The Fanjita Monologues
We're trying to get ahead of Sony - writing our own firmware àif we can do that without getting into too much of a fight, things will get a lot more interesting
| 11 May 2007
A long time ago, on a planet not so far away and rather similar/identical to this one, the PSP was a closed console – capable only of running programs deemed 'worthy' (read profitable) to Sony. And then came the hackers... bringing with them swathes of homebrew (non professional) programs allowing the casual user to do everything from playing SNES games to controlling your telly.
These homebrew applications would not be out there if it wasn't for some diligent work from Edinburgh based Fanjita (real name, David Court), who, arguably, broke open the PSP hacking scene. In a fit of whimsy, The Skinny tracked down said hacker to find the whys and wherefores of hacking the little big screen…
"In the beginning, prior to the PSP's release over here, the hacking scene was small; no real advancements were being made. So I guess I decided; if I wanted an open console, I'd have to get involved," muses Court in response to the Whys. The Wherefores however, are somewhat harder to pin-down, due in part to my lack of comprehension of the word…
Anyway, Court continues: "In the beginning, there weren't many people doing the serious work, but as things have progressed, those of us doing the decrypting have developed quite a close-knit group." Indeed, it is this close-knit group which has managed to crack the latest Sony update (which generally try and lock out homebrew from the console) before it was even available for download on the English servers, something which used to take many weeks. An impressive feat, but one that begs the question: if the updates can be hacked so quickly - and given that their point, for the most part, is to keep the homebrew scene out - why does Sony still bother with them?
"We're not sure why. After all, they have opened up the PS3 to the homebrew scene," Court is referring to the ability of the PS3 to run Linux, an open operating system which effectively lets users run their own programs on the console. "It's symptomatic of Sony's whole attitude to the consumer. They have a general disdain for the end user: "You will take what we make, and you will think its cool." It's where they are falling down with the PS3. It doesn't excite me, and then you can't afford one.' True that.
Moving away from the hacking for a few minutes, The Skinny tries to glean some information about the hackers' playing habits; "The PSP is the only console I have right now, and I don't really play many games on it, I don't have the time." No consoles? But you're a hacker – so you have a PC right? "Yes, I used to play the Star Wars MMO a lot, but I got a bit addicted. Since then my attitude to games has changed somewhat – I think they can be a bit anti-social, something my wife never really appreciated."
*Wha-psh* (that's a whip noise)… Dave laughs: "There is more to life than games you know…"
So does your better half appreciate the hacking? "That's different, I don't do it for more than an hour or so a night, and with my laptop I'm able to do it in the same room. Things will change in a few months though; our baby is on its way, so I will have to cut down significantly."
But until then? "Until then, well, we're working to stop the whole update 'race' thing – which we're all getting a bit bored with," Go on…
"We're trying to get ahead of Sony - writing our own firmware – if we can do that without getting into too much of a fight, things will get a lot more interesting." Who would win that fight? "I'm very confident we're not doing anything illegal, so I don't think we have anything to worry about."
So how does all this firmware tinkering affect your bank balance? How many PSPs have you bricked? Court retorts with a rather smug grin, "None - I'm very proud of that. Alex, for example [another prominent hacker] – he goes through hundreds." Shocking... how does he afford that? "There's a fair amount of support out there for what we are doing, and his profile is high enough that he can just get them donated."
With all this support, a firm legal standpoint and plans to end the firmware wars, the PSP's homebrew future is looking pretty safe. Couple this with a potential Fanjita and Son-style hacking team, and things are looking like they can only get better.
These homebrew applications would not be out there if it wasn't for some diligent work from Edinburgh based Fanjita (real name, David Court), who, arguably, broke open the PSP hacking scene. In a fit of whimsy, The Skinny tracked down said hacker to find the whys and wherefores of hacking the little big screen…
"In the beginning, prior to the PSP's release over here, the hacking scene was small; no real advancements were being made. So I guess I decided; if I wanted an open console, I'd have to get involved," muses Court in response to the Whys. The Wherefores however, are somewhat harder to pin-down, due in part to my lack of comprehension of the word…
Anyway, Court continues: "In the beginning, there weren't many people doing the serious work, but as things have progressed, those of us doing the decrypting have developed quite a close-knit group." Indeed, it is this close-knit group which has managed to crack the latest Sony update (which generally try and lock out homebrew from the console) before it was even available for download on the English servers, something which used to take many weeks. An impressive feat, but one that begs the question: if the updates can be hacked so quickly - and given that their point, for the most part, is to keep the homebrew scene out - why does Sony still bother with them?
"We're not sure why. After all, they have opened up the PS3 to the homebrew scene," Court is referring to the ability of the PS3 to run Linux, an open operating system which effectively lets users run their own programs on the console. "It's symptomatic of Sony's whole attitude to the consumer. They have a general disdain for the end user: "You will take what we make, and you will think its cool." It's where they are falling down with the PS3. It doesn't excite me, and then you can't afford one.' True that.
Moving away from the hacking for a few minutes, The Skinny tries to glean some information about the hackers' playing habits; "The PSP is the only console I have right now, and I don't really play many games on it, I don't have the time." No consoles? But you're a hacker – so you have a PC right? "Yes, I used to play the Star Wars MMO a lot, but I got a bit addicted. Since then my attitude to games has changed somewhat – I think they can be a bit anti-social, something my wife never really appreciated."
*Wha-psh* (that's a whip noise)… Dave laughs: "There is more to life than games you know…"
So does your better half appreciate the hacking? "That's different, I don't do it for more than an hour or so a night, and with my laptop I'm able to do it in the same room. Things will change in a few months though; our baby is on its way, so I will have to cut down significantly."
But until then? "Until then, well, we're working to stop the whole update 'race' thing – which we're all getting a bit bored with," Go on…
"We're trying to get ahead of Sony - writing our own firmware – if we can do that without getting into too much of a fight, things will get a lot more interesting." Who would win that fight? "I'm very confident we're not doing anything illegal, so I don't think we have anything to worry about."
So how does all this firmware tinkering affect your bank balance? How many PSPs have you bricked? Court retorts with a rather smug grin, "None - I'm very proud of that. Alex, for example [another prominent hacker] – he goes through hundreds." Shocking... how does he afford that? "There's a fair amount of support out there for what we are doing, and his profile is high enough that he can just get them donated."
With all this support, a firm legal standpoint and plans to end the firmware wars, the PSP's homebrew future is looking pretty safe. Couple this with a potential Fanjita and Son-style hacking team, and things are looking like they can only get better.