Biggest PlayStation Fan Discovers Awesome Sauce

[Dangerboy]

Hey All,

I stumbled upon you guys while researching the PlayStation one modem. I'll be flat out honest; I don't have a mother loving clue about programming, but I'm always impressed watching from the cheap seats. You guys always amaze, and I just donated to the PSIO project, so I figured it was high time I actually join the party where I can.

I'm Jason "Dangerboy" Dvorak that runs Game-Rave.com, and was crowned Sony's "Biggest PlayStation Fan" in 2005 by Sony themselves and their forum members. I specialize in variants and complete sets, and even own a Yaroze which I bring out from time to time to remind myself I can't program.

Right now my biggest / longest pet project, as mentioned above, is figuring out how to get the PSX up and running with the LightSpan web-browser disc. I figured a GameShark could act as a pass-through to a serial 28.8 modem, but I haven't had the chance to check it out. If anyone has any angles, I'd be more than happy to listen.

[Administrator]

Hi Jason! You have a serious collection going on. That's insane!
If you would like help with your Yaroze, and getting something running on it, I am more than happy to teach you how to use it (even though I don't own one, I know how to use it).
I am also up for working on the PSX modem. I have sent you a PM.

[CosmoGuy]

Whoa! PS1 net-modem? Never knew about, that. Somewhere here on the forums i told that was my idead. Never thought it was truly released. Tell us more, and show some screens man!

[Dangerboy]

Heh,

Well, it was a real thing. Just no one knows how.

Basically the same people that did the Dreamcast browser (Planet Web) did a browser disc for Lightspan / Plato, a educational company that designed children's software for the PlayStation and PC. The Browser disc allowed for internet viewing via some sort of attachment to a 28.8 modem. This was never meant for public consumption, and from what I can tell never made it into a full time use by the schools.

There were several pieces involved to get it to work:
a. A PlayStation (duh)
b. Controller (technically not needed)
c. A controller port adapter that allowed a Keyboard and Mouse (Confirmed in both prototype and 'real' form)
d. A Memory Card / Dongle that had a Lightspan Proprietary Save File on it that allowed the dialing out. (Never seen, disc requests it specifically "in-game")
e. Whatever cord connected it to a modem, or the modem itself.

There has been a confirmed Modem Icon from an internal Sony document by another web-site, and several news reports that while they mentioned online, the type of modem was never specified. No pictures of exist of the set-up.

I've been theorizing that if one had the GameShark, you could use it to possible 'Cheat' the system twice - one by creating a GS cheat to provide the dongle info, and then of course acting as a pass through to the modem.

The closest I ever got to trying to track down info was the actual lead of Lightspan himself, but he shot my request down faster than a UFO at an Alabama farm.

[Yuri^Cybdyn]

theoretycally we can make device like modem, or even get modem from DC and use it))) dreamcast modem has simple interface and can be accessed by ps1 PIO port. maybe more useful if we make BroadBand adaptor or Ethernet adaptor, so from hardware side it looks not so complex - but what about software??? i doubt in this part of idea)))

[Dangerboy]

The software all ready exists. (holds up the Lightspan Web Browser Disc).
Pic of it from my collection here:

[Yuri^Cybdyn]

any instruction of how it works or what is for, i mean - for example this web browse try connect to some server, that was made exceptionally for this software, but it can be not exist for nowadays.
or what plan if we get some hardware ?)))

[Dangerboy]

As far as I can tell, it's just plain old dial-up. On the disc there were four schools specifically mentioned, but you can open the browser and type in any http address you want, so it's not like the Sharkwire where it was only 1 web-site. Lightspan at the time had both PC and PSX versions of their software available, so this may have been how to allow those without a PC a way onto the internet to view lesson plans and the like.

[Administrator]

Can you please send me a digital 1:1 copy of that CD-ROM?
I would like to do some snooping

As for the memory card security, you can dump the PS-EXE, reverse it, and find the part in the source that has the security. Then, you can simply remove it, or bypass it by patching it to fool it.

[Dangerboy]

Ugh, sorry this took so long, fighting off a pneumonia or flu bug. >.O;

Shadow, If I knew where it currently was, I could. That pic is from before I moved. Lightspan stuff is still in a box somewhere. I'll see what I can do.

Back to orange juice...

[Administrator]

Aw man, that's awful. Hope you get better

Please do. It would be great to have a copy of these so I could do some snooping on them.
I did have a plan to make a very crude PSX chat program, so we will see what happens...

[SCPH-1002]

Dangerboy, You are the guy who got the Elemental Gearbolt Assassin's Case right?

[Dangerboy]

SCPH: One of many, yes.

[SCPH-1002]

This gold sticker on the case makes me confuse...
Have you figured out any difference between the game versions?

[Dangerboy]

SCPH: If you mean on the sealed game? That was just calling out the $10,000 High Score Contest that Working Designs was running. It should be on all sealed cases of the game, retail or otherwise. (Or at least the 1st Print Run).

[SCPH-1002]

I don't know where the sticker at. My copy of Elemental Gearbolt never has one and isn't sealed anymore.
I was believe the content is different between the contest and the retail copy of the game. By the way...
you got any ideas for best storing my PlayStation collection?

[Dangerboy]

The Games are the Same. Even the GunCon and Memory Card are just stock Sony 1st Party ones and Spray Painted Gold. The only unique thing in that entire set is the briefcase itself.

As for storage, whatever works for you.

[SCPH-1002]

Sometimes I watch out for a case but every time a owner sold it I was to late or it's the version with
the red cherry memory card. I know there is a complete gold painted version, golden ncon and golden memcard.

[Dangerboy]

Yes, 2 Versions. Everything is the same except the memory card. One's Red, the Other's Gold.