DevHook reeled in by Sony?
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Aug 3rd 2006 at 2:00AM }
You like that headline? Love how it plays with the word "hook" and "reel"? Of course you do. What you won't like is news that the incredibly popular DevHook firmware emulator may be gone for good. According to PSP Hacks, the web host of DevHook has received a cease and desist order (translated by 0okm):This doesn't bode well for the future of DevHook, or homebrew in general, as it appears that Sony is finally starting to enter the legal ring against the hacking community. Stay tuned, as things will get quite interesting: you know the homebrew community isn't going to back down any time soon."Reboot_1.50.bin is the copyrighted material by SONY, that is mixed with DevHook0.43fix. Warning from SCE to those who up-load DevHook0.43fix comes. Moreover, please annul it at once when downloaded 0.43fix is preserved at hand, and it uses it. Not seeing this knows and there is a possibility to use, too. Please inform me of this when there is an owner in surroundings. Moreover, the main body of DevHook and the relation file of all versions were deleted from this site. As a result, opening DevHook on this site to the public is completely stopped."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris Powell @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:39AM
Should we view this announcement as Sony's last attempt at stopping the homebrew community? It's already been shown Sony can't do it through making their system "hack proof," so I guess this is their only avenue to stop piracy.
I don't blame them, though.
daniel-kun @ Aug 3rd 2006 4:14AM
Thanks for the fine Engrish. :)
I personally am a software developer and would have great fun coding for the PSP. But I haven't taken a single step to do so, because Sony simply doesn't want it and took enough steps to prevent it. In my case, they definitely succeeded with their strategy of releasing firmware updates to "fix security holes" and don't let people play games with older firmware.
It is, however, very frustrating to have such a great piece of hardware and not being able, although I potentially *could*, to code software for it. It would make my PSP so much more worthwhile.
Sam @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:27AM
We shouldn't be worried. The psp homebrew community has consistently shown that we are more than a match for the Sony corporation. It is also the case that their strategy of using firmware updates to stop hacking simply hasn't worked, as devhook demonstrates. If Sony manages to discourage sites from hosting devhook we'll just get it from other sources anyway. Power to the people!
pixelator @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:25AM
It never stopped homebrew on the GBA, even with Nintendo shutting down flash linker manufacturers and sites, legal battles against emulation, etc.
Mike @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:52AM
F*** Sony. If the GP2X had wireless networking, a better screen, and the movie player didn't suck, I'd get rid of my PSP. I wouldn't support Sony with their attitude. I'd rather support GamePark Holdings since they support the homebrew community.
SuicideNinja @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:55AM
Um, they shouldn't have been providing the reboot file. I thought most places were really good about not posting files created by Sony.
Homebrew is one of the few things that makes the PSP worthwhile to me. And when I buy a game, I don't want to have to update. It was nice to finally borrow some games from my room mate when 2.71 emulation came out.
pixelator @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:38PM
Well, the Gamepark isn't the only open platform, there's also the not-quite-a-blip-on-radar Gizmondo.
But really, Sony's not doing anything Nintendo hasn't already done (in spades) to prevent unauthorized use of their device. With PSP game sales not exactly topping the charts right now, I don't really blame them too much for trying to prevent homebrew, because homebrew in this case means having the capability to run ripped ISO's of games.
I mean, the value of some firmware updates aside, I'm surprised it took them this long to go after the sites harboring their boot/loader files.
NKDN8 @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:05PM
Speaking of homebrew, why aren't more people making flash games that people would actually play? I mean, Blackjack? C'mon now. We're better than that. What about all them kats on newgrounds and their great flash games? Reassign a few button commands, format them to the screen and we are golden.
Plastikloser @ Aug 4th 2006 1:40PM
I dont quite think people fully understand why corporations like Sony and Nintendo go out of there way to stop homebrews and its little brother piracy. You see when they make there systems they intend to for you to buy the games and products for it to generate revenune so they can make more games for it and get better support and more developers. Now, homebrews allow talented teams and imaginitive people to create games on an already functioning and platformed console. But if people spend more time modding the OS and playing mini games, how does the system grow or make money. The answer it doesnt, the system wasnt intended to be a GP2X which is dependent upon the community for it have new games and functions. Im not telling anyone they have to stop all homebrews and buy everything legally, it just wont happen. But dont complain when a company tries to make their product grow and prosper. Meaning you buy their system to play games made FOR it on it. Instead of downgrading your psp and possibly bricking it just to play doom,use a damn computer the game is free. And if you bought a psp to play gba and atari roms you really wasted some time and money, seeing as its on computer emulation already and has been for some time.
pspizzle.qj @ Aug 6th 2006 2:05PM
to number 9:
quote: "And if you bought a psp to play gba and atari roms you really wasted some time and money, seeing as its on computer emulation already and has been for some time."
I bought my psp just for that and haven't wasted any time or money, how can you justify that sentence, I have a 2gb stick, with n64, gba, megadrive, nes, snes, gamegear, mastersystem, atari26000, c64, apple mac and more. I also have lau player, teh ability to use messenger via afkm, its breilliant. AND you say that it "has been on cimputer emualtion for years", do you see people walking around witha computer strapped to their back to play all those emulators, the psp is portable thats the beauty of it, you can have the power of all of those classic consoles and more all on the one system that fits snuggly it your pocket. Now if you had bought a psp planning on playing homebrew and then upgraded to 2.71 (dumb) THEN you would have wasted time and money.
demologik @ Aug 6th 2006 7:19PM
umm yeah wtf is a "cimputer?"
learn how to spell
L4T3NCY @ Aug 7th 2006 8:14AM
Yeah guys if sony wants to screw us around, by trying to stop the file hosters. it will only delay the next version of DEVhook. And there is P2P software for a reason and Torrents we dont need to have a website FIle hoster that sony can shut down Let the public host it for you!! power to the PEOPLE ..
bloody sony not letting us use the PSP to its full power
(i have a ISO running 2.71 PSP im working on it to get bugs out should be out in couple of weeks , and guys this is my first release Ever) --you people missed an exploit on the game wipe out pure--*or i got the disk scratched in the right spot*