Integration of game updates to backups

Spawn

Spawn

Member
I haven't seen any info regarding this, so I'll pop the question.

Is there a way to integrate the game updates into the game itself, so we don't need to install the update every time we delete the game, reformat the HDD etc etc...?

I use PS3 Game Updates from Aldostools to download them to my PC, and until now I had to install them from USB/ftp.

It would be smoother if they could be merged with the iso/game folder, resulting in an already up to date game.
 
I'm not sure if this has changed, but before, if you tried injecting an update into a retail game, the system would say something like "unknown format" over the disc icon, and the game would be unbootable. I did test this myself to see what would happen.

you may be able to get around this with cobra and an iso. what I tested was before cobra and with a jb version of a game. I've not gotten around to testing any iso games, so I don't really know for sure, although I seem to remember reading about bypassing this. after one of my ps3 hdds died, I lost interest in the ps3. that was a LOT of content. I plan to backup my other ps3 hdd when my new hdd arrives. I backed up my other 360's (had one of these die too leaving a lone one) hdd, but I made a mistake by formatting it to NTFS, so I've reformatted to FAT32, and I'm backing it up again right now. about 2 and a half hour left after letting it run overnight. lol :-p
 
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Game updates/patches can be integrated easily onto PSN games due both are NPDRM.

The PS3 games in ISO and GAMES folders are in BD/retail format. You first need to unpack all the packages (PKG) of the updates/patches and merge them into a single folder following the release order (e.g. 1.01, 1.02, etc.) so the latest files overwrite the older files. After that, you will have to resign all the SELF/SPRX and EBOOT.BIN as "retail", then copy/move the files overwriting the original files of the game, keeping the original PARAM.SFO of the BD game but changing the APP_VER to the latest version.

Doing this will work for some games, but the are other games that have hardcoded the path of hdd0 into the SELF/SPRX/EBOOT. Also this conversion may not work for games using EDAT, unless you convert them to SDAT.

In general, the conversion is a lot of work and there is not guarantee that the game will not have issues. IMO the best solution is to pack all the updates/patches/dlc in the PS3_EXTRA. My ps3tools include a tool named "Create PS3_EXTRA" that aids to create the required folder structure. So only you have to install all the packages just once before you play your game.

If the game contains several updates/patches/dlc (like GT5 or LBP), you can merge all the packages into a single PKG to simplify the installation and only have one (or just a few) PKG in the PS3_EXTRA folder.
 
catalinnc said:
you can for sure...study the retail games that have "PS3_GAME\INSDIR" (ex: killzone trilogy - killzone 2 disc - http://jonnysp.bplaced.net/info.php?file=ird/BCUS98116-D63A66D0244B45964FCBB1B26D77701E.ird)...
_

p.s. @aldostools

"PS3_EXTRA" folder is for extra content (as demos, psn versions) and not updates...for updates you need to use "PS3_GAME\INSDIR"...
_
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Thanks for the comment. I know about INSDIR, PKGDIR, PS3_CONTENT, etc. folder structures; I just prefer to use PS3_EXTRA to include all the extra contents related to the game (DLC, patches, updates, themes, mods, demos, manuals, etc.), because the tool that I made helps to create the structure easily.
 
The INSDIR i was looking at (from an special edition of a gran turismo iirc) was working as mandatory updates
Doesnt shows the PKGs in XMB but at the time you boot the game for first time it appears a message that advises you about the PKG installs with a YES/NO

If you accept it all the PKGs are installed automatically in order from 1.01... 1.02... ad so on
If you dont accept it though... you cant even enter in the game... so is working as mandatory PKG installs, and automated
 
By looking at that links it can be seen how they increased the size of DATA000.PKG for every new release, they was packing all the updates together, i was not aware of that tactic, heheh
I think i made a test with several DATA000.PKG... DATA001.PKG... DATA002PKG and all them was installed, i dont remember well though, and im not sure if appears some advise in between each PKG installation
 
sandungas said:
think i made a test with several DATA000.PKG... DATA001.PKG... DATA002PKG and all them was installed, i dont remember well though, and im not sure if appears some advise in between each PKG installation
Click to expand...

this example:

killzone 2 - http://jonnysp.bplaced.net/info.php?file=ird/BCUS98116-D63A66D0244B45964FCBB1B26D77701E.ird

has:
Code: 
/PS3_GAME/INSDIR/DATA000.PKG < this is update v1.28
/PS3_GAME/INSDIR/DATA001.PKG < this is update v1.29 - it install ONLY over v1.28
_
 
Well, is not only for ODE purposes, i use IRD verifications a lot to check integrity of the files before i make an ISO with them... to load the ISO in CFW

Initially the IRD files was only posible to be created by connecting a PS3 bluray drive to PC (with an adapter)... so that first IRD files publisehd was 100% accurate, contains MD5 of all the files of the bluray and some additional info

Later the IRD format changed and appeared tools to create IRD files from other sources (not original PS3 bluray discs) so started to appear some IRD files that are wrong
Some of this IRD files are still hosted in that database an others... and because that we cant say that all the IRD files are 100% correct

But overall... it can be said are accurate at 97% or so
IRD verification is not perfect (because that wrong IRD files) but is the best we have to check PS3 backups integrity
 
catalinnc said:
this example:

killzone 2 - http://jonnysp.bplaced.net/info.php?file=ird/BCUS98116-D63A66D0244B45964FCBB1B26D77701E.ird

has:
Code: 
/PS3_GAME/INSDIR/DATA000.PKG < this is update v1.28
/PS3_GAME/INSDIR/DATA001.PKG < this is update v1.29 - it install ONLY over v1.28
_
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Nice catch :)
I been looking, i had some notes added at bottom of wiki page, scroll down a bit from this section
http://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/PARAM.SFO#Blu-Ray_disc_game_structure_details

It seems the only requirements for this to work is the PARAM.SFO inside INSDIR folder needs to use CATEGORY=AR, and the APP_VER of the bigger PKG
 
All correct info here on this thread. :)

I know quite a bit about PS3_EXTRA and INSDIR, an example of a game mod that takes advantage of INSDIR is Skyrim Elite Edition if you want to look at it. Maybe I am wrong here, but PS3_EXTRA hasn't always worked for me. It is the best option though. For looks though it would make more sense to use INSDIR. :D
 
I might need to make a tutorial on this or at least a note of it in my tutorials thread. I'd have to do it before I did anything so that I knew what I was talking about. lol however, I have no isos nor jb games. I'm awaiting an hdd which should be here by tomorrow or Monday. my second ps3 hdd died and the one that I have is dying. I encountered major slowdown on my laptop yesterday. when I tried to access a webpage, I got infinite loading, so I turned off the hdd (has a toggle switch) and hard reset the system (couldn't load an app due to the infinite loading). I left the hdd off which worked. I hope that hdd gets here soon. I've turned on that hdd again, and I've replaced all cables. everything is running smoothly. I just hope the content will transfer.
 
Damn hardware always crap out when you least want it to. :(

I usually try to have at least 2 large hdd's tucked away, just in case one catches the flu. ;)
 
I've backed up everything at least once, sometimes twice. after my 360 and my ps3's external hdds died, I said never again. I lost like 700 games when that happened.

I encountered a strange issue with my 360 today. I'm not sure if the serial number is recorded (think it is), but my xbla games wouldn't show up. even if there's no artwork, they should still show up. I then checked the scan locations. all external scan locations were gone. I then looked at my external hdd's content. xbla games should go in content/several 0s/title id/000D0000 (might be 0000D000 - can't remember). title id after title id had that sub-folder. I eventually just deleted the database and rescanned. it found everything including my 530+ xbla games. I think my xm360 database has over 600. anyway, that was scary. I would've lost nearly a thousand games on the 360 alone. I did backup my 360's external and internal drives twice. I hope someday I can afford a few of those 6-8TB drives. ;)
 
pinky said:
I've backed up everything at least once, sometimes twice. after my 360 and my ps3's external hdds died, I said never again. I lost like 700 games when that happened.

I encountered a strange issue with my 360 today. I'm not sure if the serial number is recorded (think it is), but my xbla games wouldn't show up. even if there's no artwork, they should still show up. I then checked the scan locations. all external scan locations were gone. I then looked at my external hdd's content. xbla games should go in content/several 0s/title id/000D0000 (might be 0000D000 - can't remember). title id after title id had that sub-folder. I eventually just deleted the database and rescanned. it found everything including my 530+ xbla games. I think my xm360 database has over 600. anyway, that was scary. I would've lost nearly a thousand games on the 360 alone. I did backup my 360's external and internal drives twice. I hope someday I can afford a few of those 6-8TB drives. ;)
Click to expand...

I'm currently saving up for a server. Know a guy that's in charge of the IT at his company, and he saved one of their old ones for me to buy. Threw in a few 8Tb drives too.. but ATM I don't have the funds (8-900$).

Zar said:
keep it far away from me !
:sick:
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No worries, no viruses here, M8. :)
 
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