Why you might not get to enjoy the PSM hack, even if you did everything right
We recently announced that YifanLu has something cooking up for the PS Vita, and it involves Playstation Mobile (PSM), Sony’s aborted experiment for indie devs on the PS Vita and Android tablets.
YifanLu was slightly fuzzy on why we should do it, but he strongly recommended everyone to register for a PSM Publisher license a few days ago. Now, that could be because Playstation Mobile rocks and everyone should try to create a game for the vita at least once in their life. Or, it could be that since PSM is shutting down soon, Yifan Lu is getting ready to release a Vita native exploit that would become useless otherwise.
If you think it’s the latter, I’d tend to agree with you.
YifanLu has released very straightforward steps on how to get up and running your own PSM games on the Vita. Sadly, one of the steps of the process requires Sony’s approval for you to become a licensed PSM publisher.
In general, getting approved for PSM can take anywhere from a couple hours to a few weeks, based on the feedback I received from people who have been approved in the past. This kind of variation implies that part of the approval process involves some sort of human verification. If such is the case, I’m pretty sure Sony employees will have a closer look at the recent surge in registration requests. In particular when these registrations are for a service scheduled to close in 2 months.
Want to know how big the surge in PSM interest is? Well, it’s easy to verify, since Sony’s official link is a bit.ly url, which provides some interesting graphs to look at (the interesting bit is the last couple days on the right):
Request for the PS Vita PSM Development assistant have been multiplied by 50 overnight, from about 20 a day to more than 1000 a day, after YifanLu’s announcement. As the news of the upcoming “surprise” makes it around the world, we could expect the requests to increase even more.
It might be a bit naive to think that Sony won’t notice something suspicious, and will keep approving PSM Publisher license keys like nothing happened. I have suggested hackers (including Yifanlu) to go with our Ninja release process in the past for similar announcements. Our ninja release process is designed exactly for that kind of scenario, to avoid raising unnecessary suspicion, but hey, your project, your choice. I can only offer my help, not force every single hacker on the scene to do the right thing 🙂
As I type this, I am still waiting for my key.
The PSM exploit Yifan uses is actually already partially known (an irc log is floating around).
Can you pls point me to this log?
+1. Waiting my key since Yifan advise.
Thanks yifi dude!!
It’s actually Yufi dude 🙂 😛
Thats it, not calling him anything but Yufi now.
I like how the guy that said “yufi hacker dude” was referring to one of my comments in the last article. 😉
I woke up today and saw my application was approved for the license, so they’re still approving applications.
I’m glad you woke up!
already 3 days but still no confirmation… hope tomorrow I wake up and something miracle happen,too
It took a good week to get my key some months ago, so don’t give up!
Its not Yifan Lu’s fault nobody around here seems to be paying attention. Hykem mentioned PSM being used for Yifan Lu’s exploit over a month ago. http://wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=40576&start=60
I got aproved but how to get a key ?
You have to download the PSM Dev Suite thing, then you’ll get Publishing Utility. There you can generate one.
Yeap me too, waiting for the approval since day one
*** yawn. I don’t have a ps3, only vita, soooooooo… wasn’t gonna do that *** anyways. Ol’ Dusty is gonna stay dusty and on 3.15 virgin (till something actually *** happens!)
I’m still waiting for approval but i dont think they will do it. Its just too damn suspicious for that big number of “devs” now want to sign up for PSM LOL
i applied, but nothing yet, wonder if i could use my PSM beta key
Yeahh i got my aprovment today, im from argentina and i put a eeuu ¨true¨¨ direction, i wait 4 days.
copypaste of the email:
PlayStationRMobile Developer Program
Dear Pincharata22
We are sorry to keep you waiting. We have now confirmed your application for a PlayStation®Mobile publisher license.
Please go to the PSM DevPortal and purchase your PSM publisher license.
Please see the FAQ if you have any questions.
This e-mail message has been delivered from a send-only address. Please do not reply to this message. We are unable to respond to individual replies to this email.
For any question on the SDK, please ask at the DevForums.
Please visit the FAQ to answer any questions regarding the PSM Developer Program.
PSM DevPortal Terms of Use
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
whats the next step? getting that f–ing demo?
So am I, still waiting, for my key to be delivered. When I’ll get it, I will probably update my Vita to set everything up. For the moment, I’ll wait and see. Of course ARK-2 & TN-V are not the panacea, but hey, they can launch some little emulators and every PSP game, and that’s quite a performance ! Still, if I’m not able to go to PSN while I enjoy the ePSP hack, it’s far from perfect.
Does anyone know if what Yifan Lu have found (probably a hack) something that let the user connect to PSN, or let the user update the Vita firmware and still keeping the hack ?
I’m pretty sure no one has any answer, but still, I’m asking ^^
Chances are the hack will only be able to run homebrew within the PSM sandbox from what I have read and understand, which would be great for emulators and other stuff! I don’t think the hack is going to allow backups of psp/vita games to be run though. As usual I’m just speculating!
It makes sense, to me. Awww, that means if I want to run PSP backups through a PSM-sandboxed app, someone has to make a PSP emulator out of it, and it would be slow and wouldn’t take advantage of the ePSP in the Vita… hard choice ! I gotta admit that PSP backups are great.
Or you could just buy another ePSP game exploit like the one that is still on the store right now…
update it now, before its too late, sony can release a surprise fw, likr ur about to update, and it would say the latest firmware is 2.60, and u would could strait past the fw which we (yufi’s follower) are on
Keep it up!!Good luck to you!!
Question, I registered myself, confirmed the Email… can’t login is that normal? or is it still waiting approval?
Got my key yesterday only took a few days to get approved. Hopefully something cools comes from this.
Did you use a brand new account, or your PSN account? right now PSN is *** i cant recover my password, and i am stuck here, seeing time go by and not being able to do anything -.-‘
Would you be able to generate a key for me as I applied too late for a licence, it would be much appreciated 🙂
I’ve been meaning to ask about this, cuz I’m not sure if it’s already been answered. How risky is this? When we signed up, were we supposed to use our main account or a slave/random account? If Sony finds out we installed a native exploit, won’t that make it easier for them to ban, let alone sue us? Lastly, if we are successful with this exploit, could it be patched in future releases?
I don’t think there is any more risk than buying, downloading, and using modified savedata on one of the exploit games. It could likely be patched but after this month only those people who set up all the right stuff will have access to it anyway I think.
Am I the only one around here that saw it comming ?
Yes, you are the only one
Still waiting for approval. Seems they won’t let us all enjoy this 🙁
Yeah they’re still accepting applications, I applied right after the initial article was published and just got my approval application a couple hours ago!
I have actually had my approval for quite a while, I just never did anything with it. Glad to see it will be put to some good use now.
have had my key for roughly 2 years now.
Hmm I’m still on 3.18 with hopes of WebKit. I’m on a lim here. To update and hope to get PSM and see what happens or stick with what I have (tn-v) and potential WebKit. Damn you yifanlu XD
My plan is to stay on lower firmware until either PSM is a just couple of days from shutting down, or until we know what the thing this does actually is. (Whichever comes first.)
Get everything else set up in the meantime though. (Registering, installing the SDK on your PC, etc.) Just hold off on the update part for as long as reasonably possible if you’re attached to your current setup, just in case.
Yeah sounds like plan. Personally I like my setup. But with history of hacking lower the FW the better (PS3,3DS,PSP, ext) I just wonder if good emulation can come from the PSM.
Yeah, I’m doing exactly as Gorgo above said, and it’s actually what Yifan Lu advised doing himself. Hey, the way I look at it, at least we’ve got something that’s real (the PSM exploit). Much better than waiting for something that may not ever exist (WebKit exploit).
Check out this thread where we are working on getting the PSM Dev Assistant installed on earlier FWs. You need a PS3 to do it but it might be an option for you!
http://wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=42720
It may not even be a hack…
What would it even be then? With PSM shutting down so soon, the worst case scenario (assuming YifanLu didn’t randomly decide to create a big hoax or something) is that there’s a way to prevent your PSM key from expiring on your own devices (they normally need renewal each month IIRC), which would allow for much easier homebrew and/or poking around in the future.
Who knows, maybe once you abuse the exploit it stays permanent like the ePSP ones, you can exploit the game > run a custom bubble and then you can delete the exploit game if you want but you can still use eCFW and other ***.
Just maybe Sony will think there is some petition going to get people to sign up in hopes of saving psm. I mean, that’s a highly unlikely scenario but hey, you never know.
sony isn’t stupid, they check these scenes too…
I signed up 2 years ago, but I never ended up using it, so I suppose I’m lucky.
so ps vita now has psnow which is flawless and will eventually play s3/ps2/psp/ps1 games with a simple internet connection for a super cheap price.
doesn’t that mean these hacks are useless unless youd rather play some crappy homebre games or play retro gen games (which can already be played using psp emu)? or am i missing something here?
I sure didn’t buy a portable so I could play games when I’m in range of WiFi. The prices I saw on PSNow weren’t what I would call cheap, either.
You know you a dirty, ignorant modasucka? Who the heck is gonna rent classic games that you have to stream from a network? Many of us on here don’t have good internet speeds. Who the heck are we supposed to enjoy gaming on a laggy app. Renting classic games that you have to stream is equivalent to streaming *** on Netflix. I ain’t gonna happen bruh.
PS Now is rental I want to own and play whatever I own and anytime I want
Super >cheap< price
no
If that is cheap for you then please donate some money
to my paypal : skyhot004@hotmail.com
I just got mine a day ago!
I’m surprised that they still have the registration and approval up and running concidering that they’re going to shut it down soon.
God, this yufi dude is going to kill me.
Yeah I kind of wish this was a ninja release. I am still waiting for approval and something tells me they will catch on before I get it. Really hope it gets approved soon and am very excited to see what yifanlu is cooking up
Well I registered and got the verification the same day. So all is golden here.
Now I wonder what will come from it :/
Is it time to upgrade my memory card lol.
Knowing that Yifan is the one who is creating this “hack”, you can kiss your dreams of playing Vita “backups” goodbye. And thank god for that!
but but but but, damn, wish ocould play backups, living in a country where electronics and games are too costly, used to live in USA though, from where got cheapest rate items, especially in electronics
Yifan Lu speech ***, never believe in his advisores. Forget Yifan Lu please
In my humble opinion it all a plot so Sony won’t discontinue the program if it is thank you Yufi dude you did good if it isn’t Thank you again you still did good
how long did it take for you guys to get a reply, what i am reading has been 3 days more or less, is this the case? for everyone?
I’m waiting since day one of the article with a new US psn acc. Living in EU
Wololo: I have made a topic.. semi Rant why this wasn’t a ninja release…Ohh well. Finger crossed.
It could have been the bigest ninja release yet.
To be honest, I really don’t want Vita backups. They’d probably be too much work to download and store. What I’m actually kind of hoping with this is the ability to run Android games or even an entire Android firmware, considering Playstation Mobile runs on Android phones as well.
Everyone should just calm down. Nothing may come of this, or something might, but be really limited…I managed to SudokuHax my DSi during the 4 day window that was possible, because of the low numbers of machines successfully haxed no one ever bothered to produce new homebrew to take advantage of the exploit.
Those saying “wish it was teh ninja release, noobs should dieded”, you should be glad so many people are on board, if something good comes of it, there will actually be a scene, not just a forgotten exploit.
Just applied myself, so the application form is still active, gues I’ll wait and see…
Ninja release doesn’t mean “super private”. It means “Start with well known folks and expand from there till the public release”. It mostly just lets more useful folks have more time before Sony finds out about an exploit.
Also, devs are what matter to making good use of exploits, not users. A gazillion users are worthless without any devs, but one dev could still make progress with no other users.
Hi guys im still sitting on 3.18 at the moment got everything set up got a email receipt for my publishers license but no approval yet im still undecided if i want to update and lose my bubbles and the possible webkit hack that may come out. I also dont want to not update and miss out on this if it ends up being something real good i wish there was just a little bit of a teaser of what is to come from this also when updating do i have to update to the latest fw ?
This most likely will be addressed closer to the time, DO NOT UPDATE for any reason, if anything this will make it harder for you to make use of these exploits- I am pretty certain that these guys have taken this into consideration and if you choose to update, do so at your own risk. I personally would insist on keeping your firmware as low as possible.
Be patient, do not jump the gun and end up shooting yourself in the foot.
If it so happens they require you to update then do so only when informed to.
This seems intriguing, wonder what could possibly come out of this. Latest posting refers to possible Native exploits, so this could be a game changer for the vita.
Also will have to wait for my licence to be approved and receive my key. I am hoping I do get it in the upcoming days.