Posted Mar 18, 2006 at 11:19AM by Andy L. Listed in: Hacks & Exploits
Ó

A few days back we reported on the possibility of an Xbox 360 Firmware Hack that would break the media flag in the firmware, therefore allowing non-Xbox 360 discs to be played as if they were signed. TheSpecialist announced that he had in fact cracked the firmware, and to prove this he even released a video. However, he also stated that he will NOT release his methods to the public because he feels strongly against piracy. Unfortunately the border between running homebrew and booting up illegal game backups is too thin, but this should give up to aspiring 360 hackers elsewhere. Now that the gateway has been opened, it's only a matter of time before everyday gamers will be enjoying homebrew on their 360.

Download: [Xbox 360 Firmware Hack Video]

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61 Comments


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   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » Amazing!

I need to go buy an Xbox 360 yesterday! Homebrew here I come.

   by maciekish - 2006-03-18
 » BS?

Anyone fooled by the cable clearly visible in picture?
Anybody thought that a tv usually has more inputs than the one up front? What if he just recorded the PGR intro to his pc and plays it back thru a cable connected on the REAR of the TV and makes us think its the 360 doing that?

That sucks

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » On-topic, how?

I don't want to but a damper on everyones day with useless complaints but ...

Why is every other post, like this one, not related to PSP in the slightest? This should be on 360updates, and only 360updates.

Perhaps I'm just being a cynic, again, though.

   by jason61616 - 2006-03-18
 » Might actually get one now!

I have been unimpressed with the 360 thus far but if this is real then I might get one. Considering the 10X the power rules for emulators, if homebrew is possible then every console will be able to be emulated, including ps2 and gamecube (possibly).

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » redundant

I agree with mac, take two 360's and a tv with front and back connectors and you can fool anyone. The only thing is the laser reading the disk but for all we know the burned disk could be an update for the backwards compatibility.

Don’t get me wrong, i am an optimist and give people the benefit of the doubt and i believe the in the logic that information like this shouldn’t be given out to keep piracy from going rampant but the best way to do that is to keep it quiet. the specialist releases the video why? to show it can be done? to get kudos? honestly I feel he wants recognition but doesn’t want to give up the how, which is the only way he can really prove this is legitimate.

Now let’s say this is real and someone else comes along and shows how to do it, is the specialist going to take credit for it and we are going to have an issue like yoshihiro and mph? It's a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation specialist, that’s why you should have kept it to yourself.

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » Nice try...

I love how this guy doesn't even play it... Just starts up the game. If all those bogus psp vids have taught us a lesson, then we all know to settle down and wait for something a bit more believable.

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » Think About This!

If This Was A Real Hack And If He Could Do What He Says! Then He Would Be Rich Over Night! Even If He Did Not Want To Release A Hack! Then He Could Sell The Firmware Ect To A Company Who Could Produce This Hack! Money Talks With Everyone Legal Or None Legal!

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » hmm

if that was the case, why is it that the dvd is still spinning, if it was a bootleg and the dvd would have stopped spinning in the bootup sequence and yet you see the laser moving back and forward... loading up the data.

so im not too sure wether its true or not, but it sure as heck got my attention and thumbs up

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   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » cool

cool

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » Re: Think about this!

Yeah.. theres the little fact that its real only function is to play PGR3 US version right now.. only a 1:1 copy, so data can't be ripped from the game, and homebrew won't load, it don't bypass RPC1 protection and they didn't work out the CR commands for other games, so you have to reflash for every other 1:1 copy of a game you want to play..

Plus the fact that it was a group effort, not a single guy. Also their goal was NOT to make money off this but to show up MS of how their 3 years security is really nothing special. If they released it all would be dandy for a month until MS figured out how it worked and put a live patch out to foil the console..

They could easily work out the bugs and sell the design for a few million to a chinese manufacturer but why bother? MS is probably already on the hunt for them even though they are keeping the code and procedure private. MS lawyers are not the ones you want to mess around with, at least I wouldn't want them on my back. Did you forget bill gates is worth about a billion for every KG that he weighs?

Just give it time, the info's there.. The sky isn't falling yet- This isn't the only group out to do this, there are people where money means all and never stepping foot on US soil again means nothing. You will see something material form eventually, for now just relax.

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » Legal battles

People in the xbox/xbox360 scene know exactly who TheSpecialist is, and so probably does MS. To avoid any legal battles (DMCA and EU equivalent, probably it already applies in The Netherlands) with Microsoft, I "wouldn't be releasing it" either. But dropping a couple of hints here and there... :)


   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » Huh?

Couldn't they have just put a white cd label on a real copy of PGR3?

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18

nocomment

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » oops

oops my mistake didnt see the purple back

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » fake

that is such bull i want to see som game play that could be streamed through his comp

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » SUPERFAKE

There's a second x360 in the reflection of the tv screen about a min into the movie. The faking douchbag.

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18

BLAH!

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   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » mega fake

dude ill go make my own hax video all i need is a white cd label marker a copy of pgr 3 a vid cam and my 360 bam im instant xbox 360 1337 h4x0r!

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » hmm?

doesnt this seem to be very similar to the ice mod hoax?

ha ha i thought so...... the specialist is prob laughing at us right now for actually beiliving this garbage

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » so fake...

call me xsouthpole...

xsouthpole: I must say that this could be fake in many different ways. One, an x-box 360 could be behind the television and he has the video setting on the other xbox 360 and the one thats visible in the video is saying "error reading the disc" while the other one's playing the game. Or, that intro could simply be a trailer of the game. Sometimes trailers can accually be the intro. Maybe not, but like "huh" said, it could also be simply a white cd label. If he really wanted to prove something, he should show us a close-up of the cd, show a complete overview of the wiring to kill the believe of a second 360, and he should have no signs of editing and show the whole television, not just the front.

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » Who agrees with that?

xsouthpole: let me know who agrees with me. And if you need help with your e-loader, instant message me on aol at bnd1@aol.com

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » Yust3

Por decir algo!!!!!

A ver, ya se que lo más bonito es pensar que se ha conseguido. Pero opino que es muy facil engañarnos, ya que perfectamente la tele puede tener un euroconector por detras en el que hay conectada otra 360 con ese mismo juego original, se encienden las 2 a la vez y listo, y esto ser solo un paripé, otros pensaran si claro el dvd pirata por que sigue girando si no esta hackeada????? Sencillo sacar una copia de la demo esa que se podian sacar copias y ponerla a rular. De esa manera parece que es esa la que rula, pero quien te dice que no hay otra por detras y ser solo una manera de desprestigiar la Xbox 360º?????

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » to add fuel to the fire

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/9189/vlcsnap612924mr.png

notice the other 360 in the reflection, bottom left corner of the tv

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18

hey ****tard! we do NOT speak your language!

   by Stumbles - 2006-03-18
 » BS

So.....he spent the time to hack the 360 and make this video NOT to release anything......just for the fun of it????????

What a crock, get a life loser we arent buying it....

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » fake

I reckon theyve just stuck a white cd label over a proper disk

   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » notitle

da, he took off the freakin cover......

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   by Anonymous Coward (Unregistered) - 2006-03-18
 » Re: BS

To all of who you think this is BS, go to xbox-hacker.net and read it. If you're technically advanced, you'll be able to see their logistics and alterations they did to make this possible. You just are too ignorant and stupid. TheSpecialist was one of the people that helped the modchips for the Xbox1, along with the first FW hack. I agree with the fact that piracy is wrong, but I wish something was released. I want to play PC games on this GFX monster! :D

   by Ppd264 - 2006-03-18
 » fake

it's very easy to fake this u have a DUAL LAYER, DVD/CD burner and make it seem like he had a burned cd but just having the cover on , also he could have played into the game more to prove that he was playing a game, also the ppl could have made a lot of money if they told some1 how they were able to do it, so i say it's fake

   by Ppd264 - 2006-03-18
 » » Re: BS

xbox-hacker.net doesnt work.



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