Despite making many attempts to secure and lockdown the Sony PSP platform, Sony has been outpaced by the homebrew scene consistently. Copy protection, stronger DRM, applications that wouldn’t run on anything but the absolute newest firmware, Sony has tried it all, and has been beaten to the punch.

The newest games out use a new decryption method that Sony thought would stop piracy. The guys over at OCModshop prove Sony wrong.

These new games utilize a new decryption method, and cannot be patched using Eboot Exchange 2.8. Some of the new games that cannot be patched by EE are:

• Iron Man 2
• Prince of Persia – Forgotten Sands
• Metal Gear Solid – Peace Walker
• FullMetal Alchemist
• What Have I Done To Deserve This, My Lord?
• Hexyz Force

Of course there are methods to manually patch your games (UMDGen 4.0, etc), but these are rather complicated, especially when compared to the ease of Eboot Exchange. Another method to patch recent games is with the use of ISO Tool 1.51. Not only will it patch 6.20 games to work on the recent custom firmwares, but it does it right on the PSP – no PC required!

The instructions are simple enough to follow. Take that Sony!

[ Links: OCModshop ]

AVerMedia has shown off its Video Capture USB at CeBIT 2010, which allows users to watch and record digital TV on PC.

It can convert piles of video tapes and turn recordings in diverse analog devices into a comprehensive DVD format without a loss of quality. Plus, real-time Apple iPod and Sony PSP format recording allows you to take your favorite shows on-the-go. This USB device is Windows 7 certified. It can run on both AVerTV 6 and Window Media Center with superb reception ability even while commuting.

Link to the original article…

Seems like all of the custom firmware, the cracked images and ISO’s and other methods to play Sony PSP games for “free” might all be coming to an end if the methods used by the upcoming Sony Computer Entertainment developed SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 title.

The new DRM employed by this SCEA game forces users to sign up online, use a voucher that’s included in the UMD version of the game. If you purchase the game used, you will have to purchase not only the used game, but another voucher for $20 in order to use the game.

I’m used to the feeling of how DRM treats your customers as a thief. It’s par for the course. But this seems like a bit of overkill on SCEA’s part. Whether or not this will become the standard way that SCEA games for the Sony PSP will be distributed; all this does is mask that Sony does indeed have a piracy problem. I do not feel this is the way to solve it.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 is in stores in the US now for $39.99.

Callpod has introduced the Callpod Fueltank Uno, a small rechargeable battery that allows users to charge their devices some 3-5 times off of one Fueltank Uno Charge.

The Fueltank™ Uno can charge one small electronic device without the use of an outlet. It contains a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The Fueltank Uno has more than 4 times the capacity of a standard mobile phone. The Fueltank Uno uses device-specific adapters covering more than 3,000 different devices from all major manufacturers including: Apple, RIM/Blackberry, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Sony, Jawbone, Plantronics, Nokia and many others.

The Callpod Fueltank Uno costs $39.95 at Best Buy [ view product here ]

[ Callpod ] [ Related: iPower Apple iPhone Battery Case ]

The above picture is my Sony PSP UMD collection. There are about 22 games in the above picture – minus a couple that I’ve loaned out and the one in my current Sony PSP-3000. So in total let’s say 25. It’s a neat little pile of actual store bought UMD’s that Sony would rather I forget that I owned, push them all aside, purchase their new Sony PSP Go which costs $249 USD and then start the purchasing process all over again if I really wanted to purchase the Sony PSP Go.

While shopping this weekend, my 8 year old son saw the new PSP Go and in his curiosity started to ask a few questions. When my answers to his questions were that “The new Sony PSP doesn’t play the same games you’ve already seen around the house, you have to purchase and download each and every game…” and that answer didn’t phase him. He’s already gotten used a Nintendo DSi that also had the ability to play downloaded games alongside cartridge games. What did bother him though, was a question by him that led to this rant… “If you already have a lot of PSP (UMD) games, why won’t Sony let you download them onto the Sony PSP Go since you’ve already bought it once?”

“Good question son…”

Then it hit me. There’s no compelling reason to buy the Sony PSP Go for a Sony PSP UMD owner with a lot of games already. Zero compelling reason whatsoever. Is there a trade-in program? No. Is there a trade-up program? No. For each and every game you used to own… you’ll get nothing from Sony. They scrapped the trade-in program for the American market. Heck, they even don’t do anything special, if I wanted to, I could download games onto my Sony PSP-3000. Heck, the PSP Go has a smaller screen, they didn’t add a second analog thumb pad or even allowed the battery to remain removable.

Back to trade-ins, I don’t recall a trade-in program in Japan either where it’s sold rather poorly there. I mean, real poor. And the sales here in the US and European markets aren’t that strong either. So listen up Sony… my 8 year old son came up with a good idea. I’m sure my son won’t even mind if you use it…

Start up a trade-in program and send people a self-addressed and stamped cardboard box capable of slotting in a few UMD’s, all made of recyclable cardboard and for each and every UMD that you receive, send out a download voucher for that game. Don’t forget to include tracking for packages.

Allow people to just send the UMD’s, don’t require the boxes or manuals. Something I tend to do every now-and-then is go through the manuals of the games – I’m not a fan of online manuals all too often. Something about the tactile feeling of having some paper in my hand. But on downloadable games, why not try to capitalize on the people that like to read manuals. Offer it as a service. They download a game, add $2.99 for a manual… slap on a stamp and send it along.

Don’t let Gamestop and other stores pick up the slack that you left in the wake of releasing a $250 dollar machine to replace a $169 dollar machine that had a bigger screen and can still play downloaded games. Offer some real incentives for once. $50 bucks? Pfft. Let’s think this is a good negotiation. Bring out a $100 system trade-in program alongside the aforementioned game trade-in program.

See? It’s that damn easy Sony. Get off your high-horse. You dropped the price of the Sony PlayStation3… what happened? 8000% increase in sales during a friggin’ recession and you bring out an overly expensive game system that’s being outsold in each and every location you sell Sony products, including Japan. Same place that you were gaining ground on the Nintendo DSi that’s been outselling you each month for almost 2 years straight.

And it’s no wonder the three highest viewed stories on Remove The Labels are either about the 5.02 firmware [ view here ] or the 5.03 firmware [ view here ] or where the Sony PSP Go was hacked… sorta [ view here ] which all point to how people want to basically screw you back Sony.

Get a clue, stop screwing over your existing and potential customers, cultivate what little brand loyalty is left and try what I said above, it just might work. Even an 8 year old sees what you’re doing wrong. At least you’re still continuing with a rumored PSP-4000 that will keep the UMD.

Just a few days after its release, the Sony PSP Go has been hacked already. Sorta. The hacker, Freeplay, is using an older exploit but it doesn’t quite yet mean that homebrew on the PSP Go is… well a go.

See what I did there? Anyway, the details:

This was a known exploit that was abandoned because better prospects came along. I did not discover it; I just figured out how to make it work properly. Better hackers than I likely figured it out way before I did; they just never used it for anything I know of.
• I won’t be releasing this or divulging the name of the game involved. It’s a proof-of-concept, and it may become more developed privately, but until there’s a worthwhile reason to release it it’ll stay private. I’d prefer that Sony not patch it before it becomes really useful.
• It’s user-mode only, meaning no flash modification, no piracy, no advanced custom themes, no plugins – none of that. I wouldn’t expect anything else to come from it, unless I get some help.

So, who knows. At $249 and with homebrew, the Sony PSP Go might become a worthy purchase. But as it stands right now… I’ll pass and keep my PSP-3000.

[ PSPUpdates ]