Xbox 360 inches closer to piracy with bootable, modifiable kiosk DVD
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Jan 1st 2006 at 3:45PM }
An Xbox 360 hacker's checklist:
- Being able to rip games off of Xbox 360 DVD discs? Check
- Being able to boot the system off of a custom disc? Check
- Being able to run home-grown code on the Xbox 360? Not yet
- Being able to decrypt ripped games so that copies of them can be used? Not yet
If the group of hackers that call themselves "Pi," is to be believed, the second item in the checklist above has been achieved by exploiting unencrypted content contained on disks intended for use on Xbox 360 kiosks in European retail locations. They write, "This leaves hackers with the possibility to hack around with this disc that load from a normal DVDR5 backup! .... YES you can run this! Burn the iso, put it into your xbox and be very amazed...."
Color us unamazed. These fellows have just determined that the kiosk DVD can be modified, copied, and used to boot an Xbox 360. Ho hum. The important step of running unapproved programs is still unfinished. Once the first simple program to display "hello world" has been written, hacking the Xbox 360 is a matter of creating more complex programs such as Internet browsers, media players, software emulators for older consoles, and even copied Xbox 360 retail games, assuming that the protection on those games can be cracked open.
If the crucial third step above is achieved, expect a patch to be swiftly developed by Microsoft and distributed via Xbox Live and via retail game disks in a replay of Sony's own back-and-forth battle with PSP hackers.
[Via Xbox360fanboy.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fan @ Jan 1st 2006 3:55PM
Yay, soon i can steal games and contribute to fall in sales, higher prices, fubar drm and the eventual collapse of the entire gaming bubble.
Thanks guys. 1337 4 lief joystiq..
LOL
Pablo Hernandez @ Jan 1st 2006 4:10PM
Homebrew is being researched through the Hexic game demo flash player included on the disc... significant progress is being made over @ http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=474658&st=30
vc @ Jan 1st 2006 4:17PM
Fan: I don't support piracy. Neither does Joystiq. But we do report on it because it's an important issue for all game consoles and for the industry.
Adam @ Jan 1st 2006 4:20PM
Im putting 10 dolla on this coming to nothing.
Scott @ Jan 1st 2006 4:24PM
Dont let Sony or MS tell you that Piracy is the reason why prices are higher. The Skyrocketing cost of Game Development and Marketing are just two factors in that battle.
eventual collapse of the entire gaming bubble.
Did Napster end the Music Industry? Has Bittorrent and High Def Television ended the Movie Industry?
Dont let the Propaganda dictate your feelings.
Nick @ Jan 1st 2006 4:24PM
I wonder when the common folk (98% of the world) will begin to disassociate "modding" and "hacking" with purely "cheating" and "piracy". I look forward to an informed world where people understand that everything can be used for good or evil. It's really too bad, if it weren't for their ignorance, they may find the good side of modding and like it.
At least Joystiq pointed out some legitimate uses for modding, though there are plenty more.
Nick
Drew @ Jan 1st 2006 4:25PM
Someone also been able to mess with the shaders in the King Kong demo to make this:
http://tser.org/album/index.php?imagesize=640&d=d.html&image=z2005_12_30.jpg&Album=35
It's not much, but still a step forward :P
Toast @ Jan 1st 2006 4:34PM
Nick is right, you can do a lot of things with the 360 once you get inside of it. It is not just all about stealing games. If MS is really interested in making the 360 the center of your living room, think of all the benefits that could come from people creating their own programs to fit their (and your) needs!
What would really be cool (atleast for Microsoft) is if they had a way to submit these programs to say XBox Live and they could be purchased. We could see that vaunted micro-economy in action!
Oshi @ Jan 1st 2006 4:40PM
It's fake. I've read many forum posts about this. It's bogus. There was a video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=PlT7hfls88E ) of someone hot swapping an xbox 360 game with a dvd-r burnt game. I dunno if it is the same game they are swapping with but it is interesting.
Nick @ Jan 1st 2006 4:52PM
You are incorrect. This is not fake; it is bootable when burned on a standard DVD5 with a standard PC DVD burner. The executable is flagged to run from any media and not special Xbox 360 DVDs and that's why it works. It's a simple oversight (or maybe not if Microsoft wanted to distribute burnable updates to Xbox reps) that comes down to the setting of a flag.
The executable is still signed so it cannot be edited and loaded. The media on the disc is not signed so you could, for example, change out a PGR3 video with a WMV-HD movie and watch it on your Xbox 360. In general, it means people can make the executables load files other than those that it intended to and this is where experimenting comes into play.
The video you are speaking of is totally unrelated. That was somebody saying you could burn Xbox 1 games on a DVD5 and load it just by putting it in. That was fake. This is not fake. Become informed before commenting.
Nick
Dasutin @ Jan 1st 2006 6:01PM
Its not going to be long until we see Xbox 360 games online to be downloaded to play. Yeah I wouldn't be suprised if microsoft came up with a patch on Xbox live to counter this stuff from even happening
http://www.dasutin.com
Angry @ Jan 1st 2006 6:04PM
yay... so now non-technical little timmy who just got his 360 knows to go search for ways to get free games... Joystiq... you're not a piracy news site, don't try to be one... it's bad enough piracy has gone mainstream...Posts like this only make the problem worse. Keep the uneducated "Uneducated" and keep the people in the know "Quiet". This way both sides live in harmony.
Rob Moncaster @ Jan 1st 2006 6:24PM
Angry -
This news doesnt suddenly turn every 11year old that reads this website into an xbox360 cracker, nor does it give instructions on how to do it.
Good work joystiq!
Nick @ Jan 1st 2006 6:35PM
Hmm, what's that saying? Anger breeds ignorance. Yeah, that was it.
Nick
vc @ Jan 1st 2006 6:45PM
Angry: there's no piracy going on here, yet.
ayrez @ Jan 1st 2006 6:50PM
they just released kameo PI iso at sky an hour ago !!!
melloncollie @ Jan 1st 2006 6:58PM
Once this gets running most people will use it for piracy purposes.
Stop seeing the best in people.
That's just plain stupid.
While there may be legitimate uses for mods/hacks,
There are also illegitimate uses as well.
Now, tell me, do you think a majority of people would like to either:
a.) Pay $60 a game
or
b.) Pay nothing for as many games as they want
Yeah, most people would choose "b".
In closing, stop being so optimistic about people.
People, in generality, are pirates.
This will only hurt the videogame industry more.
To Scott:
"Has Bittorrent and High Def Television ended the Movie Industry?"
Actually it has, along with DVD.
Box office annual income has been decreasing since the starts of those things listed.
TME @ Jan 1st 2006 8:05PM
Piracy has always existed and always will. The home VCR that can record television did not bring down any industry, and neither will the internet or DVDs. Thinking that piracy will take down an entire industry is plain stupid. Even if an industry makes less than it was before (and you can't expect an increase of profit EVERY year can you?) it's still making billions in profit. Does that mean the industry is going to die? No, that's just stupid.
vc @ Jan 1st 2006 8:07PM
Melloncollie: Box office revenues are falling because the experience gap between the big screen and increasingly large home screens has been significantly bridged.
DVD sales have been rising even as box office sales have been falling, a strong indication that people are simply choosing to watch at home.
Nick @ Jan 1st 2006 8:30PM
Where do you get your numbers, melloncollie? I'm not going to sit here and say, "everybody is good, nobody will steal!" However, I'm also not going to sit here and let you say that most people will use something negatively when you have absolutely no valid information to back that up. A lot of people will pirate games, yes; but a lot of people - possibly more than those who pirate games - will utilize the system for far different and legitimate reasons. Maybe you have a conclusive survey of all Xbox 1 mod chip users that confirms >50% use their console solely for piracy?
As I said, there are good and evil uses for everything in the world - everything. You cannot ignore the evil reasons, but you also cannot ignore the good either. As it stands, most people ignorantly proclaim that every use for hacks and modifications is illegitimate and that "hackers and modders are evil people." That is pure ignorance working to its fullest. Many people enjoy new user-made content for their favorite games, homebrew software, and the chance to work on homebrew software for their favorite console system.
Modifications to games, like all new or altered maps, can prolong the life of a game and make it more fun; they can keep a game going strong for many years. Homebrew games and software can extend the life of a system, making it more fun and useful at the same time; some users may buy multiple systems for such purposes. The chance to create software for a console system gives people experience; something very powerful to put on their resume to show they know what they're doing.
As far as your question goes, you need to provide more context. What age group are you asking the question to? A majority of kids would go for 'b' but a majority of adults would likely go for 'a' because they have an entertainment budget. Rule into the results the fact that you still need to be reasonably intelligent to download a game, burn it, and install a mod on a console to play that game; that cuts down a lot of those who answered 'b' to an inert status.
You're being quite optimistic that a majority of those who answer 'b' aren't half-wits who have never earned a dollar in their life. I know far more people who are willing to pay for good games or rent games they're unsure about than people who just download games because they can. You have to have a decent amount of free time to mod a console, seek out a game, download the 5GB file, burn it to a disc, and play it. If you're talking about Xbox 1 you've also got to take extra time to switch between using pirated and retail Live games.
All in all, anybody who claims the game industry will be ruined by piracy because hacks and modifications are only used for evil are uninformed users looking to spread FUD. Piracy is wrong; it is the evil of hacking and modifications. However, the bad side does not destroy the validity of the good side of such activities. Open your eyes to the possibilities that go beyond stealing a $60 game. On a computer, I can send viruses to other computers via email, exploit users systems through a website, or downloaded the latest copy of Office - does that negate the good that comes with technology?
Lastly, Im sure declining movie sales have nothing to do with the increased cost of movies in theaters and on DVD. Also, we can be sure that people arent indulging themselves in any other forms of entertainment that may have a higher value to them than sequels, remakes, or plot clones of movies they saw years ago. There is no way I can experience a movie at home on my HDTV with my close friends for much cheaper than I could in a theater. Its definitely best to listen to the MPAAs statistics because they have absolutely nothing to gain by altering any numbers.
Nick
systm @ Jan 1st 2006 11:03PM
All Right to all you jackasses that are going to use this for copy right infringement and are going to get "warez" at least purchase some games and not totally f*ck up the industry for the rest of us. i don't know about the rest of you but gaming piracy is the worst kind. not only is it cuasing shitty systems to come out too early *cough*xbox360*cough* your also making harder for us that are using mods for media center purposes (XMBC) and for running Open Source OSes
SyStm
Xavier @ Jan 2nd 2006 3:06AM
Yeah right you guys don't support piracy. Half your updates are praising morons who want to turn the system into a pirated masterpiece. It'd be nice if you guys actually y'know, talked about games rather thant his garbage. Two "Go hackers go!" posts in a row? Retarded.
There is no legitimate use to these so-called "advances" and there's no legitimate reason to cover them. You guys aren't journalists and you're not required to cover anything... which is evidenced by your anemic coverage of y'know, actual video games.
John hancock @ Jan 2nd 2006 7:09AM
No one should be surprised by this development. How long did anyone really think it would take to crack.. and eventually mod the 360.
vc @ Jan 2nd 2006 9:58AM
Xavier: we make over 500 posts per month, every single damned one of them dealing with video games. There isn't a post on this blog that isn't about games.
The status of game console security is a huge issue for all constituents and is very important to cover, especially in light of the ongoing turmoil in the movie and music industries. Those industries are being totally demolished and reinvented as a result of copyright issues. This issue is a core problem facing the games industry. Failure to cover it would be neglectful.
Kevin D @ Jan 2nd 2006 11:33AM
Yes VC, you are correct, but you forget that the more someone reads something, the more it becomes a truth to them. Your perceptions are YOUR realities.
So by continually saying the 360 and HACk together all the time, you're basically spreading the word that the 360 has been or will be hacked soon.
So say as an example if someone is on the border about purchasing a game (DOA 4) lets say, maybe they'll hold off, 'cause I was reading on the net about how close they are to hacking the 360'.. And yes, some people are that stupid to think that way.
As for the 'mod' chip sales being about using linux, etc, I call MAJOR BULLS.IT!!!! ALL of the people I've known with XBox 1 who've modded it have done it ONLY for copying games from blockbuster, so yes there may be a legitimate community of intellectuals who want to see what it can do, but the vast majority are looking for the easy buck. LIVE with it, you know it, I know it...
Oh, and there are also the little geeks who like to hack into the XB live games and screw with other peoples fun... Just remember Karma when 'life' kicks you in the teeth...LOL..
Peace out kiddies...
Nick @ Jan 2nd 2006 4:01PM
Kevin D, do you live in the ghetto or farm country? Maybe you just associate yourself with "kiddies" who are under 18 and have no jobs. I'm not really sure, but for "ALL" of the people you know that have modded their Xbox 1 to be pure pirates shows that you're surrounded by hordes of morons who are quite skilled at following tutorials and have loads of free time.
Nick
bryan ribas @ Jan 3rd 2006 9:57AM
You know what I am a pirate and I am prowd of it. I have a hacked xbox with many games on it that I did not pay for, but i also use it for linux and as a media center.
But my main point was to: melloncollie
Bittorrent and High Def Television has not ended the Movie Industry. What as killed the movie industry and "Box office annual income has been decreasing" is the fact that the industry paid crappy actors like Ben Affleck $12 mil for crappy moives like paycheck. If the indusrty and "Stars" were smart they would do like Tom Cruise and not get paid up front but get paid a percentage of the movie's take.
Thanks,
Bryan
pez spencer @ Jan 3rd 2006 10:10AM
for all the millions that microsoft says they invested in anti-piracy technology...to be defeated by a bootable cdr they themselves put in kiosks. that's comedy.
360 Hacks @ Jan 3rd 2006 4:25PM
Oh it's coming to something... Sweet news
Gamer X over Y @ Jan 21st 2006 11:17AM
Sorry this is a late post, dont always vist Joystiq.com
1)Piracy is a reality.
2)Scatched Game disc's are a Reality.
3)The law says you can have a back up copy.
4)Game companies say you cant(cause they want you to buy another copy of the game you already purchased).
5)Greedy companies Suck.
6)Game Pirates suck.
7)Use stuff correctly, but dont abuse it.
8)yes ther is absolutly no reason for the numbering
9)but I like it :-P
10)BTW interesting Fact, Nintendo used to say that emulation was illegal, but now they aren't saying that anymore, cause they stand to make a profit (yes I'm going to be buying their system)from their Next Gen system.
Kyle @ Jan 23rd 2006 3:30PM
I think that due to all the advance in technoligy people will constantly finding ways to pirate them and hack them,it's not always a bad thing.These things are going to happen, I'm going to load the start up disk that dosen't mean i want to hack for a bad reason im just interested in hacking. Some are taking this to seriously by saying that it will eventually end the "gaming bubble." That's stupid, Though i understand where you see that it could happen, but hacking isn't large enough to make such a drastic impact.