Xbox 360 firmware hack boots copied discs
by Christopher Grant 
{ May 16th 2006 at 6:55PM }
Remember back in February when some clever hackers figured out how to embed code into the firmware of the original Xbox's DVD drive, allowing it to bypass the security measures and boot copied discs without checking the veracity of that disc? Well, at the tail end of the console's life span, the impact wasn't nearly as devastating as it could have been; unfortunately, a nearly identical hack has been performed on the Xbox 360, as long as it uses the Toshiba-Samsung TS-H943 DVD drive.The hack allows your 360 to boot both Xbox and Xbox 360 "backups" while retaining the ability to boot original games. It also allows the drive to be run under Windows, streamlining the ripping process. As Eliot reminds us, the success of this bootlegging effort will take much of the steam out of the homebrew pursuit to run executable code on the console. Will Microsoft be able to remedy this remotely, or is a hardware change in order?
[Via hack a day]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris @ May 16th 2006 7:12PM
That original hack for the XBox wasn't released because all it did was boot backups. The creator didn't wish to release it. That's why there wasn't an impact.
Erick Lorenzo @ May 16th 2006 7:12PM
Wow so soon?
Ritz @ May 16th 2006 7:18PM
@ #2, Erick: Of course. Remember, this is a Microsoft product.
ac @ May 16th 2006 7:31PM
well now 360s will finally start to sell but no income off games anymore :-)
Moogle @ May 16th 2006 7:34PM
This really has nothing to do with MS being insecure, so much as the simple fact that there's no such thing as perfect security when the user has unlimited access to the hardware.
But hey, at least now paranoid 360 owners can back up their games in case the originals get scratched.
Xander224 @ May 16th 2006 7:35PM
Good thing Microsoft waited until they could use a new, more secure format for their next-gen console. Oh, wait....
jon @ May 16th 2006 7:46PM
I wouldn't get all crazy just yet...MS last line of defense is a simple update via Xbox Live that will render your 360 useless over Xbox Live.
So give it a few weeks for them to send a patch...and lets see how eager anyone is to attempt this.
Rob @ May 16th 2006 7:57PM
For me at least, the killer app for Xbox modding was the existence of easy to use tools and applications like the Slayers disc and the Evo-X dashboard, as well as the ability to play music, movies, and emulated games from past consoles. Modding an Xbox a couple years ago was easy as cake and instantly made the system into a full-fledged media center. This new 'breakthrough' for the mod scene just seems a bit thin to me, and I can't see myself going out and buying a 360 just because I'd be able to play burned 360 games.
Joe A. @ May 16th 2006 7:57PM
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Truly, the purpose of this is for piracy.
An Xbox Live Update and/or the inclusion of this update in future games will try to prevent this, a la PSP. But I'll bet that this will get a work-around as well.
I'm still waiting for the homebrew community to respond to this. Will they rejoice or will they condemn this?
To you burners/rippers of games -- you complain about the rising costs of games. You need to realize that you're not helping.
Stealing is stealing, and no, you don't need games to live if you're gonna give the "stealing bread for your family to live" example.
just me @ May 16th 2006 8:35PM
Well at least for me the xbox live thing doesn't really matter. I have had an xbox for a long time now and never used xbox live. now that I have an xbox360 I tried this hack and it does work great no soldering or mucking with that stuff. So now I don't have to buy the games HAHAHA. I also never really cared that much about the homebrew stuff either.
mountain_rage @ May 16th 2006 8:46PM
Piracy does very little to the profit of game publishers, sure they will put the blame of the pirates, but the fact is its insignificant. Very few people who pirate games would have bought the same amount of games as they pirate.Most people who pirate games, pirate games they dont deem worthy of the price, but buy games when they feel they are worth it. Other people who pirate simply cant afford all the games they download and if they couldnt pirate them would simply buy the same number of games they currently buy.
Its no differnt then the music industrie claiming every music download on the internet is a lost sale. It simply isnt true, very few people would buy the same amount of music as they download for free. In fact there have been studies that show music pirates tend to buy more music then those who dont. It wouldnt suprise me if it was the same for alot of videogame pirates.
robert @ May 16th 2006 9:03PM
After playing through oblivion and call of duty 2, there aren't any games left that (to me) are worth the trouble to do this with. Plus, LIVE is what the 360 is all about (again, to me) - yes, you can play burned games on live now, but what about after an update to "fix" this problem?
After a year or two when there are more quality games and there has been some sort of testing of what MS will be doing to correct this, then maybe I could see why someone would want to do this. The reason I modded my xbox1 was for the ability to stream tv and movies from my pc through xbmc (media center extender is a joke - even with transcode360), so until there is homebrew I'll be skipping out on "modding" my 360.
Christopher7xii @ May 16th 2006 9:06PM
"To you burners/rippers of games -- you complain about the rising costs of games. You need to realize that you're not helping."
Eh, I wouldn't buy games I burn anyways. Besides, people that burn games aren't likely to complain about rising costs of games... They get them for free =)
Anyways, real rising cost of games...
1) Higher production costs (next gen graphics require a hell of a lot more production)
2) Buying/selling used games. So if you buy your games used from a store, the publishers get no money from that sale. It all goes to GameStop/EB. So if you buy used games, you're in right with the law... but at the same time you're driving up the costs of games more than pirates (since a vast majority more buy used games than they pirate them)
Think about that one for awhile.
Loque @ May 16th 2006 9:09PM
I've got this great Xbox and Xbox 360 mod.
It's called a computer.
mountain_rage @ May 16th 2006 9:15PM
Buying and selling used games is also probably very insignificant, people have been dooing that since the start of videogames and it had no effect then. The big reason for the rising cost of games as mentioned are the rising cost of game developement, ps3 also has a higher cost because sony is trying to make back more profit from games sales for the loss they are taking on the consol.
Pal @ May 16th 2006 9:19PM
mountain_rage: You sound like a classic example of the self-righteous pirate.
People who pirate things may not have bought the title, but they also may have if they only had the choice to buy it, which is what good people do. It's not a "test drive," oh no -- these gamers keep it for good, until they beat it or get bored of it because they already have twenty other games to burn.
Piracy does indeed hurt the industry. A large portion of the game's sales are to cover costs in making it, the publisher's piece of the pie and lastly the developer's pay. Each game sold is also more credibility for the game developer, ensuring success to future publishers.
This isn't open source, it's not a donation system. They do this for a living because they love it and also dedicate their time to it, not for charity. If you're poor and can't buy games, get some open source freeware games. Go rent some games. Stop upgrading your PC with better burners and stop buying CD/DVD blanks.
The whole "you might buy it if you like it" ideal doesn't pass either. Music is something that you can put on forever, a passive activity that never ends. A game, however, can be beaten when it is, it loses a lot of value.
Believe me, I've been there. Stopping has been the best thing I've done. I buy more games now and I enjoy it, spending more time on them because I've invested in it. It feels like the good old days again, it's a wonderous feeling.
Equate @ May 16th 2006 9:27PM
Since it can run under Windows does that mean you can install pc based games?
mountain_rage @ May 16th 2006 9:33PM
I would dissagree, ive bought roughly 10 games a year for the last 5 years which is significantly more then most people I know. I do also play homebrew games, ive played scortched 3d and many other adventure games made with avg. Ive also played alot of abandonware games since I like classic adventure games. Alot of the games ive pirated lately arnt carried in any stores in my area and the only other way to buy them is used. But everyone I know that did/do pirate games would have never paid money for the games they pirate since they simply dont have the money to spend on it(students). Alot of advocates of antipiracy will often strongly oppose it just as much as those who pirate agree with the act. My only point is that it has had very little effect on the rising cost of games and that is mostly due to the increased cost of making games.
OyoyoY123 @ May 16th 2006 9:38PM
B E A utiful
Christopher7xii @ May 16th 2006 9:49PM
"Buying and selling used games is also probably very insignificant, people have been dooing that since the start of videogames and it had no effect then."
Mountain_rage... You do realize there is a *SLIGHT* difference between now and then right? Then there wasn't 4 GameStop stores within two miles of my house, all of which primarily get by on selling used games and pre-orders. They push you to buy used games if they have it in stock. The industry has flat out said that the used game market is killing their profits.
I also don't feel bad for developers/programmers. They earn plenty well enough a year to live comfortably.
Scott @ May 16th 2006 9:49PM
you gotta remember though that there is the spring update coming in a few weeks, and new games will carry that patch and force you to update even without xbox live. Ghost Recon and Tomb Raider did this to my brother in law's 360 cuz he didn't have his xbox connected to Live.
dsub @ May 16th 2006 10:18PM
this still isn't something that most people will know how to do, or will be willing to do. An update will cause this to temporarily not work, but until MS can do a hardware update in 2007 this will still be somewhat of an issue.
Rooster @ May 16th 2006 10:42PM
to PAL ...
actually, the test drive thing is true. I admit to downloading Doom 3 for the purpose of making sure it runs on my computer (because you cant return opened software). Once I discovered it worked, I went out and promptly purchased it.
Course, this is a little different than 360 games, since they all tend to work.
mountain_rage @ May 16th 2006 10:43PM
Also I have to argue the point with used games that my brother who is a big used game seller, uses that money to spend towards new games which he would have otherwise not have bought, so technically companies to make money off the sale of used games just indirectly. No matter what the industry says, I think they exagerate their losses, if a company cannot compete in the industry then its not up to me to feel sorry for them.
mountain_rage @ May 16th 2006 10:49PM
I guess I should also mention that in no other market do workers get compensated for the resale of their work. When some resells their car the magnufacturer doesnt make profit on it, when someone resells furniture the original creator does not profit from it. The idea that you should make a profit on your work with a second sale of it doesnt make sense in any market. So why do people feel the need to push it for the gaming market. Its a fact of life, you cant double profit from selling something. If you did the loop would never end.
Kwipper @ May 16th 2006 11:24PM
YAY! I don't have to buy expensive XBOX360 games anymore! YAY for pirated games! *bounces happily*
Oh wait... I don't own an XBOX 360... crap.
IDK LOL @ May 16th 2006 11:45PM
"people have been dooing"
wii
J-Dawg @ May 17th 2006 12:27AM
To all those talking about used game stores:
Ebay, anyone?
Darth Pixel @ May 17th 2006 2:10AM
Who is going to be playing Gears of War and Halo 3 for FREE!?
That's bad news for Microsoft and bad news for all honest Xbox 360 owners.
Ad @ May 17th 2006 5:41AM
@9 "Stealing is stealing"
Although i don't condone piracy, copyright infingement (copying games) is not that same as theft. Very, very different crimes, and i think it's important you don't fall for the industry speil (it's theft, it funds terrorism etc) and make sure you make the delineation between the two.
Garulon @ May 17th 2006 5:55AM
@30: Although i don't condone piracy, copyright infingement (copying games) is not that same as theft.
It's taking something without paying for it. Smells the same as theft to me.
N0M4D @ May 17th 2006 6:16AM
Even though Microsoft can probably get around this, one way or another?
In the current (past?) generation of consoles, how many of them got the backup-playing hack? Huh, all of them? This is always only a matter of time: same thing will happen with PS3 and Wii, whatever protection mechanisms are in place. Even after that, it?s the use people give to this that makes it wrong: if people really just used to *backup* their games?
Now, getting homebrew to run on the 360, that might be a wee more difficult. The original Xbox was pretty standard fare to develop code for, being little more than a PC with a different form factor. Not only is the architecture completely different now, but Microsoft also stated in the past that there?s quite a bit of security running natively on the console?s OS. A shame, really, because the homebrew efforts on the original Xbox gave us some awesome value.
Isaac @ May 17th 2006 7:19AM
No matter what console it is, there is a way to hack it. It just takes time, heck even the GCN was hacked when it was once thought to be impossible. The Wii, PS3, PS4 6 8 9 10... will all get hacked one way or another. I'm not for piracy though its always nice to see people taking thigns appart and making them do things they weren't designed for.
Christopher7xii @ May 17th 2006 7:49AM
"lso I have to argue the point with used games that my brother who is a big used game seller, uses that money to spend towards new games which he would have otherwise not have bought"
--- Uh, well, stores like GameStop don't take their money and buy new games. That's like saying that if I sold my brother's belongings to buy him a birthday present it'd be okay, because I'm really just getting him something new.
sgtfubar @ May 17th 2006 8:06AM
Piracy is certainly an issue, but I don't feel that it's really driving up costs in any dramatic way. Most companies want to concentrate on maximizing profits on a particular title the first few months after it releases, hence all the anti-piracy software. Nothing is un-crackable, but you can at least delay it.
Deuce @ May 17th 2006 10:09AM
11: Also, most people who pirate games regularly come up with silly, lawyerly rationalizations ("I probably wouldn't buy them anyway, so it's okay for me to take them without paying" being chief among them). I've pirated a couple times before, so I can't really point fingers much here, but it's silly to say that it doesn't cut into a publisher's bottom line.
Phair @ May 17th 2006 10:34AM
I can only say.. lot of ppl are waiting piracy possibility to start buy Xbox 360.
Rose @ May 17th 2006 10:53AM
The massive problem with the argument that games stores that offer trading in games (like EB) are hurting the industry is that this has been going on pretty much since the beginning of the video game industry with people selling their old games and systems through pawn shops (and Ebay, like someone else mentioned above).
My ps1, second Sega Master System, SNES, first Gameboy and Sega Mega Drive all came from pawn shops or garage sales. And the majority of my games (except for ps2 games) have also come from pawn shops (with quite a few of my Sega games coming from op shops, which are a surprisingly bountiful source of cheap vintage games, since the old ladies there generally have no idea of how much some of these games are actually worth).
It's the same as with music (through 2nd hand music shops and pawn shops, garage sales, etc). Being able to buy these older games/music for a cheaper price than they would be brand new means that people who enjoy it will want to search for others made by the same artist (for music) or company (for games), which usually includes buying the new games.
zombiejesus9001 @ May 17th 2006 11:01AM
"I can only say.. lot of ppl are waiting piracy possibility to start buy Xbox 360."
YES! now time to buy a 360 lol
Trae @ May 17th 2006 11:57AM
First off saying piracy doesn't effect overall costs is just stupid. Everything effects cost.
Second, I love how everyone cites themself as a source for the pulse of piracy. I really don't believe that one person buying games while owning a hacked XBox/XBox 360 is proof that a vast majority of pirates buy games.
So, someone get some figures or lets continue to Bill O'Reilly this and pull facts out of our collective asses.
enxian @ May 17th 2006 1:35PM
shut up!! i dont want to tell him!! shhhhh..
Aux @ May 17th 2006 1:43PM
"So, someone get some figures or lets continue to Bill O'Reilly this and pull facts out of our collective asses."
Welcome to the Blogosphere
-Pulling facts out of our collective asses since who knows when.
Game Artist @ May 17th 2006 2:26PM
Piracy costs ME money. Every time someone pirates one of the games I worked on that means Its less likely I get a raise. Its less likely the company will continue the series, or risk a NEW IP. It deffinetly reduces the amount of royalities I see. It doesnt just hurt the "faceless coporation" or the bigwigs. It hits people like me and all the folks that develop games.
You guys making excuses that piracy is okay are just kidding yourselves. Its a crime, its wrong. I cant stop you, but you need to at least admitt to yourself that you're doing something wrong.
pen_&_teller @ May 25th 2006 10:08PM
listen, i know a lot of prirates and know that it is a trial. we come from poor families and poor neighborhoods, our options are limited. Money is tight and games a luxury. Downloading a game allows you to make real choices in dropping 50+ bucks on a single game. All of my pirate friends probably have a bigger game library then all of you combined and on top of that they were all bought brand spanking new. If game devlopers stopped worring about profits and actually started working on new and fun material. maybe we wouldnt have to worry about play the same fucking game under a new name. none of my sytems are hacked, but i could easily do it to all of them. i download games play them for about an hour if they grab me i buy them if not i toss them, and are very grateful to the pirate that saved me some money. i know this isnt how every single pirate acts however to look at the profits from game and music sales over the past few years and see that they have been steadily climbing and saying that used or download games and music hurts , is bullshit. the only games i don't download are games that i can ligitamitly get a demo for and now that the 360 has been offering demos on xboxlive i dont see a reason for me to download those demoed games.
TheRealJC @ Jun 3rd 2006 5:41AM
Hmmm... To mod or Not To Mod... that is the divine question among almost every gaming consol forum.. Much largely debated topic to i might add.. But with all the sh!t i have read about what m$ can and what m$ can't do to my xb360 over xb-live has pushed me away from modding until some concrete evidence is brought forward as to wether i can safely mod that sucker.. I payed a truck load of money and i dont want to see me consol raped over a taking someone insignifigants n00bs theories on how m$ can't or won't... coz this day and age i'll believe that they can do what ever the hell they want.. i sure as hell would if i created a top shelf gaming system like that... SO CAN SOMEONE SWEEP THE GODDAMN PAVEMENT AND SHOW THE CONCRETE EVIDENCE ON M$ ACTUAL ABILITIES FOR ME!?!
Please... haha