Hacking Is the GW card just an expensive DRM dongle?

[MrJason005]

Remeber back in the 3.0 hype train when people would say that we are sucking GW's cock? Yeah...

 

[WulfyStylez]

I wouldn't have thought this thread will start such a discussion, as I was mainly interested in the technical aspect. In hindsight, it is a provocative title, I'll give you that .

Speaking purely from a technical perspective, the gateway cart does act as a DRM dongle. It acts as hardware used to control software usage. It does add features to the system with its ability to act as a cart emulator (with a bunch of hacks and patching in software to let it do so), however. That's a feature you'll definitely never see done in software only, so you could also argue it's not a dongle due to that.

And just as a fun fact from someone who's sunk hundreds of hours or more into 3DS hacking: just because we have the ability to pirate games doesn't mean we do. My own personal experience is that doing RE and writing stuff to accomplish goals tends to sound a lot more fun than sitting and playing games. I've pretty much only played 6ish hours of MH4 and like 30 minutes of Smash since we kicked off our project, I shit you not. Both of those were games I bought (I've got the palico pin and everything yo), but you get the point. When you start something like this, every little thing that needs work will bug you. Heck, me and Shiny were both jumping between three different, completely unrelated, projects the other day for quite a few hours. Maybe that comes from the kind of personality you need to sink tons of hours into this stuff, I dunno.
I don't believe the average user, or even uninspired beginner security researcher, will see hacking the system on their own worth it just to steal games. It's tremendously easier to just shell out X dollars than to put forth the effort (and time!!) to do all that. Us getting to where we are now comes on the back of probably thousands of hours in IDA, and I've personally lost more hours of sleep than I care to count.
Anyways, that's just my two cents. Shrug.

 

[megazero1x1]

Speaking purely from a technical perspective, the gateway cart does act as a DRM dongle. It acts as hardware used to control software usage. It does add features to the system with its ability to act as a cart emulator (with a bunch of hacks and patching in software to let it do so), however. That's a feature you'll definitely never see done in software only, so you could also argue it's not a dongle due to that.

And just as a fun fact from someone who's sunk hundreds of hours or more into 3DS hacking: just because we have the ability to pirate games doesn't mean we do. My own personal experience is that doing RE and writing stuff to accomplish goals tends to sound a lot more fun than sitting and playing games. I've pretty much only played 6ish hours of MH4 and like 30 minutes of Smash since we kicked off our project, I shit you not. Both of those were games I bought (I've got the palico pin and everything yo), but you get the point. When you start something like this, every little thing that needs work will bug you. Heck, me and Shiny were both jumping between three different, completely unrelated, projects the other day for quite a few hours. Maybe that comes from the kind of personality you need to sink tons of hours into this stuff, I dunno.
I don't believe the average user, or even uninspired beginner security researcher, will see hacking the system on their own worth it just to steal games. It's tremendously easier to just shell out X dollars than to put forth the effort (and time!!) to do all that. Us getting to where we are now comes on the back of probably thousands of hours in IDA, and I've personally lost more hours of sleep than I care to count.
Anyways, that's just my two cents. Shrug.

As a novice programmer who is an undergrad in computer Engineering I totally know that feeling of wanting to dig deeper and deeper purely for the fun of it.
Losing hours of sleep on small details and finally getting something to work right is so satisfying that it is totally worth it.
Heck I always knew that KARL was always about that.

Might I add wulfystylez you have kinda motivated me before during your initial phases of KARL.

Keep up the good work.( though I don't think I have the right to say that)

 

[WeedZ]

I can't try, though, because all of their official mirrors are down now, and I haven't found any alternatives.

holy shit, they are. Does anyone have a copy of 3.1.1?

 

[WeedZ]

You guys are true heros. Thank you.

 

[shinyquagsire23]

In short, non-piracy developer knights are not defending ethics but maintaining their friends (GW team) business.
Or they are probably simply dumb.

I assure you, if I was being paid by GW I'd have a lot more cover plates than I have now. As much as you guys want to imagine we're being paid, we really just would much rather prefer to not release something of that nature.

 

[cracker]

Even if I have 3.1.1, rules on GBATemp prevent sharing even over PM.

 

[WeedZ]

Even if I have 3.1.1, rules on GBATemp prevent sharing even over PM.

why? Its not copyrighted, and everything in the 3ds homebrew scene was made possible from the existence and re-engineering of this file.

If this is how we're going to be, might as well remove all cfw and cfw tools too

 

[Oishikatta]

why? Its not copyrighted, and everything in the 3ds homebrew scene was made possible from the existence and re-engineering of this file.

If this is how we're going to be, might as well remove all cfw and cfw tools too

Gateway packages a pre-patched FIRM from the 3DS with their launcher. It is copyrighted.

Anyways, the link is right on their site... it was only dead for like 24h. Just go download it from there.

 

[WeedZ]

Gateway packages a pre-patched FIRM from the 3DS with their launcher. It is copyrighted.

Anyways, the link is right on their site... it was only dead for like 24h. Just go download it from there.

I didn't know that, I apologize. And I already got it.

 

[FrankVVV]

Gateway packages a pre-patched FIRM from the 3DS with their launcher. It is copyrighted.

A pirate device that is copyrighted? LOL.

 

[Oishikatta]

A pirate device that is copyrighted? LOL.

Who do you think writes the FIRM for the 3DS?

Hint: not Gateway.

 

[powersaver]

Yes, Gateway is a dongle and anyone who argues differently is most likely twisting half-truths.

Just get a Sky3DS and if Gateway releases an update then re-consider if a Gateway is also needed, however, it's better to actually purchase games.

 

[tbb043]

No, it's not just a dongle. You aren't going to load games from a FATX SDXC card without some sort of cart.

 

[DSpider]

No, it's not just a dongle. You aren't going to load games from a FATX SDXC card without some sort of cart.

Installed CIA files are the way to go. Gateway's microSD slot is useless in this regard. A lot of people use Gateway flashcarts just to run emuNAND and run installed .cia, which is already possible according to the Youtube video posted on the 3rd page from this thread WITHOUT A GW!

So unless you absolutely depend on the Gateway's microSD slot (e.g. if you have multiple 3DS consoles like someone mentioned earlier), then the card really IS just a DRM dongle.

 

[dkabot]

Is vs Used As...

It is a combination of MicroSD reader for .3ds and DRM dongle.
Not using the former does not mean it is only the former, rather that it only is only used as such in said case.

Of course, if you don't use it to run .3ds games, then by all means try to figure out how to run an EmuNAND on your own. It's certainly possible... just good luck actually doing it, because it'll certainly be a hardship.

By using their launcher, you're accepting you need their card to run it. Don't like that? See above.

 

[williamcesar2]

Doing something less doesn't mean you're not a hypocrite.

complementing, doing something less doesn't mean you're not a pirate.

 

[WhoAmI?]

Not a news : yes, the RED card is a DRM thing.
It would be possible to launch .3ds games from SD card instead.
You can launch .3dsx from SD, so would be possible to do the same for games.

Putting your Bunny in my signature

 

[codychaosx]

Wow, they even feature commentary by yifan_lu and codychaosx!

lol wut?

 

[nccom]

Installed CIA files are the way to go.

And it only takes a few hours to try several games that way, awesome