Joystiq

Portable SNES is one shade of yellow, 16 bits of cool

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 10:45:00 EST

We've seen a handful of portable Super Nintendo mods, but few of them look as tough as this one. Submitted to Reddit by one robotairz, this puppy looks like it could withstand the rages of a gorilla jonesing for some Donkey Kong Country. The unit runs on internal, rechargeable batteries, and can also be powered directly by a wall outlet. You can check out some more images (and fuel your ever-growing jealousy) right here.

Portable SNES is one shade of yellow, 16 bits of cool originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Dec 2012 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii Homebrew Channel now functions on Wii U

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:30:00 EST

The Wii Homebrew Channel, which allows users to run unlicensed software on the Wii, is now available for the Wii U with some caveats. The news comes via Hackmii, which notes that the latest release of the Homebrew Channel will work within the original Wii menu that the Wii U uses for backwards compatibility. The release does not, however, work within the Wii U menu itself, something the hacking community hopes to change in the future, no doubt.

Naturally, tampering with consoles is something you do at your own risk (even if you're downloading official firmware updates, apparently). That said, if anyone manages to get the Fatal Frame 4 translation up and running, let us know.

Wii Homebrew Channel now functions on Wii U originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: PS3 hacked yet again, this time it might be for keeps

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:15:00 EST

Yesterday a new, PSN-enabled custom firmware for hacked PlayStation 3 consoles launched, compatible with the official firmware 4.25 release. This type of hack isn't new, and previously Sony has been able to update its firmware to sufficiently quell the hackers' reach. Following the custom firmware launch yesterday, however, was the release of the PlayStation 3's LV0 keys.

In theory, the LV0 decryption keys make is easy to decode any system update to the PlayStation 3, Eurogamer writes. The LV0 keys allow PS3 firmware to be decrypted on PC, and then re-encrypted with firmware 3.55 keys to run on hacked consoles.

A group called "The Three Muskateers" takes responsibility for the LV0 keys, but not the leak itself. That's all thanks to a new Chinese hacking group, "BlueDiskCFW," who planned to release and charge for custom firmware updates using The Three Muskateers' LV0 keys. To stop BlueDiskCFW from profiting off the keys, the Muskateers released them.

"You can be sure that if it wouldn't have been for this leak, this key would never have seen the light of day," The Three Muskateers write in a statement. "Only the fear of our work being used by others to make money out of it has forced us to release this now."

Read the complete statement from The Three Muskateers, with the keys edited out, below.

Continue reading Rumor: PS3 hacked yet again, this time it might be for keeps

Rumor: PS3 hacked yet again, this time it might be for keeps originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ubisoft's UPlay service may have browser exploit on PC [update: Ubisoft responds]

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST

Between delays and draconian DRM, Ubisoft doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to the PC versions of its products. We might have to add browser exploits to that list, if a post on Seclists.org is to be believed. According to a poster by the name of Tavis Ormandy, Ubisoft's UPlay browser plugin, designed to let users launch a game from the web, contains an exploit - namely one that allows "wide access to websites."

Ormandy discovered the flaw in the PC version of Assassin's Creed Revelations, though it's reasonable to assume it would appear in all of Ubisoft's UPlay enabled PC titles.

The upshot of this, according to TechDirt, is that the exploit could allow any website - i.e. "bad websites" - access to your computer. Both Joystiq and Engadget have contacted Ubisoft to confirm the flaw. In the meantime, you may want to disable the UPlay browser plugin.

Update: Ubisoft has made a statement on the issue, reports RPS. The company has acknowledged the flaw and has made a "forced patch" to resolve the issue. The company recommends that "all Uplay users update their Uplay PC application without a Web browser open," which will "allow the plug-in to update correctly." The UPlay PC installer has also been updated to include the patch, and is available via the UPlay website.

Report: Ubisoft's UPlay service may have browser exploit on PC [update: Ubisoft responds] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT students hack electric grid, play Tetris on the side of a damn building

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:45:00 EST

What would it be like to play Tetris on an entire damn building? Students using MIT's department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science building found out just that last Friday. See what they hacked just below in our gallery, and a new video just above.

Continue reading MIT students hack electric grid, play Tetris on the side of a damn building

MIT students hack electric grid, play Tetris on the side of a damn building originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'WiiPop' dance game hacks Wiimotes and Kinect into unlikely tryst

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

Whether by choice or by force, chances are good you've experienced a dancing game by now. Typically, these games ask users to mimic dance moves for points, but WiiPop, created by one Christian "Mio" Loclair, is completely freestyle.

The game achieves this feat by incorporating both body-mounted Wii remotes and the Kinect. Used together, the devices measure how a user moves throughout the dance space and how he or she "pops" to the beat. It's all very amazing and complex and, as such, we suggest you watch the video above for the full rundown.

'WiiPop' dance game hacks Wiimotes and Kinect into unlikely tryst originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vita gets more Remote Play titles with hacked PS3 firmware

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

Several YouTube videos have popped up, showcasing PlayStation 3 titles being played via the PlayStation Vita's Remote Play function -- titles usually not supported by the feature. Officially, the Vita is currently restricted to a handful of titles, but a hacked version of PS3 firmware 3.55 (reportedly susceptible to the infamous PS3 "jailbreak" hack) allows users to play many more titles.

The Vita appears as a "mobile phone" in this configuration, and offers up a wider variety of choices than the normal Vita Remote Play. The videos in question, uploaded by YouTube users homer49, feature Batman: Arkham Asylum, Battlefield 3 (shown above), Alice: Madness Returns, Mortal Kombat and Red Dead Redemption. The games display a hefty amount of input lag.

Sony still plans to expand the official Remote Play library going forward. The company previously showed Killzone 3 running via Remote Play at the Tokyo Game Show and stated that developers would soon receive tools to help implement Remote Play on upcoming and previously released titles.

Vita gets more Remote Play titles with hacked PS3 firmware originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skyrim PC mod claims to improve performance

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

No, it won't help you take down giants or snow trolls more easily, but a new Skyrim patch does purport to increase the game's performance with certain configurations. Bethesda forum user Arisu has created the Skyrim Acceleration Layer which, in his own words, "works mostly by rewriting some x87 FPU code and inlining a whole ton of useless getter functions along the critical paths because the developers at Bethesda, for some reason, compiled the game without using any of the optimization flags for release builds." You get all that?

We're unable to test the mod ourselves, though forum users are reporting frame rate increases in more graphically intense areas (Markarth, in particular). Meanwhile, Rock, Paper, Shotgun seems to have noticed at least a slight improvement. The mod requires the Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE), which you can find here. Head over to the Bethesda forums for detailed installation instructions.

Skyrim PC mod claims to improve performance originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eidos and Deus Ex websites hacked, resumes and site registration emails obtained [update]

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 13 May 2011 09:48:00 EST

This past Wednesday, hackers reportedly broke into the Eidos and Deus Ex: Human Revolution websites, erecting an "Owned by Chippy1337" banner and signing some names and aliases below (a possible red herring). In IRC chat logs, obtained by former Washington Post reporter Brian Krebs, the hackers also claim to have stolen the personal data of "at least" 80,000 users. So, first things first: If you've registered on an Eidos site or with the Deus Ex site, now's the time to change your password (we should all be used to this by now).

Eurogamer has spoken with "Venuism," one of the hackers implicated in the theft, who clarified that the "src" (source code) the hackers allegedly obtained pertains to the Deus Ex website and not the actual game. As of this writing, the Deus Ex website still isn't back to normal, while Eidos.com, which was also apparently compromised, appears fine now. (Venuism maintains that he and the others listed below the banner have been set up by a rival group.)

Most troubling, Venuism suggested that the stolen user data -- the extent of which is unclear -- had already been leaked. We've contacted Eidos parent company Square Enix for an official comment on the situation.

Update: Square Enix has confirmed that Eidosmontreal.com and two of its product sites were compromised. The company states that 350 job applicant resumes "may have been accessed" and those individuals are being contacted. Furthermore, 25,000 email addresses, which were "not linked to any additional personal information" were obtained. Read the full Square Enix statement after the break.

Continue reading Eidos and Deus Ex websites hacked, resumes and site registration emails obtained [update]

Eidos and Deus Ex websites hacked, resumes and site registration emails obtained [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 May 2011 09:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anonymous members say Sony attacks were 'likely' connected to movement

Mike Schramm — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:30:00 EST

The Financial Times reports that two "veteran" members of Anonymous say some element of the organization was "likely" behind the attacks on Sony earlier this month. At least, they're saying that as much as any two people can take credit for a large, essentially unconnected group of strangers. There was an "official" Anonymous movement against Sony called "OpSony," say the veteran members, and according to them, "if you say you are Anonymous, and do something as Anonymous, then Anonymous did it."

That's the problem Sony is having with the non-organization -- members of Anonymous have both now taken credit for and denied being behind the attacks, but since Anonymous is by definition a decentralized, self-defined community, it can't really "take credit" or be held responsible for anything itself.

That said, while the Anonymous movement is hard to pin down, it is made up of a group of real people, and those people are being investigated as "one of the key targets" by US law enforcement. If and when charges are brought in this case, "Anonymous" won't be on the stand -- it's not a real organization you can arrest or subpoena. But the hackers who were reportedly acting in conjunction with the online movement likely will be.

Anonymous members say Sony attacks were 'likely' connected to movement originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 May 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reports: Banned Xbox 360s briefly allowed back on Xbox Live, promptly banned again

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:40:00 EST

Reports began swirling Tuesday evening that Xbox Live users with banned Xbox 360 consoles were able to reconnect to Microsoft's online service. Forum users across Xbox.com, Xbox-Scene and NeoGAF claimed to have reconnected banned consoles, though said consoles were unable to download content from Xbox Live, including Marketplace purchases and game updates. As of early this morning, however, Xbox-Scene users are reporting that previously banned consoles have been totally barred from Xbox Live once again.

It's unclear just what happened, though Xbox-Scene user DUBiSM noticed Tuesday afternoon that the Xbox Live status page (image above) noted that users could experience problems "creating new Xbox Live accounts, managing those accounts, or recovering an account on a different console." The message has since been changed to warn of Modern Warfare 2 phishing scams.

On Twitter, Xbox Live director of policy and enforcement Stephen Toulouse said that all banned consoles are still banned, adding, "you can't trust message boards." For the moment, it would appear that the alleged reconnections were a fluke, though still a fluke that deserves attention given the ongoing drama surrounding the recent attack on Sony's PlayStation Network. We've contacted Microsoft for further comment.

Reports: Banned Xbox 360s briefly allowed back on Xbox Live, promptly banned again originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The CCube puts a GameCube in your (very large) pocket

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST

We've seen portable GameCube mods before, but the CCube (Compact Cube) built by one Jonathan Shine may be the smallest. Created using a GameCube, an old answering machine case, plastic cement and many coats of paint, the project took fifteen months to complete -- much longer than the original two weeks John had estimated.

You'll find a video of the CCube after the break (skip to 2:20 for gameplay). With the disc drive actually located outside the case, it's worth noting that it's a tad on the noisy side, but impressive nonetheless. Then head over to the Mod Retro Forums for a detailed look at the CCube's construction.

Continue reading The CCube puts a GameCube in your (very large) pocket

The CCube puts a GameCube in your (very large) pocket originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3 firmware 3.60 is live with cloud saves ... oh, and hacker suggests PS3 is 're-secured'

Christopher Grant — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 07:20:00 EST

In addition to its ongoing courtroom campaign to thwart hackers, Sony hasn't given up trying to patch its PlayStation 3 problems with another (everybody now!) firmware update! This time, it's not just a security update: For the PlayStation Plus subscribers out there, firmware 3.60 includes the nifty cloud-based save service (demoed on video after the break) while non PS+ users can enjoy setting "the amount of time before a controller turns off after you have stopped using it."

As for those glaring security holes? Noted PS3 hacker Youness Alaoui (aka KaKaRoToKS) posits, "For now, it looks to me (at first glance) that the PS3 has been re-secured, but it doesn't mean it can't be broken again from scratch." DigitalFoundry explains that while Geohot's reveal of the "mtldr" key irrevocably broke the PS3's "chain of trust," Sony's solution effortlessly sidesteps this seemingly insurmountable breach: "According to Alaoui's quick analysis, Sony simply doesn't use mtldr any more, opting for a new security system that could possibly require a completely new exploit to be uncovered."

Even money says someone somewhere will uncover that exploit, but for now, it sounds like Sony can breathe a sigh of relief.

[Thanks for the vid, Johnra (and everyone else that sent this in!)]

Continue reading PS3 firmware 3.60 is live with cloud saves ... oh, and hacker suggests PS3 is 're-secured'

PS3 firmware 3.60 is live with cloud saves ... oh, and hacker suggests PS3 is 're-secured' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 07:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Butler account accidentally retweets PS3 exploit

Mike Schramm — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:00:00 EST

Oh, Kevin Butler. You seemed so perfect -- exactly the kind of PR icon that Sony needed, always saying and doing exactly the right thing for the company's image. You were always so in the know, always on top of the public pulse. Until Tuesday night, that is, when the Kevin Butler account on Twitter replied to what it thought was a random series of letters and numbers with a Battleship joke. Unfortunately, that code turned out to be the key once used to hack the PS3 through a USB dongle. In essence, the great KB helped to spread exactly the sort of information his company's been fighting to keep secret in court.

Of course, the tweet was quickly deleted. It wasn't that severe a leak anyway, since Sony's already fixed the exploit that it used and that key isn't the one being contested in the ongoing lawsuit. The real damage here is to KB's reputation. After deleting the tweet, whichever PR person runs the account quickly dived into a relatively harmless attempt to start a "#gamingis" trend. What, no snarky comeback or humorous braggadocio, KB? And here we thought he was the Vice President of Knowing What's Up.

Kevin Butler account accidentally retweets PS3 exploit originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSP Go hacked to load game ISOs

JC Fletcher — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:35:00 EST

Good news! There's now a way to run UMD-only games on a PSP Go. The bad news: it's an unofficial exploit. Coders "Virtuous Flame" and "Coldbird" have released a "Homebrew Enabler" for PSP firmware 6.31 and 6.35. Using that, "Liquidzigong" was able to get the Prometheus ISO Loader program running on the disc-free handheld, allowing copied UMD disc images to be saved and run on the system.

After the break, you can see a demonstration of the hack, in which a user loads up Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep -- a high-profile title never released on PSN. While we can't speak on the legality of using this method to back up your UMD games and play them on a Go (and then on the go), we can confidently condemn the use of this exploit to play games that aren't yours.

Continue reading PSP Go hacked to load game ISOs

PSP Go hacked to load game ISOs originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First PS3 'custom firmware' working, doesn't allow piracy

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EST

Building upon the exploits of the fail0verflow hacking troupe, a tinkerer known as "KaKaRoToKS" has got the first "custom firmware" (CFW) running on PS3. The modification can be applied to any version of the system's official firmware, including the latest 3.55 patch, and simply adds an "Install Package Files" option in the Game section of the XMB.

Importantly, this unauthorized option isn't an open flood gate for pirated games, but rather a means by which users could install signed and encrypted executable files -- in other words, "retail" .pkg files like the ones Sony uses for PSN downloads. While no current homebrew application is packaged like this (and therefore compatible with the custom firmware), it would be possible for homebrew developers to re-package their files to be installed through the CFW. (PSJailbreak offers similar functionality, DigitalFoundry explains, but as its name implies, Jailbreak allows for the installation of unsigned, unencrypted code.)

"Since the kernel is left unmodified, this means that this custom firmware is really meant for future homebrew installation, and it will not allow piracy," writes KaKaRoToKS in a blog post about the CFW. "I plan on keeping it that way."

[Thanks, Roland]

First PS3 'custom firmware' working, doesn't allow piracy originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Hacks: Real-time (fake) X-ray

Randy Nelson — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST

X-ray glasses are so 2010. We present for your consideration this Kinect hack from Technical University of Munich researchers, led by one Tobias Blum, who have created a "magic mirror" that lets you see your own skeleton.

Okay, so it's not actually your skeleton, but data from some anonymous patient's CT scan, being mapped to your movements to create the spine-tingling effect. Still, make no bones about it: this is one of the more impressive Kinect hacks we've seen to date.

Continue reading Kinect Hacks: Real-time (fake) X-ray

Kinect Hacks: Real-time (fake) X-ray originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Hacks: DaVinci drawing interface, flying machine

JC Fletcher — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:20:00 EST

Two more crazy Kinect hacks have been captured on video, making a nice thematic pairing. First, Razorfish's DaVinci software has been ported to Kinect, allowing users to draw onscreen by making gestures, and then interact with those drawn objects Crayon Physics-style.

Second, researchers at UC Berkeley's Hybrid Systems lab mounted a Kinect on an autonomous quadracopter, allowing the machine to sense its surroundings in 3D. You know who else invented a crazy helicopter thing? That's right -- Da Vinci! We told you there was a theme.

Check out both videos after the break, and ponder the question: if Kinect can now fly around on its own, why would it want to stay home and play MotionSports with you?

Continue reading Kinect Hacks: DaVinci drawing interface, flying machine

Kinect Hacks: DaVinci drawing interface, flying machine originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Hacks: Playing Minecraft with Kinect

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:15:00 EST

At first blush, using Kinect to control Minecraft might seem like a great idea. This latest Kinect hack, created by YouTube user leparlon, allows players to look and walk in Minecraft. It certainly looks neat, but we can already think of a problem: We're really not looking forward to using our hands to chop down trees for hours at a time. Just think about it: You're using physical motions to control a game solely about manual labor. Maybe leparlon's next Kinect project will hack in a few turbo buttons.

Continue reading Kinect Hacks: Playing Minecraft with Kinect

Kinect Hacks: Playing Minecraft with Kinect originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect hacks: Chest tracking, grotesque morphing, MIDI music and more

JC Fletcher — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST

Homebrew developers continue to do much more interesting things with the Kinect sensor than have been done in any of the retail games so far. Two recent projects manage to use the sensor for proof-of-concept programs that are simultaneously sophisticated and kind of juvenile.

Dan Wilcox rigged up Kinect to see a human body and estimate approximately where the chest area would be on that body ... and then display either a bra or pasties over that area. Of course it's called "Titty Tracker." And Robert "Flight404" Hodgin created a program that generates a 3D model of the person in view of the Kinect, and then distorts that model to create some kind of puffy monster. The point isn't to create nightmare fuel, it's just proof of the open-source Cinder software's ability to access Kinect data.

Other hacks can be found in this roundup, including one that renders people entirely in horizontal white lines, one that uses movement with a MIDI controller to turn the Kinect into a sort of theremin and a head-tracking program.

Continue reading Kinect hacks: Chest tracking, grotesque morphing, MIDI music and more

Kinect hacks: Chest tracking, grotesque morphing, MIDI music and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fanmade Thief 2 multiplayer released in beta form

Mike Schramm — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:00:00 EST

Who needs a new version of Thief when you can just hack some multiplayer into the old one? A group of modders has painstakingly hacked the ten-year-old Thief 2 into a multiplayer game, and the beta is now available for download and testing. While it will supposedly run, it's not actually playable by laymen quite yet. You'll need a fair amount of networking code knowledge to actually get it working in any sensible way, and even then it will apparently crash and burn.

But feel free to geek out at what's been done here -- these guys have gone back through, found unused code in the still closed-off game client, and then rebuilt and rewritten it to try and get it working on modern computers. And this was a game that was never actually designed for multiplayer! What they've done is like taking an old Model T and making it race the Indy 500. Sure, it won't actually win, but the fact it showed up running on four wheels is pretty amazing anyway.

Fanmade Thief 2 multiplayer released in beta form originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Homebrewer develops PC Kinect photo app

JC Fletcher — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST

Just a couple of days after the release of an open-source Kinect driver, coder floemuc has developed a proof-of-concept PC application for the sensor. In the video after the break, floemuc uses Kinect to track his hand movements, allowing him to manipulate and resize photos. He hasn't released the software, unfortunately. "I thought I'd get the mandatory picture-browsing stuff done," he said in the YouTube description, "so it's out of the way and everybody can focus on more interesting things."

It's nice to find out that people are thinking about using Kinect to do the cool Minority Report stuff, instead of just the gross ad-personalization bits.

Continue reading Homebrewer develops PC Kinect photo app

Homebrewer develops PC Kinect photo app originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NES cartridge router: Now you're broadcasting Wi-Fi with power

JC Fletcher — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:02:00 EST

Right now (check the exact time on your NES cartridge clock), you could be using hard drives, CD cases, soap, and even NES systems shaped like NES cartridges. Now, thanks to Unconventional Hacker, you can even camouflage a wireless router among your pile of extra Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt cartridges. You do have a pile of extra SMB/Duck Hunt cartridges, we're sure.

The site offers a step-by-step guide to cramming a wireless router inside a NES cartridge, and even adding a snazzy custom label. Next up: an Instructable for how to deal with your insatiable urge to make things look like NES carts!

NES cartridge router: Now you're broadcasting Wi-Fi with power originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSJailbreak is real, is sold out, and is likely to get your console banned for using it

Christopher Grant — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

When we first wrote about the PSJailbreak tool - the latest in a series of purported hacks intended to circumvent the PlayStation 3's robust security precautions - we suggested that it might be a hoax. Notably, the screens shown to illustrate the tool at work were straight from a debug PlayStation 3; the same kind of PS3 that's designed to run un-signed code off of things like hard drives and the like. It turns out we were partially correct. The always excellent Digital Foundry has weighed in on the topic and the takeaway is simple: "the PlayStation 3's much vaunted security has finally been completely and unequivocally compromised."

And how is it compromised? DF writes that the presence of the debug options "suggests that elements of the bespoke system updates used on the debug PS3s are being injected into the memory of the retail unit." That coupled with the USB stick, which DF posits was likely reverse-engineered from the same "USB-based tools Sony uses to test and recover PS3s with corrupt firmware."

Continue reading PSJailbreak is real, is sold out, and is likely to get your console banned for using it

PSJailbreak is real, is sold out, and is likely to get your console banned for using it originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cloud Strife hacked (and slashed) into Smash Bros. Brawl

David Hinkle — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:15:00 EST

Up until today, our biggest problem with Super Smash Bros. Brawl has been that it doesn't have enough introspective, spiky-haired RPG protagonists. That's all changed, thanks to a group of modders known as DasDonkey Team and Kitty Corp: Meow Mix. Final Fantasy VII protagonist Cloud Strife -- along with his trusty Buster sword -- has been faithfully recreated in surprising detail here in Nintendo's franchise fight-em-up with custom animations and attacks. We won't pretend to understand the motivation behind the implementation (with these mods, we so seldom do), but hey, we're not complaining. The more, the merrier!

Head past the break to check out some video of Cloud in action.

[Via GameVideos]

Continue reading Cloud Strife hacked (and slashed) into Smash Bros. Brawl

Cloud Strife hacked (and slashed) into Smash Bros. Brawl originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You're not dreaming: Custom portable Dreamcast is the real deal

Randy Nelson — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:00:00 EST

An intrepid Sega fan going by the name Bacteria would like you to see what he's spent the last four months building: a portable Sega Dreamcast -- complete with a built-in VMU (Visual Memory Unit, should you have forgotten). Called the IntoDream, the handheld is actually comprised of some non-Sega components, specifically a 5" LCD screen for the PSone and ... a third-party N64 analog stick? The full specs are listed on his blog.

Bacteria says the rest of the buttons and innards came from a PAL Dreamcast console, and that it "was primarily made to play Quake 3 and also Unreal Tournament on the Dreamcast, and it does it very well indeed." Just not for long -- the IntoDream's six amps of battery juice powers the device for just over two hours on a single charge. Still, for such a commendable custom carry-along, you take what you can get, right?

Check out two videos -- one a making-of, the other of the IntoDream in action -- after the break. Oh, and in case you're wondering, it's not for sale.

Continue reading You're not dreaming: Custom portable Dreamcast is the real deal

You're not dreaming: Custom portable Dreamcast is the real deal originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Modders pump L4D1 maps into L4D2

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST

There's some good news for the PC players of Left 4 Dead 2. You no longer have to worry about whether Valve will be bringing the original Left 4 Dead campaigns into the sequel. You see, crafty modders over at l4dmods.com have already implemented the original maps into Left 4 Dead 2. Valve hasn't actually released an SDK for Left 4 Dead 2 yet, so making this mod work will require users to change some files in the original game (and yes, you do have to own both games to make it work). There are some known issues and bugs and, needless to say, it's not the most user-friendly mod out there, but it's probably a small price to pay for the dedicated users.

So, if you want to see a Spitter on the roof of Mercy Hospital (and we know you do), you can. Watch a video of the mod in action after the break.

[Via Kotaku]

Continue reading Modders pump L4D1 maps into L4D2

Modders pump L4D1 maps into L4D2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Laser etcher plays the Mario theme for you

Justin McElroy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:45:00 EST

How To Ruin Your Moment of Internet Glory:

Work for an unconscionable number of hours making a laser etcher improbably play a fine rendition of the World 1-1 music from Super Mario Bros.
Let Cory Doctorow film it.
Listen as he rewards your hard work with terrible internet cliches, and, in doing so, almost completely obscures the audio you crafted.
Cry yourself to sleep.

Video tutorial right after the break.

Continue reading Laser etcher plays the Mario theme for you

Laser etcher plays the Mario theme for you originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSP Go hacked and homebrew-enabled, becomes Sega CD Go

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST

Some folks measure the length of time it takes for a new console to be hacked wide open by how long it takes to display a "Hello, World!" message. For us, that metric is determined by how long it takes to get a Sega CD emulator running on the system. For the PSP Go, that period of time has been finalized: 43 long, lonely, Night Trap-less days.

A YouTube video by "Neon" from "Team Typhoon" (is that some sort of gang?) appears to prove that on some PSP Go, somewhere in the world, one can play Sonic CD. Don't get your hopes up -- the video's annotations repeatedly promise that the hack will not be released to the general public, so for the time being, you're going to have to keep playing that old copy of Wirehead on your clunky, Voltron-esque home console. Still, our heart swells knowing that our wildest dreams are possible -- if not slightly out of reach.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading PSP Go hacked and homebrew-enabled, becomes Sega CD Go

PSP Go hacked and homebrew-enabled, becomes Sega CD Go originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DDR purse is actually kind of neat

Justin McElroy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

Printing a description on something doesn't necessarily make it so, as the hundreds of XXL T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Way 2 Sexy" all over our nation's Wal-Mart's will attest. But there's truth in advertising for this purse made out of a Dance Dance Revolution dance pad, which is, in fact, pretty cool.

As a bonus with this handy how-to, you get to see several lurid close-ups of a dance pad's guts. Sure, it's not the internet's biggest fetish group, but it's nice to see them being thrown a bone.

[Thanks, Liz]

DDR purse is actually kind of neat originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Football Hero mod probably the biggest 'Hero' yet

Justin McElroy — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:57:00 EST

The next time your friends complain about soccer being boring, you can do something slightly more productive than silently mocking their boorish lack of sophistication. You can show them this video of "Football Hero" (after the break), which consists of soccer players kicking balls into a gigantic, vibration-sensitive screen to play Frets on Fire, a freeware adaptation of Guitar Hero's core gameplay.

Then, just for us, make sure you convince them that every soccer match is exactly like this.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Football Hero mod probably the biggest 'Hero' yet

Football Hero mod probably the biggest 'Hero' yet originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Conduit Wii case mod much cooler than actual game

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:45:00 EST

If you own more than one console, there's a sizable chance that you found The Conduit underwhelming. A commendable effort, sure, but not the world-rending behemoth we were all hoping for. That said, if you own multiple consoles, you probably also have enough money to afford a sweet custom rig. Thus we present a custom Wii dedicated to High Voltage's good ol' college try.

While it might appear to be little more than a Wii with a face painted one side and a logo plastered on the other, the real magic happens when you turn it on, causing it to light up so very prettily. See it all in the detailed (and vaguely sensual) video after the break.

[Thanks, John]

Continue reading The Conduit Wii case mod much cooler than actual game

The Conduit Wii case mod much cooler than actual game originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mod: Buttons and analog sticks just don't get along

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST

We've seen plenty of interesting Xbox 360 controller mods. From one-handed controls to controls with swapped parts to other one-handed controls, the 360 mod scene is pretty lively. This one is definitely different from the usual mods we see though, with the right stick and face buttons switching places and being pushed to the edges of the control. Built by Acidmods, the controller was designed for a disabled player so that he could hold the control more comfortably. The quality of the build is pretty impressive, with nary a scratch, cut or patch to be seen. And, of course, the best part is that it actually works.

See it in action after the break.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Mod: Buttons and analog sticks just don't get along

Mod: Buttons and analog sticks just don't get along originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben Heck's one-handed, aesthetically challenged 360 controller

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST

At first glance, you would never believe that the one-handed Xbox 360 controller above is the work of modder extraordinaire, Ben Heck. Given the svelte, smooth and attractive one-handed controllers he's made before, it's a bit hard to believe this is his work. However, the Heck points out this was a rush-job, so we suppose we can forgive him just this once. The controller features a duplicate left analog stick on the bottom, which players move by placing it on their leg. There are also extra an extra back button and left bumper button just above the face buttons. To top everything off, Ben Heck even squeezed the left trigger under the right side, where it can be pulled with the middle finger.

Not his most elegant work, but impressive nonetheless. See a video of it in action after the break.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Ben Heck's one-handed, aesthetically challenged 360 controller

Ben Heck's one-handed, aesthetically challenged 360 controller originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dude replaces Half-Life 2 sound effects with own voice

Justin McElroy — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:30:00 EST

Behind the scenes at Joystiq, we have a lot of news we want to get to every day, and some stories just don't make the cut. We just want to take a moment to apologize to whatever story gets bumped so we can write about this particular item. If you're in anyway newsworthy at all it must come as quite a shock. But trust us, it's not you ... it's us.

So, after the break, you'll find a video of a guy who made a mod that replaces the sound effects of Half-Life 2 with ones he made with his own voice. It's completely unimportant and utterly magical.

[Via Giant Bomb]

Continue reading Dude replaces Half-Life 2 sound effects with own voice

Dude replaces Half-Life 2 sound effects with own voice originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Put your Fear Factor GBA cartridge to good use (turn it into a thumb drive!)

David Hinkle — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:45:00 EST

Look, we all buy crappy games every now and then ... it just happens. But instead of hiding those titles under a pile of dirty clothes or trading them in at GameStop for almost nothing, you can now convert them into thumb drives. That is, if they're the right size and shape, like the Advance Wars 2 cartridge you see above (via Go Nintendo). We don't know why someone would ruin that game to do this, so we suggest you target Fear Factor: Unleashed instead.

Put your Fear Factor GBA cartridge to good use (turn it into a thumb drive!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben Heck swaps 360 D-pad with buttons, world implodes

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:15:00 EST

We're just going to come out and say it: Ben Heckendorn -- AKA Ben Heck -- has absolutely no respect for manufacturer warranties. The man cracks open every single piece of hardware he comes across, voiding warranties like blades of grass through a lawnmower. Case in point: observe his latest affront on warrantability, an Xbox 360 controller with buttons where the D-pad should be. Worse still, the D-pad now occupies the former location of the face buttons.

As if that weren't enough, the warrantless warranty wrecker swapped the left and right triggers and added more buttons on the back of the controller that mirror the functions of the face buttons. Heckendorn claims the controller was made for a paying customer and that he makes such controllers to "allow more options for persons that may have a hard time with normal controller configurations."

Hogwash, we say. We recognize a (warranty) killer when we see one.

[Via Engadget]

Ben Heck swaps 360 D-pad with buttons, world implodes originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could this portable SNES look any better?

Justin McElroy — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST

So you're not in suspense, the answer the the question we've presented in the headline is "No." In fact, we'd guess that ancient, primitive cultures given a glimpse of this lovely mod would instantly build an fortified temple around it, taking breaks from worshipping it only to make more progress in ActRaiser.

So, in closing, Darthchris 13, we'll take 30. And try to have them ready by the weekend, OK?

[Via Engadget]

Could this portable SNES look any better? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to get Hulu back on your PS3

Justin McElroy — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EST

As much as we love our PS3s and as much as we love having the first three seasons of Three Sheets at our fingertips, this workaround that gets Hulu back up and running on the PS3 is still a bit much for us. We tried to read all the witchcraft, with its VMs and DNSes, but we got kinda headachey and had to lay down.

If you've got a stronger stomach (and are still avoiding services like PlayOn), give it a spin and let us know how it works out.

How to get Hulu back on your PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Broken Xbox 360? Turn it into an alarm clock

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:45:00 EST

There are a number of things you can do if your Xbox 360 decides to die. Sure, if it's under warranty, you can just send it off to Microsoft to have it patched up. But what if it isn't? You could cry, of course, but why waste your tears on a faulty console when you can find a way to put it to good use again?

Such was the mentality of one Stephen Raney, who decided to turn his Xbox 360 into an alarm clock instead of forking over 200 smackers for a repair. Using a speaker, a TV monitor and some technical know-how, Raney has rigged his console to wake him up to every Xbox gamer's favorite sound, the sound of Achievements unlocking -- you know, "bleep bloop." At least, it might be your favorite sound when you hear it once. Hearing it looped over an over again is actually pretty annoying.

But hey, that's what alarm clocks are supposed to do, right? Check out the Achievement alarm clock after the break.

Continue reading Broken Xbox 360? Turn it into an alarm clock

Broken Xbox 360? Turn it into an alarm clock originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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