Sony Using Copyright Requests To Remove Leaked PS4 SDK From the Web (arstechnica.com)

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Sony Using Copyright Requests To Remove Leaked PS4 SDK From the Web (arstechnica.com)

Posted by BeauHD on Thursday July 20, 2017 @03:30PM from the cease-and-desist dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Sony appears to be using copyright law in an attempt to remove all traces of a leaked PlayStation 4 Software Development Kit (PS4 SDK) from the Web. That effort also seems to have extended in recent days to the forced removal of the mere discussion of the leak and the posting of a separate open source, homebrew SDK designed to be used on jailbroken systems. The story began a few weeks ago, when word first hit that version 4.5 of the PS4 SDK had been leaked online by a hacker going by the handle Kromemods. These SDKs are usually provided only to authorized PS4 developers inside development kits. The SDKs contain significant documentation that, once made public, can aid hackers in figuring out how to jailbreak consoles, create and install homebrew software, and enable other activities usually prohibited by the hardware maker (as we've seen in the wake of previous leaks of PlayStation 3 SDKs). While you can still find reference to the version 4.5 SDK leak on places like Reddit and MaxConsole, threads discussing and linking to those leaked files on sites like GBATemp and PSXhax, for example, appear to have been removed after the fact. Cached versions of those pages show links (now defunct) to download those leaked files, along with a message from KromeMods to "Please spread this as much as possible since links will be taken down... We will get nowhere if everything keeps private; money isn't everything." KromeMods notes on Twitter that his original tweet posting a link to the leaked files was also hit with a copyright notice from Sony.

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As a content creator by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 15:35 · Score: 0, Insightful

Sony must protect its copyrights or risk losing them.
1. Re:As a content creator by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 16:09 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  That's not how copyright works. Copyright is not a trademark. They can sue in 50 years and have exactly the same claim as they do today.
2. Re:As a content creator by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 20:47 · Score: -1
  
  That's trademarks, dumbfuck. I don't think you actually are a content creator.
3. Re:As a content creator by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 23:56 · Score: 0
  
  I got a Black Amazon Dot, which matches my vintage 2006 Black MacBook.
4. Re:As a content creator by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 00:29 · Score: -1
  
  you sound bitter, bro
5. Re:As a content creator by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 02:09 · Score: 0
  
  Don't forget to send a DMCA takedown for
  https://github.com/creimer
  As a content creator, you must defend your copyrights or risk losing them.
6. Re:As a content creator by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 04:47 · Score: 0
  
  Sony must protect its copyrights or risk losing them.
  Isn't pretty much this entire story, about how that's not what Sony is doing? C'mon:
  
  That effort also seems to have extended in recent days to the forced removal of the mere discussion of the leak and the posting of a separate open source, homebrew SDK designed to be used on jailbroken systems.
  If we had a justice system, this would be a very expensive thing for Sony to get caught doing. Discussions at this point would be what percentage of Sony's entire total corporate assets, should be paid to the victims as punitive damages as a deterrent for committing these sorts of crimes again. 0.5%? 1%? 5%?
  You darn well know that if they can nail someone for violating the copyright on the SDK itself (which is copyrighted, I'm sure, and where Sony actually is justified in defending it), that person is going to be paying more than 5% of their assets. This isn't a level playing ground.
7. Re:As a content creator by minstrelmike · 2017-07-22 06:00 · Score: 1
  
  That's not how copyright works. Copyright is not a trademark. They can sue in 50 years and have exactly the same claim as they do today.
  Did you read the part about the SDK documentation enabling hackers? That's an important fact.
Sony doesn't want developers? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 15:37 · Score: 1

Usually it's desirable to get SDKs into the hands of programmers.
1. Re:Sony doesn't want developers? by gl4ss · 2017-07-20 16:26 · Score: 2
  
  Usually it's desirable to get SDKs into the hands of programmers.
  ..when you ask money for said sdk, then not.
  dunno if they have some other sdk for download only content though.
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
2. Re:Sony doesn't want developers? by jonwil · 2017-07-20 16:29 · Score: 2
  
  Sony wants developers who will sign all their NDAs and follow all their rules. Sony doesn't want their SDK in the hands of people who will use it to break open their system (either to run software not approved by Sony or to pirate stuff). They also dont want it in the hands of people who will do things like crack open their proprietary file formats.
3. Re:Sony doesn't want developers? by xxxJonBoyxxx · 2017-07-20 16:56 · Score: 1
  
  Then you don't know the history of Nintendo.
4. Re:Sony doesn't want developers? by viperidaenz · 2017-07-20 18:05 · Score: 1
  
  They don't want people to make games where Sony doesn't take a cut of the revenue.
5. Re:Sony doesn't want developers? by wonkey_monkey · 2017-07-20 20:32 · Score: 1
  
  It's not a story Shigeru Miyamoto would tell you.
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
6. Re:Sony doesn't want developers? by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · 2017-07-21 00:03 · Score: 1
  
  Though rumour has it that it's something of a legend among Japanese business executives.
  
  --
  If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
7. Re:Sony doesn't want developers? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 04:55 · Score: 0
  
  They don't want people to make games ON SONY PLATFORMS where Sony doesn't take a cut of the revenue.
  FTFY
Sony? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 15:38 · Score: 0

They still around? Thank you, Donald!
1. Re:Sony? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 16:16 · Score: 1
  
  Just when I thought I found a discussion that no one could possibly shoehorn politics into...
2. Re:Sony? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 17:01 · Score: 0, Funny
  
  > that no one could possibly shoehorn politics into...
  I blame trump. Sad!
3. Re:Sony? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 19:26 · Score: 0
  
  Just when I thought I found a discussion that no one could possibly shoehorn politics into...
  Copyright is an extremely political issue, especially now that it's being used to exert increasing levels of control of our lives by corporate entities (see: John Deere tractors, attempts to prevent used car sales by the automobile industry, Windows 10 and it essentially owning your PC, DRM, etc.), as well as repeated efforts to strengthen it at the expense of individual citizens (see: TPP, SOPA, etc.). The only thing that makes it non-controversial is the fact that a) most people don't understand the stakes yet, b) corporations would rather people not know just how much power they've got over this until it's too late for the citizens to do anything about it, and c) the fact that both parties are thoroughly bought and paid for on this topic.
Xbox by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 15:40 · Score: 0

It's amazing that they're doing this when Microsoft is making it easier than ever to develop for Xbox.
If the PS4 gets truly hacked by StreamingEagle · 2017-07-20 15:42 · Score: -1

Kiss game developers goodbye. The only reason game developers invest massive budgets developing a new game is because they expect to get that money back. Your PS4 will become worthless (in terms of getting access to new games) if the platform is hacked.
1. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 15:55 · Score: 1
  
  Consoles are DRM-laden garbage anyways. I have computers that were cheaper and are more powerful than a ps4/xbone.
2. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 16:03 · Score: 0
  
  +1 to this. I can actually play games at 4K on my PC. Can't even imagine doing that on a console probably not even the next generation of them.
  Consoles are pretty much worthless now-a-days especially with GPU performance gains doubling or tripling ~ 12 months
3. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 16:03 · Score: 0
  
  If you have a pc that's less than $300 you're a fucking lamer. What do you play on it solitaire for grannies? Get a life.
4. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 16:10 · Score: 1
  
  Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
5. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by SuperDre · 2017-07-20 16:14 · Score: 0
  
  I'm confidend to say that your pc which you can play 4k games on (without having to resort to setting everything to low) did not cost 250 euro's. Certainly not with also a bluray drive ( hell even without one).
6. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 16:27 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  A few hacked up, rooted game consoles isn't going to cause developers to flee the platform. Movies are pirated and they still make them. Music is bootlegged and they still sing. Applications are copied and they still write programs. They try to make it sound like the end of the world but it is a very small percentage. It's called shrinkage and every business has it.
7. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Zero__Kelvin · 2017-07-20 16:28 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Yes, that is why there are no games for any of the previous consoles, and no game companies made any money in the past.
  
  --
  Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
8. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 16:40 · Score: -1
  
  Nobody wants to kiss game developers goodbye, hello, or anywhere in between.
9. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Alwin+Henseler · 2017-07-20 16:47 · Score: 1
  
  AAA titles would continue to sell just fine regardless, if it is what users want & prices are reasonable.
  The DRM 'features' in today's consoles allow original owner (Sony here) to act as gatekeeper and control when, where, by whom, and what gets released for the platform. In theory, enabling a 'one size for all' where titles released for the platform will Just Work (tm) and thus create the plug & play experience you expect from a console. But ultimately of course (where it conflicts with end-users' interests), to maximize company's bottom line rather than home users' value of the console. Homebrew options break that model and allow the software ecosystem to drift out of original owner's hands. That is why eg. Sony will fight tooth & nail to prevent that.
  
  Your PS4 will become worthless (in terms of getting access to new games) if the platform is hacked.
  
  Even if that were true, it would still serve users to have a full-on hack & homebrew scene: when Sony stops releasing new titles. So in the long run, it's always beneficial to users when a console gets hacked / jailbroken or whatever. Just a matter of what's the optimal timing for which hack(s) to get out.
10. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 17:18 · Score: 1
  
  Having a publicly available SDK doesn't mean the 'platform is hacked'. If that was true, Linux, Windows and MacOS (and iOS) would all be 'hacked' completely. (All these operating systems even have their SDKs available for free, if not downright included in the base OS install!
  And there would be zero available games on any PC operating system.
  Realistically, this really means the "PS4" OS isn't as "secure" as Sony wants it to be. Apple have no qualms about releasing the SDK for iOS.
11. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 18:13 · Score: 1
  
  Yep, sure did kill the PC gaming industry right in its tracks. Why there hasn't been a game on that platform since the early 1980s, let alone any AAA titles! Piracy sure made that impossible! Why, the mere notion of making anything that can be acquired for free for any reason whatsoever, caused developers to flee from development for that platform screaming, sometimes literally. There's a reason there aren't any commercial apps, let alone games, whatsoever for x86/AMD64!
  ...oh, wait...
12. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 18:18 · Score: 0
  
  You won't get it.
  There's a group of people on this website that seem to have made a hobby (or perhaps profession, if they're paid for it) screaming about how people would never, ever do anything for free, and would never, ever put any kind of significant investment in anything not protected by the most draconian DRM available. Most of the time that seems to apply to software, conveniently failing to address just about every common counter-argument, but it often also extends to movies, music, and all the other industries that have, of course, vanished off the face of the planet due to copyright infringement (or so they like to imagine). They also usually completely ignore the growing and severe impact of present copyright law as it grows more invasive, pervasive, and powerful.
  I'm not quite sure why they invest such time at Slashdot, but I see them pop up pretty much without fail in every comment section that has anything to do with IP infringement whatsoever with the exact same claims worded a little differently.
13. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 18:59 · Score: 0
  
  Well, unless the drive is encrypted and the key doesn't sit somewhere in the bootloader (which would be needed in the case of a game console), any of these OS can be easily hacked once you have physical access.
14. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by AK+Marc · 2017-07-20 19:10 · Score: 1
  
  How much was your PC that plays 4k Mirror's Edge Catalyst on high or better settings? How much is the Xbox One X that will play it in 4k?
  
  Does yours play 4k Blu-Ray movies? How about 3D 1080 Blu-Ray movies?
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
15. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by AK+Marc · 2017-07-20 19:19 · Score: 0
  
  When someone invents real AI, in the 10 minutes between that and the apocalypse, the real fear of open SDK is that a conversion program could convert Xbox exclusives to PS4 and vice versa. Or take your photo, import it into the game and replace the graphics with real people. Yes, you could make yourself literally the star, but that's boring. Putting people you know into the expendable NPCs is the real horror show. Killing teachers and such.
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
16. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 19:23 · Score: 0
  
  Kiss game developers goodbye. The only reason game developers invest massive budgets developing a new game is because they expect to get that money back. Your PS4 will become worthless (in terms of getting access to new games) if the platform is hacked.
  Because no-one develops games for the rooted PC's?
17. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Highdude702 · 2017-07-20 19:43 · Score: 1
  
  I can buy a blu-ray BURNER for $30 at my local frys electronics. Try again.
18. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Opportunist · 2017-07-20 20:13 · Score: 1
  
  What would I need a BluRay drive for?
  On the other hand, games cost 30-50 bucks instead of 50-70. Now count the games you have for your console. Multiply with 20. Add the price of your console. And now tell me you can't get a PC that can easily play 4k games for that money.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
19. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Opportunist · 2017-07-20 20:14 · Score: 1
  
  Including games? Well, depends on how many games you have, if you only have 3 or 4, probably the XBox is cheaper overall.
  If you're buying 2-3 games a month like me, it doesn't take very long to break even.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
20. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Opportunist · 2017-07-20 20:15 · Score: 1
  
  Total cost of ownership is the phrase to look for. Yes, the console itself is cheaper. But the games are more expensive. It's a bit like with the inkjet printers, they, too, get sold at a loss because the company hopes that you'll use a lot of their overpriced ink.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
21. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by wonkey_monkey · 2017-07-20 20:33 · Score: 1
  
  And how much does the PC which can play 4K games cost?
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
22. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Highdude702 · 2017-07-20 20:41 · Score: 2
  
  Well the GPU is the expensive part. But I could build one that also does VR using a gtx1060 and AMD cpu's for probably $500-600 which is less than any new console costs. Granted the ps4 is cheaper than that but wasn't when it first came out. And still couldn't handle what the $500-600 PC could, while at the same time being a PC so you don't have to buy a console for games, and a PC for everything else.
23. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 20:51 · Score: 0
  
  It also murdered the 3DS which can be hacked in such a manner you can download free games straight from the eshop.
  Oh wait.
24. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 22:05 · Score: 0
  
  This is the stupidest comment I've read on Slashdot in quite a while.
25. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 22:48 · Score: 0
  
  Haha yeah.
26. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 23:30 · Score: 0
  
  there's a fine tradition of naming your xcom soldiers after people you know. there have been no identifiable ill effects from this practice
27. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 23:45 · Score: 0
  
  I am mainly a PC gamer but I've two games for PS4 one of which was supplied with the console and was the exclusive I "needed" to play. Maybe I'll buy a third if something else I want is not available for PC.
  It was similar with the PS3 to which I own 4 games.
  Very expensive per game.
28. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by wonkey_monkey · 2017-07-20 23:49 · Score: 1
  
  PS4 launch price was $400.
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
29. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 00:04 · Score: 0
  
  The only reason most pcs can't play 4k movies is DRM.
30. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by chispito · 2017-07-21 00:44 · Score: 1
  
  Now add in a few games and the pc starts to look like a lot better value. Plus you can actually get work done on the pc.
  
  --
  The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
31. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 01:45 · Score: 0
  
  Denuvo is a DRM for the PC and its the worst piece of DRM in history & Steam itself is DRM. You are correct on the second point.
32. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 02:01 · Score: 0
  
  How much was your PC that plays 4k Mirror's Edge Catalyst on high or better settings? How much is the Xbox One X that will play it in 4k?
  Why does that matter?
  A direct price comparison is only valid if you are willing to accept all the other limitations of a console over a PC.
  For example, with the exception of a higher end GPU, all of the other components of a PC I already own for other purposes and so cost $0 so far as adding games into the mix.
  That higher end GPU that was specific to gaming was $200, so its far under the cost of a console which I would need to buy all of just to get the same function.
  Also while it may sound snobish, most technology enthusiasts or gaming enthusiasts are going to own both. Technically more than both, since we will have more than one PC and one of each console if at all possible.
  With a well paying job and a passion for tech, there is no reason at all to choose one over the other.
  And if you do not have a well paying job, then I am very sorry, but even then that would indicate you are choosing one over the other for budget reasons and not technical reasons, which is of course perfectly OK to do also.
33. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by tepples · 2017-07-21 02:29 · Score: 1
  
  Plus you can actually get work done on the pc.
  You can "get work done on" a $200 compact laptop or even a $60 Raspberry Pi 3 bundle with keyboard, mouse, storage, and case. And you can use it at the same time that someone else in the household is using the PS4.
34. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by tepples · 2017-07-21 02:32 · Score: 1
  
  PCs with integrated graphics processors have met or exceeded the previous generation (PlayStation 3) consoles since roughly Ivy Bridge, and that was four Core i5 generations ago. And only a PC can (legitimately) run fan-made mods.
35. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by tepples · 2017-07-21 02:35 · Score: 1
  
  I concede that both Steam and PlayStation Store are digital restrictions management. But unlike PlayStation Store, Steam doesn't lock you out of modding games that are built for modding. Nor does it lock you out of running games from other DRM providers (such as Origin) or from DRM-free sources (such as Itch and GOG).
36. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by chispito · 2017-07-21 03:22 · Score: 2
  
  Plus you can actually get work done on the pc.
  You can "get work done on" a $200 compact laptop or even a $60 Raspberry Pi 3 bundle with keyboard, mouse, storage, and case. And you can use it at the same time that someone else in the household is using the PS4.
  On the flip side, I can play a PC game while someone else in the family watches a movie. What's your point? (As a side note, this is also why I really like my Switch)
  
  If you like couch gaming and you like a hassle-free experience, then I get it--a console is clearly your best value, and the PS4 is where it has been at this current generation. But if you like mods, private servers, backwards compatibility that lasts essentially forever, precise controls, getting buckets of games for practically nothing during Steam sales--not to mention entire genres of games that are unavailable on a console--then a PC is your best value.
  
  AND you can write your resume on it, edit photos and video, do CAD, development projects, and post on Slashdot with a keyboard like God intended.
  
  --
  The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
37. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Khyber · 2017-07-21 03:28 · Score: 1
  
  What do you call 4K gaming?
  I've got a nice old system that can 4K game Quake 3 at well over 300 FPS.
  It's probably worth $90 in its entirety without the monitor.
  
  --
  Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
38. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by tepples · 2017-07-21 03:52 · Score: 1
  
  If you like couch gaming [...] a console is clearly your best value, and the PS4 is where it has been at this current generation. But if you like mods [...] then a PC is your best value.
  Where does that leave people who like to mod their couch games?
39. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 04:02 · Score: 0
  
  And neither the launch PS4 nor the PS4 Pro can properly run games at 4k either, despite what the marketing says. The one that likely will be able to, the XBox One X (god awful name) is...wait for it, $499. The best part, is you can do all sorts of other shit with your PC as well.
  That said, if ONLY playing games is your goal, and you're willing to moderately compromise (potentially, depending on port) on graphics and resolution in exchange for a very good price point, then a console is the way to go.
40. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Highdude702 · 2017-07-21 04:16 · Score: 1
  
  I still dont see your point? How do you figure a console is a better value than a PC even if the PC costs a hundred or so dollars more?
41. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by SScorpio · 2017-07-21 04:21 · Score: 1
  
  PS4 at launch was $400. The new Pro which supports some games in 4K is currently $400, the Slim with equal performance to launch is $300 but has been on sale for $250 and less.
42. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 05:07 · Score: 0
  
  Never having to break it open to upgrade this or that.
  Never having to configure anything on it.
  Exclusive games worth playing.
  People worth playing with.
  Games just work.
  Less cheaters.
  But you've already thoroughly confirmed you will throw out all reason so I'll cut the list off there. PC Master Race, right?
  CAPTCHA: humility
43. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by sexconker · 2017-07-21 05:08 · Score: 1
  
  "X Box One X" is indeed an awful name. But they did it because:
  X
  Box
  One
  X
44. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 05:23 · Score: 0
  
  Modding (ie. user generated content) is pure garbage, much like 99% of the crap on Steam. Every Steam user I know has literally hundreds or even thousands of games they have never played, and will never play, simply because they are not worth playing (though they won't admit that unless pressed because they don't want to feel stupid). There's a reason humble bundle exists. One game and a pile of other crap, much like the opening band(s) that nobody cares to see. By volume, hidden gems in that situation are rare enough to be completely negligible.
  Rampant cheating/griefing with mods also ruins every online game... well for everyone but the faggots doing it, anyway.
45. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Stan92057 · 2017-07-21 05:27 · Score: 1
  
  Nor do we have to pay an extortion fees 59.99 to play online games.... Sony wont let anyone play their multiplayer games, MMOS whatever unless you pay for a sony playstation plus which is more then just allowing online access,,, better deals??HAHAHAHHAHAHA pay for better deals...............How are they allowed to prevent people that pay for hardware and prevent them from acceding their own internet?
  
  --
  Jack of all trades,master of none
46. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by tlhIngan · 2017-07-21 05:29 · Score: 1
  
  A few hacked up, rooted game consoles isn't going to cause developers to flee the platform. Movies are pirated and they still make them. Music is bootlegged and they still sing. Applications are copied and they still write programs. They try to make it sound like the end of the world but it is a very small percentage. It's called shrinkage and every business has it.
  The problem is fine if it's "a few". It's a problem when it's "a lot".
  PC piracy rates are somewhere around 90%, while console piracy is around 10% (averages). If you haven't noticed, PC versions of games tend to suck - either piss-poor console ports released months/years after the game was originally released, or not released at all.
  Sure, some games with other forms of DRM are released same day - FPSes and such where the goal is playing online, which allows for servers to check for pirate keys and such, and those generally don't suck on PC.
  Heck, even the couple of years before Denuvo fell PC gaming was on the uptick - even though they got broken in the end, the fact that Denuvo kept games "locked up" for a couple of months was good enough.
  But now it's pretty much gone (it's cracked in under a week now), you can bet a lot of PC games are going to dry up and begin to suck again, leaving us with the piles of indie games. Sure there's a few gems in there, but anyone who's browsed Steam knows, there's a lot clogging it up.
  And back to PC ports that suck because piracy makes it not worth while to do a good port because you won't make up the money doing the port.
47. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by TechyImmigrant · 2017-07-21 05:36 · Score: 1
  
  When it's a $1.00 game, if one in thirty games turns out well, it's a good deal.
  I think I'm doing better than one in thirty.
  
  --
  I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
48. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by chispito · 2017-07-21 06:19 · Score: 1
  
  Where does that leave people who like to mod their couch games?
  Using a PC from the couch.
  
  --
  The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
49. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by wonkey_monkey · 2017-07-21 06:27 · Score: 1
  
  I never said it was. I was just correcting a factual error in your comment. And before that I was just addressing the non-sequitur nature of your comment on blu-ray drive prices.
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
50. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 06:27 · Score: 0
  
  Ports tend to suck in either direction. Yea, PC ports from consoles suck when they don't bother to change the interface to be mouse-and-keyboard oriented. And they don't re-image the graphics to PC resolution. But PC to console ports can suck too - look at Force Unleased. It's unplayable on the Wii and the framerate stutters in complex scenes on the XBox and PS3. It's glorious on the PC. And it scales ... I played that game on a NVidia 780 and upgraded to a 1080 Ti and it's running at a buttery 144 fps on my new 144 Hz monitor. Try that on a console!
  If you go on Steam you'll find no shortage of games with minimal or no DRM. There's a lot of crap in there, but it's not because of piracy, it's because of the low bar to get a game on Steam. The Google Play store and Apple store are all filled with loads of crap apps and games, anybody can throw in a game. Probably 100 years ago people were complaining anybody could publish a book, and the book market was going down the tubes. And there was no piracy involved in that either.
  Anyway, I agree piracy sucks for the developers. But I disagree that it lowers the quality of the releases.
51. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by SuperDre · 2017-07-21 06:40 · Score: 1
  
  We're not talking about the games, we're talking about the hardware. Stop trying to spin the story. And also PC games just cost as much as a PC version on release. I've got 165 PS3 disc based games and I haven't paid more than $15 for any of them, oh well, I'm lying I paid $29 for Lego Star Wars, but that was the only game I paid so much money for. (eventually I bought the same game for $5 on Bundle stars for the PC).
  But as I said, we were talking about hardware..
52. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by SuperDre · 2017-07-21 06:44 · Score: 1
  
  No you can't, a GTX1060 alone costs more than PS4.. And so, you cannot buy a complete new PC which is able to do 4K for less than $500.
  And yes you can say a PS4 is cheaper, but your claim is about a less than $500 4K able PC (and we're talking about decent 4K, not everything on Low with a crap framerate).
53. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by AK+Marc · 2017-07-21 08:29 · Score: 1
  
  Why does that matter?
  It's the only thing that matters. If price didn't matter, you, and everyone else, would have all the choices.
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
54. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by AK+Marc · 2017-07-21 08:31 · Score: 1
  
  Most PCs play 4k movies just fine. DRM is only an issue with the 1% of PCs that are running Linux.
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
55. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 18:18 · Score: 0
  
  GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1060 DirectX 12 GV-N1060G1 GAMING-3GD 2.0 3GB 192-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 ATX Video Card
  https://www.newegg.com/Product...
  $245
  But according to several sites a 1050ti would be fine too if you accept running with lower settings..
  For $210 you can get a cheap base system.
  Case $33 - https://www.newegg.com/Product...
  MB $45 - https://www.newegg.com/Product...
  CPU $70 - https://www.newegg.com/Product...
  RAM $53 - https://www.newegg.com/Product...
  HDD $6 - https://www.newegg.com/Product...
  Total: $207
  Total including the GTX1060 - $452
  This was just a really quick search .. You can get lower with same or better spec's if you shop around..
  But you also need to consider comparing systems on an equal level... 4k gaming on XBox/PS4 is not always "real".. PS4 Pro does some sort of upscaling to make it look better.. XBox has other issues.. Feel free to have a look at the links below.
  https://www.extremetech.com/ga...
  http://www.wired.co.uk/article...
  http://wccftech.com/elite-dang...
  So... It's a huge difference in comparing 4k gaming on a console and a PC.
56. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Highdude702 · 2017-07-21 21:17 · Score: 1
  
  No PC Master Race shit is retarded. I am a computer nerd. I love computers and know the power of them. Half of the reason o refuse to buy a console is because I can't open it and upgrade, I can't configure it how I want it, I don't care if someone cheats, go to a different server or a different game. And most "exclusive" titles for consoles hit PC a few months after they're released on console so they can get that extra money. And let's face it most people that play popular games like modern warfare and that shit are bratty little kids or bratty adults with very little knowledge. Not all, but most. Yes same can be said for PC gamers.. But I also enjoy the value of it being a full computer meaning I can do and run anything I want on it. PS3 was the closest you could get and was pretty fucking cool that you could run Linux on it, until Sony went and ruined that. I like to build tinker configure my devices. I can't do that with a console. I'm not saying it's for everybody, but PC is a far superior tool for the job, even for playing video games. Nobody wants up scaled 4K, the only thing consoles have going for them is controllers.. And honestly the steam controller is a superior product and they encourage you to hack and modify the thing.
57. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Highdude702 · 2017-07-21 21:22 · Score: 1
  
  https://m.newegg.com/products/...
  EXTERNAL blu-ray burner for less then $50.. You didn't think they would cost as much as like a Samsung bluray player or some shit like that did you? And btw faster internal bluray drives are a lot cheaper.
58. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by wonkey_monkey · 2017-07-21 23:04 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know why you're telling me this.
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
59. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-22 13:41 · Score: 0
  
  16GB of low speed grade DDR4 cost 150 euros. (rest of the world doesn't care about no-tax no-shipping US price). Because sure, swapping and having 8GB and quitting all your browsers and stuff to play a game is fun.
  10-year-old used hard drive? wtf. get real! my 3.5" drives of that vintage or older have been failing or have failed.
  1TB hard drive, 50 euros or 2TB hard drive 75 euros.
  Fake 480W power supply in $30 case? you'll be much better off buying a real ~400W power supply and use a cardboard box or Pentium II tower as your case. So, almost neutral for the price.
  So for RAM, hard drive and power supply I'm around the price of a PS4 already and this is only missing a whole damn PC to go with it. Needs a Ryzen 3 1200 CPU, which hasn't launched yet. Or you can go with DDR3 and an underpowered old CPU to save a few bucks and suffer framerate issues a year from now.
60. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-22 19:07 · Score: 0
  
  GOG is turning into one of the bad guys. Not only have they been very pushy about their pointless game launcher "Galaxy" (as if your operating system couldn't already launch programs easily), but they have taken to actually including Galaxy, all 200MB of it, in game installers so that they trick users into installing it. Worst of all, there is no permanent opt-out, you have to remember to go to the hidden menu option to switch to the "classic" installer download for every single file. GOG has also taken to releasing certain titles that only work if you have an internet connection. Phoning home, whether by Galaxy's forced updates or by the game itself doesn't sound very DRM-free.
  I have over 800 games in my GOG library, but that ended when they started doing unethical shit like this. I would sooner start using Steam than give GOG the satisfaction, because at least Valve is up front about how their shit works and there is no promise of DRM-free right up. GOG's claims of being DRM-free become more laughable by the day.
  GOG won't be seeing another dime from me and I will discourage everyone I speak to from using their service. Hopefully they'll just die off as scum like them should.
61. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Opportunist · 2017-07-22 22:08 · Score: 1
  
  And the hardware isn't what I need to play games. A BluRay player can be substituted by the network card attached to the mainboard and a sensibly sized hard drive. Provided of course that the games are offered that way, but if yours are only available in a certain format, don't blame me. Your argument is like claiming I have to buy the one-size-fits-all PC that the local discounter offers that has a bunch of shit I don't need because it's offered that way.
  And yes, of course I am comparing prices at release day. Because that's when most people buy them, if everyone waited 'til the game reached the bargain bin studios would stop making games. And sorry to inform you, there are very few games that actually cost as much on console as they do on PC, and curiously the PC version sales usually are lackluster. Probably because PC gamers don't drop 70 bucks for games since they're more used to paying 50, and if your game costs 70, there is nearly certainly one that is about the same for 50.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
62. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by SuperDre · 2017-07-23 07:40 · Score: 1
  
  Well if you're comparing prices at release day, and say console games costs 70 and pc 50 then you're just comparing apples and pears, as you're comparing retail prices (console) to streetprices (pc). Just looking around will get you about the same price for console games a pc games (the same game that is).
  And with PC you shouldn't forget the decend case, powersupply too.
63. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by tepples · 2017-07-23 10:26 · Score: 0
  
  GOG has also taken to releasing certain titles that only work if you have an internet connection.
  Which? Does this refer to games with no substantial single-player campaign, or to games that phone home even in single-player mode?
64. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Opportunist · 2017-07-24 01:48 · Score: 1
  
  You mean the parts that I bought like 3 hardware generations ago that I still use? Why, do you figure in the TV price every time you buy a new console?
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
65. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by SuperDre · 2017-07-24 04:17 · Score: 1
  
  No, I don't figure in the tv price. But I do figure in everything that a new console itself has, so that means CPU/GPU/Motherboard/Memory(RAM/Storage)/optical drive/Case/powersupply, I don't even factor in the mouse/keyboard even though they are like the console controllers.
  When I buy a new computer, I don't reuse any of the parts, mostly not even the optical drive.
  When we're talking about comparing hardware, we're talking about like buying a new one, not upgrading.
66. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by beastofburdon · 2017-07-24 08:14 · Score: 1
  
  When I buy a new computer, I don't reuse any of the parts, mostly not even the optical drive.
  I see why you are advocating for consoles, you are a dumbass who spends his money without any thought. Seriously, why would you buy a new case every time you upgrade? Why would you buy a new optical drive? Why would you buy a new power supply?
  
  If you buy new hardware before it fails, or before it doesn't satisfy your needs then you are wasting money.
  I've had my power supply for the last 3 builds
  optical drive, last 2 builds
  case, I just replaced it about a year ago, but the one prior to it I used since 2002.
67. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by SuperDre · 2017-07-24 10:17 · Score: 1
  
  Because I give my computer to my brother/parents/friends? and I don't want to have the same case for ever (even though I do always choose the barest case (just a black box), but want it more quiet every new case.
  I only upgrade if a component actually dies before I'm fed up with my current computer, I hate it to open the case (well actually getting it from under my desk and having to unplug all the cables and such). At the moment I'm even considering a NUC for my next PC, but the problem with NUC's is the crap GPU they have..
  You're a dumbass yourself to keep upgrading a dead old cow..
  I see a console as a great way for people with not much money being able to play the 'latest' games with pretty good visuals. (even though I do recommend just getting a PC as games (on steam or GOG) are in the long run cheaper to own as you can just take them with you to a new PC, which most console games don't (which is why I think if possible that any console should be able to emulate the older consoles and not having people buy their games again).
68. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Opportunist · 2017-07-24 23:04 · Score: 1
  
  And I get to reuse some of the things you have to buy because you buy the box "all in one". I can forgo buying a new case and power supply. Actually, I can even decide that my graphics card needs an upgrade, or that my CPU is too slow and that needs to be replaced. Or just stick more ram into the machine.
  We're talking about hardware, all right, but you want to cut from the discussion any advantages the PC has over consoles. How is this even remotely sensible, unless you just want to "win" the argument? Of course, if you strip the fact that PCs can be upgraded piece by piece, when you strip that the library is way bigger due to the ease of Indie developers being able to participate, if you strip the price gap of games, if you strip that PC games usually come with more graphics and other performance options (unless they're cheaply done console ports), if you willfully ignore that it's easier to attach a console controller to a PC than to fit mouse+keyboard to a console (and have games that actually support them), if you ignore backwards compatibility where PC games from 10 years ago can still be played on the PC you own today.... then of course the console is better because the only thing left is that it costs about 600 bucks instead of the 800+ you'd have to pay for a new PC.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
69. Re: If the PS4 gets truly hacked by SuperDre · 2017-07-25 05:42 · Score: 1
  
  No the original discussion was about a new PC under 500 doing 4K with decent settings.
70. Re:If the PS4 gets truly hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-26 19:32 · Score: 0
  
  Doesn't matter, they should NEVER phone home. Gamers should be allowed to run their own servers for online games, like you could do since Doom and Quake.
Will this comment be taken down too? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 15:42 · Score: 0

I'm glad these leaks happen, some people just like to tinker and this helps. Security via obscurity isn't terribly useful, take note Sony.
1. Re: Will this comment be taken down too? by SuperDre · 2017-07-20 16:16 · Score: 1
  
  Well, the last revisions of the ps3 still haven't been hacked, so they must be doing something right.
2. Re: Will this comment be taken down too? by Highdude702 · 2017-07-20 20:36 · Score: 1
  
  Yes they sue 15 year old kids. That's why nobody touched the PS3 after that. Sony is a piece of shit company and will continue to be so. A lot of the qualified hackers that make home brew stuff probably won't even touch this information for fear of being bent over in court by Sony. And many have vowed to never use a Sony product again since the lawsuit. I would give citation but I'm on my phone at work, it's real easy to find on google. "Sony sues PS3 hacker" should get you all the info you need.
3. Re: Will this comment be taken down too? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 05:42 · Score: 0
  
  Yes they sue 15 year old kids.
  As they should. People like you are the reason why muslim men are claiming to be 15 when they are arrested for violent rape in Eurabia.
  Let the punishment fit the crime, not the characteristics of the accused.
4. Re: Will this comment be taken down too? by SuperDre · 2017-07-21 06:36 · Score: 1
  
  oh please geohotz wasn't 15 years old.. And the PS3 sold very VERY well even after that. You're just full of BS. And he hadn't had much to do with any hacked revision after that, but the latest revision (at least the last slim and certainly the ugly superslim) the PS3 just hasn't been able to be hacked, not because of lack of trying..
5. Re: Will this comment be taken down too? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 10:38 · Score: 0
  
  Let the punishment fit the crime
  Then we can talk about 15 year olds being punished for copyright infringement after the content industry executives are imprisoned for their corruption of copyright law being used to steal en masse from the public domain.
6. Re: Will this comment be taken down too? by Highdude702 · 2017-07-21 18:43 · Score: 1
  
  You have no idea what youre talking about, geohotz was a kid at the time, and YES THE HACKER COMMUNITY VOWED TO NEVER USE SONY PRODUCTS!! do you even know what hackaday is? go learn something about shit thats almost 10 years old before you spout your nonsense. and you have the nerve to call yourself a nerd. gtfo.
7. Re: Will this comment be taken down too? by SuperDre · 2017-07-22 04:19 · Score: 1
  
  You're the one who doesn't know what he's talking about. Geohotz was 20!!! when he hacked the PS3. And nope the hacker community didn't vowe never to use sony products... I know, I'm part of that community, so now back to you.......
Yay... I guess by stikves · 2017-07-20 16:27 · Score: 1

Both PS4 and Xbox One are capable x86 machines, locked into proprietary operating systems. I'm not sure what will come out of this, but if they were to properly open up the device, say to be able to install a Linux distribution, we'll have a truly cheap and solid piece of hardware.
I'm not holding my breath though, this is only the first step, and a lot needs to happen before Linux on PS4 would be possible.
1. Re:Yay... I guess by Alwin+Henseler · 2017-07-20 17:03 · Score: 2
  
  Yeah, so sad that FreeBSD got there first. ;-)
2. Re:Yay... I guess by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 19:04 · Score: 0
  
  Capable X86 machines? They're budget AMD APUs!
  As a former game dev (17 years) I got out a few years ago when the internal rumors were specialized hardware was on its way out. If I'm not directly setting registers on the hardware I'm not interested. While Sony consoles beyond the original playstation were shit, they kept me gainfully employed (at great pay!) because I was willing and eager to deal with all the low-level crap that Sony shat out. It was a lot of fun figuring out how to make shit hardware with poor documentation run well.
3. Re:Yay... I guess by LordWabbit2 · 2017-07-20 19:50 · Score: 1
  
  Cheap? You have to be fucking kidding me. I could put a PC together with BETTER specifications for the same price.
  
  --
  There are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third is statistics.
KVM by DMJC · 2017-07-20 16:40 · Score: 3, Interesting

Would this be enough documentation to enable a KVM based emulator for the PS4 to be developed? Gaming PCs would easily b powerful enough to run a PS4 game if they're executing native X86 instructions and can passthrough the GPU layer to a modern graphics card.
So.... by Richard_at_work · 2017-07-20 16:41 · Score: 5, Informative

Copyright law being used for what it was intended then? Rather than something snarky like the summary claims - people are distributing the SDK without permission or reasonable grounds for fair use, and Sony is using the law to prevent someone from distributing copyrighted material without permission...
1. Re:So.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 17:29 · Score: 0
  
  so, being able to command the computing hardware device that you paid sony for is beyond reason? people are snarkily shilling without shame.
2. Re:So.... by KiloByte · 2017-07-20 17:44 · Score: 1, Informative
  
  Copyright law being used for what it was intended then?
  
  Censorship? Yeah. Just like in the days of the Worshipful Company of Stationers.
  
  --
  The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
3. Re:So.... by Richard_at_work · 2017-07-20 17:50 · Score: 1
  
  Wow, theres that nasty, dirty word that Slashdotters just *love* to throw around - "censorship".
  I bet you personally love to perform a bit of "censorship" on your own credit card details, passwords, PINs, security details and sex life... doesn't make it a *bad* thing to do so.
  But then we have your sig, don't we. Just shows how out of touch with reality you really are...
4. Re:So.... by Richard_at_work · 2017-07-20 17:54 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Go make your own SDK, or pay Sony for the one they made.
  You can't realistically claim, at all, that you bought the PS4 with software development in mind, considering there was never any suggestion that you could do so for free, so your argument pretty much fails at the first hurdle.
  Oh, and look, we have another Slashdotter *nasty*, *dirty* word - you guys are out in force today. "Shill"! Haven't been called one of those in years... Nope, I'm not taking any money from Sony to point out they aren't doing anything wrong here.
5. Re: So.... by Zero__Kelvin · 2017-07-20 18:04 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  You didn't buy a computing device, you bought a game console.
  
  --
  Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
6. Re:So.... by KiloByte · 2017-07-20 18:23 · Score: 1
  
  But then we have your sig, don't we. Just shows how out of touch with reality you really are...
  Lemme paste one of my prior comments. The rest of discussion is worth reading, too:
  -------------------
  Many folks call copyright (rather than copyright violations) "theft", but I'd go farther. Being a form of censorship, it is a crime against humanity.
  A mere war against lives is limited in scope. With free dissemination of ideas, oppressive regimes don't last long -- note how the first thing they try is blocking communication among protesters and jailing of authors/journalists/etc who dare to voice something that opposes the regime in question. War on culture has effects that last forever. Books burned don't come back.
  Imagine a guy in, say, 400BC, who took a spray^H^H^H^H^Hbucket of paint and wrote something on a wall. Like everyone else born during the next 2300 years, his life is gone. Yet a part of him lives on. Culture has the potential to last forever.
  Copyright, by massively hampering culture, is the very worst thing we have.
  
  --
  The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
7. Re: So.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 19:06 · Score: 0
  
  "That effort also seems to have extended in recent days to the forced removal of the mere discussion of the leak and the posting of a separate open source, homebrew SDK designed to be used on jailbroken systems"
8. Re: So.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 19:38 · Score: 0
  
  Which is in fact a computing device. Keep in mind that prior PlayStation console iterations have actually been used to put together makeshift supercomputers, to the point that at one point the United States government was a registered PlayStation developer.
  But, regardless, it's a computing device that is owned by the person, and should not have artificial encumberances placed on it. And, if it does, whoever has it is well within their natural rights to do whatever they need to in order to exert control over their own property. Even before this sort of thing, copyright law was already far too powerful, giving corporations far more control than they should have for far longer than they should have it and stealing from the public domain. However, having bought off both sides of the aisle, they feel comfortable to move in and let it grow even larger. The recent expansion of copyright law to govern every facet of your life is both sick and dangerous, and this is but one aspect of it. The original purpose of copyright was to ultimately benefit the public at large, and using it to erode rights over private property in favor of the fiat dictated orders of the company that made it is the exact opposite of that.
  And since this is always, without fail, brought up in these discussions: yes, people can and do create things for free, much as they did long before copyright ever existed, but reforming copyright would not require its obliteration, contrary to popular belief.
9. Re:So.... by rtb61 · 2017-07-20 20:40 · Score: 1
  
  Actually I am getting a little suss they are using it for publicity, relatively free publicity. Bunch of lawyers letters and everyone repeats every where and then they say sorry but in the interim, news stories every where. You just can't trust the buggers any more.
  
  --
  Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
10. Re: So.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 20:57 · Score: 0
  
  A games console is a type of computer, same way a digital alarm clock is a type of computer. If it stores, outputs, or processes digital information, even just one bit, it's a computer.
11. Re:So.... by AmiMoJo · 2017-07-20 21:54 · Score: 1
  
  Removing their own SDK is fine, removing the open source SDK base don the discovered PS4 jailbreak isn't.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
12. Re:So.... by dave420 · 2017-07-21 00:47 · Score: 1
  
  You only paid a part of the price of the console. Sony expects to make up the rest through purchases of software for the console.
13. Re: So.... by Zero__Kelvin · 2017-07-21 00:47 · Score: 1
  
  Exactly. And you notice all the people who are up in arms because they can't root their alarm clock, right? Thanks for emphasizing my point for me.
  
  --
  Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
14. Re:So.... by zifn4b · 2017-07-21 00:49 · Score: 1
  
  Copyright law being used for what it was intended then? Rather than something snarky like the summary claims - people are distributing the SDK without permission or reasonable grounds for fair use, and Sony is using the law to prevent someone from distributing copyrighted material without permission...
  It doesn't matter. There's a difference between theory and practice. Some things sound good in your mind but when they come out you're like "Hey, that sounded better in my head." :P Theory is a construct of your mind, Practice is in the material world. When it doesn't work in practice, it means the simulation you ran in your brain wasn't accurate.
  
  --
  We'll make great pets
15. Re: So.... by tepples · 2017-07-21 02:43 · Score: 1
  
  You didn't buy a computing device, you bought a game console.
  I'm aware that the article is about the PlayStation 4, not the PlayStation Vita. But answer me this: Based on how you define "computing device", what computing device in a form factor similar to that of Sony's PlayStation Vita, including physical inputs for applications with the tactile response that a touch screen lacks, is widely available in Slashdot's home country?
16. Re: So.... by Zero__Kelvin · 2017-07-21 02:55 · Score: 1
  
  You are not understanding the most simple concept. People walked into a store and willingly exchanged money for a box labeled "Game Console", not "Personal Computer." They provide exactly what they promised. You don't get to call foul on that. Sorry.
  
  --
  Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
17. Re: So.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 02:58 · Score: 0
  
  If the alarm clock were an interesting computing device, yes, they absolutely should be.
  If I buy a piece of hardware, it's mine. It's not Sony's. I can do what I want with it.
  Copyright DOES NOT override that, and should not be allowed to.
  What really needs to happen is that it should be illegal to sell a piece of software or computing hardware without source code and a means to load your own software onto the device. You want to make a bit of hardware that won't allow that? Fine, you're free to do so. But it should be a crime to sell it.
18. Re: So.... by Zero__Kelvin · 2017-07-21 03:07 · Score: 1
  
  No, what should really happen is you should STFU and buy a computer if that's what you want.
  
  --
  Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
19. Re: So.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 04:18 · Score: 0
  
  >No, what should really happen is you should STFU and buy a computer if that's what you want.
  Because fuck poor people, right to repair people and hail corporate!
20. Re: So.... by Zero__Kelvin · 2017-07-21 04:24 · Score: 1
  
  Poor people can get a used computer for $50 bucks. If you are poor and you are spending your money on a PS/4 because you want a computer, you have nobody to blame for yourself for your own stupidity.
  
  --
  Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
21. Re:So.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 04:25 · Score: 0
  
  >or reasonable grounds for fair use
  Jailbreaking your phone is fair use according to the Library of Congress. All computing devices should be no different.
  https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/27/9622066/jailbreak-unlocked-tablet-smart-tvs-dmca-exemption-library-of-congress
  Sony doesn't provide a rootkit, nor an SDK, to the public. You must be approved by Sony. That's fine - they have the right to be dicks and not sell stuff to people (until the Supreme Court decides that hacktivism is protected speech).
  But then Sony goes out of their way to actively interfere with existing jailbreaks, brick jailbroken systems via system patches, and sue the living shit out of anyone caught making jailbreaks, and you can't sue them in a class action suit because of, you guessed it, agreed arbitration.
  So there's a $50k+ legal fee barrier to anyone wishing to challenge the statement of 'fair use', which isn't nice.
  I'll never forgive them for taking folding@home off of the PS3 and killing Linux. Those, and Microsoft's Xbox executives can rot in hell and I hope they die slowly and painfully. We could've had literally hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cancer research, done by the public, for pennies on the dollar, but noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
22. Re:So.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 04:32 · Score: 1
  
  Removing their SDK is fine, but removing discussion about it seems like a stretch as does removal of an independently developed SDK based on information in the original SDK (assuming the second SDK copied only the "secret numbers" and APIs needed).
the only solution by slashmydots · 2017-07-20 17:29 · Score: 2

The only way to get rid of it now is with a rootkit!
1. Re:the only solution by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 23:43 · Score: 0
  
  They fucked the Linux community they get what they get and I wont shed a tear..
Jailbreaking for pirating games by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 17:42 · Score: 1

Spare us the rhetoric about homebrew and stuff. Anyone who had been playing console games knew the main reason for jailbreaking a console is to run pirated games.
I live in Asia, and experience showed that having a jailbroken system is inversely correlated with the number of games having localized versions: PS2 broken since launch - nearly none, PS3/4 not jailbroken long after launch - many localised games.
I own a PS4, I say big "Fuck You" to people trying to JB the PS4, you are trying to ruin the gaming platform I play on.
1. Re:Jailbreaking for pirating games by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 22:03 · Score: 0
  
  The PS4, soon to be ruined, just as the music and movie industries were slaughtered by cassette recorders and VCRs in the 1980s, and the PC platform, which hasn't had a single piece of commercial software released in decades.
2. Re:Jailbreaking for pirating games by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 06:58 · Score: 0
  
  You obviously misunderstood. The SDK is for PS4s that are already jailbroken. This is literally only about hombrew.
Totally pointless by ReneR · 2017-07-20 20:20 · Score: 1

as Linux is already fully running on the PS4. Basically more or less everything is already reverse engineered, ... https://github.com/fail0verflo...
This is a test by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 20:43 · Score: 0

Sony SDK
Shills by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-20 21:04 · Score: 0

The Shills are strong in this discussion Luke
We will get nowhere if everything keeps private; m by Andy+Smith · 2017-07-21 00:26 · Score: 1

"We will get nowhere if everything keeps private; money isn't everything"
Then give your own stuff away for free.
copyright abusers and peddlers of ignorance by crafoo · 2017-07-21 00:31 · Score: 2

They are using copyright to remove information they do not own: the open source SDK not written by Sony. This is a clear abuse of copyright law. They should be placed in a copyright "time out" box for doing so: temporarily open season on all Sony copyrights. They are willfully and knowingly abusing our laws for their own gain.
At a philosophical level, I wish that all proprietary, undocumented computing hardware fails. I wish that they are not viable products and fail in the marketplace. I miss the days of C64, Amiga, and Atari ST. I think everyone would be happier if we returned to that business model. Companies would still make money. If the Xbox, Switch, and PS4 disappear today I think that would be perfectly fine.
I'm sure it'll work THIS TIME by zifn4b · 2017-07-21 00:46 · Score: 1

Many moons ago, the MPAA tried this trick and they failed because it was posted all over the internet and on T-Shirts even! DVD Jon FTW.
Good luck with that Sony. You can't bend the universe to your whims. I hate to break to you. But by all means, go ahead and try.

--
We'll make great pets
Get yer PS4 SDK torrent here! by GameboyRMH · 2017-07-21 02:14 · Score: 2

Magnet link

--
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
1. Re:Get yer PS4 SDK torrent here! by sexconker · 2017-07-21 05:12 · Score: 1
  
  I will seed this for all of time.
2. Re:Get yer PS4 SDK torrent here! by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-21 11:49 · Score: 0
  
  Well, at least when you go to prison you won't have to pay junkies to fuck you up the ass no more.
MPAA studios share parent company with TV news by tepples · 2017-07-21 02:23 · Score: 1

The only thing that makes it non-controversial is the fact that a) most people don't understand the stakes yet, b) corporations would rather people not know just how much power they've got over this until it's too late for the citizens to do anything about it, and c) the fact that both parties are thoroughly bought and paid for on this topic.
And related to b) is d) the tendency of citizens of Slashdot's home country to get their news from channels that share a parent company with a member of the Motion Picture Association of America. 21CF owns 20th Century Fox and Fox News. National Amusements owns Paramount and CBS News. Disney owns Walt Disney Pictures and ABC News. Time Warner owns Warner Bros. Pictures and CNN. I shouldn't have to explain NBCUniversal.
It turns out Sony is the only MPAA studio parent not to own a U.S. TV news outlet.
If you're stuck on satellite by tepples · 2017-07-21 02:26 · Score: 1

What would I need a BluRay drive for?
So as not to spend $150 to download a single 30 GB game over a satellite Internet connection whose provider charges an estimated $5 per GB. I'll concede that discs aren't quite as much of a compelling feature in an area served by high-volume wired ISP.
1. Re:If you're stuck on satellite by Opportunist · 2017-07-21 03:54 · Score: 1
  
  In my country, there is a competition between ISPs. Bandwidth is plentiful and cheap.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
2. Re:If you're stuck on satellite by tepples · 2017-07-21 03:59 · Score: 1
  
  How many refugees from uncompetitive Internet markets can your country's immigration department absorb?
3. Re:If you're stuck on satellite by Opportunist · 2017-07-22 22:10 · Score: 1
  
  Well, let's see... we can absorb about a million refugees with no marketable skills whatsoever, so if you can actually, ya know, DO something that would make you more than a social service recipient, I guess we can handle you easily.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Windows 10 S by tepples · 2017-07-21 02:38 · Score: 1

Having a publicly available SDK doesn't mean the 'platform is hacked'. If that was true, Linux, Windows and MacOS (and iOS) would all be 'hacked' completely. (All these operating systems even have their SDKs available for free, if not downright included in the base OS install!
The Windows 10 S SDK does not run on Windows 10 S. It requires Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro.
(And there are rumors that Microsoft may discontinue Home in favor of S.)
Replacing a PlayStation with a personal computer by tepples · 2017-07-21 03:57 · Score: 1

I agree with you that a device marketed as a Personal Computer ought to allow the Person who owns it to control what Computing is done, and the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita are explicitly not Personal Computers by that measure. Someone who owns one of those but desires features available only in a Personal Computer needs to replace it with a Personal Computer.
Now say someone realizes the implication of this and seeks to replace a PlayStation Vita with a comparable handheld Personal Computer: one with a screen, directional pad/stick, and action buttons. Any recommendations?
Re:Replacing a PlayStation with a personal compute by Zero__Kelvin · 2017-07-21 04:10 · Score: 1

Oh I know this one! I recommend you learn the difference between gaming devices and personal computers. Hint: You may be able to add a joystick to use your PC to play games, but there isn't a PC on the planet that comes with a built in joystick.

--
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
Re:Replacing a PlayStation with a personal compute by SScorpio · 2017-07-21 04:30 · Score: 1

GPD WIN
Re:Replacing a PlayStation with a personal compute by tepples · 2017-07-22 06:19 · Score: 1

Handheld dedicated video game devices do not allow installation of game mods because they are not personal computers.
Handheld personal computers do not come with joysticks because they are not dedicated video game devices.
I have never seen a handheld personal computer with a separately purchased joystick in use in public.
If someone prefers to play games with mods instead of vanilla games, which handheld platform should he choose?
Re:Replacing a PlayStation with a personal compute by Zero__Kelvin · 2017-07-22 06:37 · Score: 1

Who gives a flying fuck? Let those drains on society drown in the drool that is sure to be constantly running from their mouths.

--
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
Are game devs also "drains on society"? by tepples · 2017-07-24 11:21 · Score: 1

Even if users of interactive entertainment are allegedly "drains on society", they are still the revenue source for video game developers. Or are video game developers likewise "drains on society" to you?
1. Re:Are game devs also "drains on society"? by Zero__Kelvin · 2017-07-24 12:05 · Score: 1
  
  Of course they are.
  
  --
  Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
Re:Replacing a PlayStation with a personal compute by Anonymous Coward · 2017-07-24 11:49 · Score: 0

Any recommendations?
GPD Win