Scene PS3 Release Rules Pre’d And Then Voided

Ever since a proper jailbreak was introduced for Sony’s Playstation 3 video game console a couple of months ago, groups in the warez scene have been busy pre’ing leaked games for it. Thanks to the exploit, backups of original games could be played on jail broken consoles. Despite this being a relatively new find, there are already several scene groups dedicated to releasing PS3 games and activity in this segment is certainly picking up. But as we all know, the scene usually makes their releases conforming to a pre determined set of rules, agreed by major groups in a particular segment (see examples here and here. For a detailed overview of scene rules, nukes and nuke reasons see this post). Although there are rules governing scene releases of TV shows, Appz, Movies, etc, an official ruleset for PS3 games did not exist (until last week). Several groups in the PS3 scene have come forward to released a set of standards what they call is ‘official’. However, validity of this rule set is still in doubt after it was voided shortly after pre – In classic scene style, the VOID NFO opens with the line “These rules dont mean shit you asshats.”.

Quoted below is text from The.Official.PlayStation3.Ruleset.2011
.PS3-CONSOLE

[Begin Quote]

1.0) Release Rules:

1.1) Releases must be packed in RAR. SFV and NFO must be included.

1.2) Rar size should be split to allow a reasonable number of files.

Releases should not contain over 101 rar files.
0 to 4.700.372.992bytes folder 50.000.000bytes rar files
4.700.372.993bytes to 8.539.996.160bytes folder 100.000.000bytes rar files
8.539.996.161bytes to 18.253.611.008bytes folder 200.000.000bytes rar files
18.253.611.009bytes to 24.696.061.952bytes folder 250.000.000bytes rar files
24.696.061.953bytes to 32.212.254.720bytes folder 300.000.000bytes rar files
32.212.254.720bytes to 41.943.040.000bytes folder 400.000.000bytes rar files
more than 41.943.040.000bytes folder 500.000.000bytes rar files

1.3) Rars must be compressed with M1 (fastest) or better.

1.4) Rars must not be compressed using M0 / No Compression

1.5) The image of the game must be in one of these formats:

BLAS(ASIA), BLES(EUROPE), BLJM(Japan), BLJS(Japan), BLKS(Korea), BLUS(USA)

1.6) The game rip needs to be a full dump. RIPPED / STRIPPED / 3D removed releases done as iNTERNAL will not shield said release from nuke.

1.7) If a game does not include the English language, this must be specified in the dir name unless the region tag implies that regions native language is the only language in the game eg. game tagged JPN is Japanese only, hence does not need to state the language.

1.8) If a game is rereleased for having additional foreign languages, the dir must be tagged MULTI and the nfo must specify which additional languages are include.

1.9) Source of game disc origin must be included in nfo or be tagged
in the dirname. Non-region tagged releases without source information included in nfo will be nuked until they are dirfixed or nfofixed. A PROPER for this nuke will not be acceptable.

1.10) Suggested directory format:

Game.Name.PROPER/READ.NFO/REPACK.USA.JB.PS3-GRPNAME
Game.Name.MULTI.PROPER/READ.NFO/REPACK.JB.PS3-GRPNAME
Game.Name.PROPER/READ.NFO/REPACK.EUR.PS3-GRPNAME
Game.Name.MULTI.PROPER/READ.NFO/REPACK.PS3-GRPNAME

1.11) Only these caracteres are allowed in dirname:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789.-_

2.0) Additional Releases:

2.1) Patches for the lastest JB.ready firmware should be included in a CRACK dir (Modified Eboot/param.sfo)

2.2) If an update is avaible and crackable, it should be included in an
UPDATE dir.

2.3) Suggested directory format for updates(if the update is pred alone):

Game.Name.PROPER/READ.NFO/REPACK.UPDATE.VERSiON.JB.PS3-GRPNAME
Game.Name.PROPER/READ.NFO/REPACK.UPDATE.VERSiON.PS3-GRPNAME

2.4) Source of update origin must be included in nfo.
Can also be tagged in dirname.

2.5) Suggested directory format for eboot patch (in case that the eboot wasnt contained in a previous rlz or if a patch is now available for a game that could not be cracked at the time of the PRE.)

Game.Name.PROPER/READ.NFO/REPACK.Eboot.Patch.JB.PS3-GRPNAME
Game.Name.PROPER/READ.NFO/REPACK.Eboot.Patch.PS3-GRPNAME

2.6) PSN related releases will be regarded as PS3 releases and will
adhere to this ruleset. PSN related releases must have the tag PSN
in the directory name. Recommended directory format is:

Game_Name_REGION_MULTI#/PROPER/READNFO/REPACK/CRACK/etc._PSN_PS3-GRPNAME
Game.Name.REGION.MULTI#/PROPER/READNFO/REPACK/CRACK/etc..PSN.PS3-GRPNAME

3.0) Proof must be included:

3.1) All releases from physical sources must always include proof. PSN
releases will be exempt from proof requirements as they are downloadable.

3.2) Proof means a good quality scan or photo of the BluRay together with the cover or a booklet page so the proof can be identified as the
release in question. If the medium or cover/booklet contain anything that may expose your identity, then that part of the image can be blurred or blackened. Additional scans may be added but these DO NOT count as sufficient proof!

3.3) A note with the group name on the proof is required.

3.4) Proof resolution must be at least 640x480 or 480x640 pixels or higher in standard JPEG format.

3.5) Prooffixes If you fail to add scans/photos you have 24 hours AFTER NUKE to release a Prooffix. During and after this 24 hours grace period, any other group is allowed to release a PROPER with scans/photos. NOTE We STRONGLY recommend the removal of all Exif data! Uniquely identifying information such as the camera serial number and GPS coordinates can pose a security threat if not removed. Use tools such as jhead, PureJPG, EXIFCleaner or the inbuilt function of Win7/Vista to remove the Exif data.

The.Official.PlayStation3.Ruleset.2011.PS3-CONSOLE - v1.0
active as of Saturday 11 June 2011 00:00:00 GMT
Signed by the following groups on behalf of the PS3 scene:

ANTiDOTE - ATONEMENT - CARAVAN - CHARGED - CLANDESTiNE - DEFECT -- DUPLEX - iCON - JPMORGAN - MARVEL - NRP - PSIII - SHiTONLYGERMAN - SweeTpS3 -

[End Quote]

This was however followed with another SceneNotice titled The.UnOfficial.PlayStation3.VOID.Ruleset
.2011.PS3-FUCKYOU. Quoted below is the text from this NFO:

[Begin Quote]

These rules dont mean shit you asshats.
MARVEL, CHARGED, DUPLEX you didnt play by ANY rules and you think you get to make the NEW ones. lol NO all the other groups well are to lame to mention or decide anything.
Also these lame groups that are spit into 2 groups or 3 HAHA u know who you are, you get one vote. Consider your shit VOID until you can get all groups aboard.
Welcome to the Scene ;)
VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID

[End Quote]

You can download the original NFO files of both these scene notices from here and here.

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Duke Nukem Forever Razor1911 vs SKIDROW – Have NFO Wars Become Civilized?

Duke Nukem Forever (DNF), a video game fans waited 15 years to be released is finally here. This highly anticipated title was released in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan on the 10th of June over Steam content delivery platform. It has just been one day since the game’s release and PC pirates have already been all over it, leaking the full game online along with a cracked executable that bypasses the Steam + CEG protection built into DNF. So far, at least 3 different ‘cracks’ have surfaced for the game two of them released by scene groups Razor1911, SKIDROW and also from a P2P source. RZR was the first scene group to crack the game but apparently their release was problematic with some users unable to replay completed chapters and so on. SKIDROW later released a PROPER which allegedly fixes these issues.

As most of you know, the scene is a place where groups compete for ‘first’ and ‘best’ releases. And PROPERS almost always involve flame wars, with groups arguing about the stability of their releases. However the NFO for Duke Nukem Forever PROPER-SKIDROW does not have any of it. Believe it or not, SKID actually praises RZR for getting the game out early:

Razor1911 did a fine job on getting their release out and reports are positive. Respect to the blade for some competition.
Still their release has a problematic issue with the crack, as when you progress in the game, you will notice that you can't go back and play previous completed chapters, besides the first one.
If you're happy with what you got from the blade, then don't download this proper. Alternative you can get the seperate sr-dnfcf.rar included with this release, so you don't have to download whole game again.
Keep in mind our release has all english, german, french, italian and spanish content in one whole package.

Now that PROPER note feels like a PC game dumbed down to suit consoles :P Although most of us claim to hate E-drama usually associated with the scene, those heated NFOs were kinda fun to read. They in my opinion intensified the competition between scene groups. Maybe SKIDROW is trying a different approach this time around, but keep in mind they were not so friendly in the last NFO war they faced.

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Scene Group FAiRLiGHT (FLT) Surpasses 1000 PC Game ISO Releases

Forming a warez scene release group has many challenges. Despite the ever present legal threats, it takes a lot of time and dedication to keep up with evolving technology and adapt to cracking latest software protection mechanisms. This takes a heavy toll on group members real lives and is one of the mains reasons why most groups disband after a couple of years. However, there are certain release groups that have been around for several decades; FAiRLiGHT (better known as FLT) is one of them. FLT is a PC game release group that was founded in 1987 – they are now 24 years old but still alive and kicking. They just celebrated the release of their 1000th PC game ISO with the recently pre’d Shogun 2 Total War. Needless to say this is a tremendous achievement, especially considering the fact that the team was even subject to an FBI raid in early 2000s.

Quoted below is the NFO they released after the group was raided by FBI, as part of Operation Fastlink which targeted sceners in many countries:

Legends never die!
You all read the news - Operation Fastlink struck hard to the heart of the scene and hit the FairLight ISO section, but mind that the demo activities on the PC and C64 are still naturally untouched, as there is nothing to complain about from a legal point of view on what they are doing.
So, let me underline it for you again: FairLight's ISO section is lethally wounded, but the group as such is still alive and kicking!  FairLight is built stronger to last longer.
FairLight is bigger than one and even all of the sections. FairLight is and you can rely on the fact that FairLight will continue to be!
Respects to the Fastlink people for finding the core of the scene, which is not an easy thing to do. They are doing their job and we're not whining! In war, people take bullets - we are aware of this! If you can't stand the sight of body bags, then stand back and let the real men do the work for you.
We attack, adapt, improvise and survive!
We are FairLight and will continue to be FairLight.
FairLight IS the delight of ETERNAL might!

The raid did affect FLT very badly and the frequency of their ISO releases decreased dramatically. For a couple of years the group was limited to releasing low budget titles that did not use any of the heavy protection methods. 2011 was probably the year that truly marked their comeback – so far, FLT have pre’d several major PC titles including Crysis 2, Shogun 2 Total War, Dead Space 2 and Bulletstorm. These games were by no means budget titles and were protected by state of the art DRM such as SolidShield, G4WL (Games For Windows Live), Steam and SecuROM. Incidentally, Shogun 2 was their 1000th release, a feat no other fellow PC ISO group has managed to achieve before. Quoted below is the special announcement from Shogun 2’s NFO file:

Release #1000!
Two boys sit on a train, in rural areas of a  low  density  populated  part of the world. There and then they form a  pact  that  will  forever  change the course of the computer industry, marking a shift  in  culture  that  is soon to reach far and beyond their own  expectations, and  the  horizon  of their own vision. There and then, the group FairLight was born.
April 1987 was the year when  the  infant  was  conceived.  The  infant  is now a grown man at the age  of  23  who  made  significant  impressions  on Commodore 64, Amiga, Super Nintendo and the PC scenes,  both  for  demo and cracks. Today we celebrate a historic day, a  day  few  people  would  even envisage could  ever  come  -  FairLight  celebrates  it's 1000th  release!
Well, this is  naturally  not  entirely  correct,  it's  release  #1000  on PC ISO  which  followed  hundreds  of  on  C64,  Amiga,  SNES  and  earlier PC floppy scene appearing in parallel, or the dozens of mind boggling demos ever seen on most consumer hardware. So, rejoice and celebrate today as you are one of those who can  taste  yet  another  fruit,  resulting  from  our blood, sweat and skills. Hours, days, weeks  and  months  have  been  spent - both screen time and in some cases also prison time, for you to enjoy our work. Rejoice and celebrate with us, the efforts earning your  respect.  We are still here; we are  still  the  sentinels  of  a  world  free  of  copy protections. We are still here as we were built stronger  to  last  longer.
We are FairLight, standing up for quality, tradition and pride!
The FairLight council stands with eyes wet  in  admiration  from  the  work of the PC ISO section. "Boys, you have all done well. You bow to no one!" We are proud to be the first gameISO group reaching #1000 gameISO releases. FairLight started the gameISO  division in  late  1998 and  is still going. For your pleasure, check the FairLight dir for all the #1000 nfo's, and the releases.txt for all the game releases both in the included zip-file. Special thanks to our lost/retired members that made this possible! In April 2012 we will celebrate our 25th anniversary. Stay tuned! :)

FLT’s return could not have come at a better time. The PC Game scene is nowadays lacking quality groups and most have resorted to stealing and releasing P2P originated cracks as their own. FLT’s return would perhaps inspire others to bring back the good old days to the warez scene.

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