and garbage titles that come out for it. Dark-Alex & company have done some amazing things in the past few months. I remember in these forums it was "impossible" to flash the PSP with a "custom firmware", yada,yada,yada but look at us now!!

   by Question (Unregistered) - 2007-01-20
 » 000

If U guys hate SONY like that why did u guys buy psp ????? Let choose Nintendo DS !!!!!

   by infern0 (Unregistered) - 2007-01-20
 » lol yeah..

WOW what a great range of emulators and homebrew apps we would have if we choose to get that piece of junk... seriously NDS can do jack all.

   by max (Unregistered) - 2007-01-20
 » ?

dark alex is a girl .wow she has to be very smart to hack the psp all by her self 3.3OEb

   by Here all the time but-------> (Unregistered) - 2007-01-20
 » ^^^^???^^^^

What! Aside from the touch screen and mic, NDS has the most imature, kiddy games in the world, next to the V-Smile. The best adultish, not even adult game that they got is Metroid. to put videos and music on a DS, you have to buy something that costs around the same price as the ds its' self. So, $200 for a Psp to play MP3s and videos right out of the box, or $300 to buy to seperate items and go through the pain of never playing Socom or GTA. "Yeah, but Psp dosen't have a touch screen!". So what, you like touching, well then go to the bathroom and touch your self while thinking of what amazing Disney title will come out this month. NDS has no way to put photos on it, on the other hand, the Psp has a camer with no need of PC. And WOW, yeah we have emulators, basicly, the Psp is a Nintendo, Sega, Atari, SNES, PS1, and many other systems in one, whil the DS only hase a GBA as a second system. Wait, I forgot to mention, the Psp has a full speed GBA emulator. Do you all see what I am saying, the Pp has more flexibility than a DS will erver have... seriously NDS can do jack $H!T in comparison to the Psp, hombrew enabled or not. I am not trying to bash the DS although it turned out that way, but someone has to stick up for Psp even without hombrew and with it alike. So whats up with this DS getting all these sales? Is all of the world nothing but a boy with parents who won't let them watch a PG-13 movie? I am behind sony AND homebrew. Hopfully they (the homebrew developers) and Sony can work together on a new firware. Sony dose have need for concern, they can't be viewed as the piracy Icon of the gaming world. What would that make the game developers think? We could lose all of the great games from big name companys like "Rock Star" and "EA". If Sony can make a firmware that you can have a license to home brew and they can make sure that all the ISO's are your own with registered serial numbers that go into an archive and only be used on the Psp that belongs to the same person that owns the registered game, then that would probably save the ISOs and homebrewing. The same can be said for emulators. I am open to other views, but don't go on and on and bash me why I am wrong, just state your idea and let the people decide what they think. I mean all of us know that Sony never intended to piss off any one and take there money, so lets just drop that.



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