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The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable

arstechnica.com

21–30 of 78 posts

Re: The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable

#21

This doesn't sound like it itself "exploits" anything, just deflates Nintendo's attempted scheme to exploit their customers by booby trapping their hardware. If you rigged your car to destruct 30 minutes after it went out of cell service, sold it to an unsuspecting buyer, and then laughed when they got stuck in the desert, you'd be rightfully thrown in jail. But yet these companies keep attempting to pull the same sh…

I actually kind of liked the Gameboy approach. You needed to include a byte-for-byte image of the trademarked Nintendo logo in order for the boot ROM to run your cartridge. So there were no technical hurdles to running your code in it, but it just made it legally dangerous to distribute.

Re: The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable

#22
Great news for people who want to use their purchased hardware for things Nintendo won't allow... Ie watching movies on the great screen, using generic hdmi adapters, playing games they already purchased for older console versions, or backing up savegames.

Also great news for people who want to use their hardware for things that are actively against Nintendo's interests, like playing pirated games.

All around, seems like a story of us: 1, them: 0 story.

Re: The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable

#23
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well it’s your choice, open hardware or billions of dollars invested in an industry employing millions of people...

False dichotomy.

Not everything has to be a fallacy, I remember when people understood the concept of tongue-in-cheek.

DRM (10NES) was a core part of the strategy for the console that brought a recovery from the 1983 video game crash.

And even today publishers value a platform that is able to combat privacy (see: Denuovo and the lengths AAA productions go to delay piracy in PC.

Re: The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable

#24
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

False dichotomy.

Not everything has to be a fallacy, I remember when people understood the concept of tongue-in-cheek . DRM (10NES) was a core part of the strategy for the console that brought a recovery from the 1983 video game crash. And even today publishers value a platform that is able to combat privacy (see: Denuovo and the lengths AAA productions go to delay piracy in PC.

Yes, publishers do certainly value a platform that is able to combat privacy. Although lately the combat has been a little one-sided.

Re: The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable

#25

This doesn't sound like it itself "exploits" anything, just deflates Nintendo's attempted scheme to exploit their customers by booby trapping their hardware. If you rigged your car to destruct 30 minutes after it went out of cell service, sold it to an unsuspecting buyer, and then laughed when they got stuck in the desert, you'd be rightfully thrown in jail. But yet these companies keep attempting to pull the same sh…

I actually kind of liked the Gameboy approach. You needed to include a byte-for-byte image of the trademarked Nintendo logo in order for the boot ROM to run your cartridge. So there were no technical hurdles to running your code in it, but it just made it legally dangerous to distribute.

Sega tried this with the Dreamcast, and further, tried to enforce it in court.

They lost.

Re: The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable

#26
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has always been the case with homebrew/jailbreak scenes, from the PSP to the PS3/PS4, to iOS, etc. There will always be squabbles among the different people and groups involved with finding exploits or developing jailbreak/"hack" "kits". Following from that, there will also always be people who want to jailbreak only to pirate games and there will also be groups who want to disclose the exploits properly, or use…

These squabbles are as old as home computing. Just check out the amount of name calling and whatsnot thats put into those cracktros that can be traced at least back to the C64.

To say nothing of internecine squabbles between partisans of various home computers. C64 r00lz and Spectrum dr00lz (or vice versa). About the only platform that everyone can agree on is that the PC suxx0rz.

Re: The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable

#28

This doesn't sound like it itself "exploits" anything, just deflates Nintendo's attempted scheme to exploit their customers by booby trapping their hardware. If you rigged your car to destruct 30 minutes after it went out of cell service, sold it to an unsuspecting buyer, and then laughed when they got stuck in the desert, you'd be rightfully thrown in jail. But yet these companies keep attempting to pull the same sh…

I actually kind of liked the Gameboy approach. You needed to include a byte-for-byte image of the trademarked Nintendo logo in order for the boot ROM to run your cartridge. So there were no technical hurdles to running your code in it, but it just made it legally dangerous to distribute.

Holy shit. Is that why when you plugged in a cartridge a little weirdly, the nintendo logo would look all weird and the game wouldn't boot? it was a simultaneous legal protection and a harware protection? that was fucking genius!

Re: The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually kind of liked the Gameboy approach. You needed to include a byte-for-byte image of the trademarked Nintendo logo in order for the boot ROM to run your cartridge. So there were no technical hurdles to running your code in it, but it just made it legally dangerous to distribute.

Sega tried this with the Dreamcast, and further, tried to enforce it in court. They lost.

[deleted]

Re: The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually kind of liked the Gameboy approach. You needed to include a byte-for-byte image of the trademarked Nintendo logo in order for the boot ROM to run your cartridge. So there were no technical hurdles to running your code in it, but it just made it legally dangerous to distribute.

Sega tried this with the Dreamcast, and further, tried to enforce it in court. They lost.

Genesis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_v._Accolade
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