GAME NEWS:
In an attempt to discourage further hacking of their Playstation 3, Sony has addressed hackers with a promise of life-long banning.
In an official statement via the company blog, Sony has officially stated where they stand on their PS3 being hacked. The statement isn't too much of a surprise, though the 'life-long' ban seems a bit harsh. Currently, hacking Microsoft's Xbox 360 will result in the system itself being banned, though gamers are free to drop another $200 or so towards a new system and rejoin the legion of gamers online.
The statement is as follows:
NOTICE: Unauthorized circumvention devices for the PlayStation 3 system have been recently released by hackers. These devices permit the use of unauthorized or pirated software. Use of such devices or software violates the terms of the “System Software License Agreement for the PlayStation 3 System” and the “Terms of Services and User Agreement” for the PlayStation Network/Qriocity and its Community Code of Conduct provisions. Violation of the System Software Licence Agreement for the PlayStation 3 System invalidates the consumer guarantee for that system. In addition, copying or playing pirated software is a violation of International Copyright Laws. Consumers using circumvention devices or running unauthorized or pirated software will have access to the PlayStation Network and access to Qriocity services through PlayStation 3 system terminated permanently.
To avoid this, consumers must immediately cease use and remove all circumvention devices and delete all unauthorized or pirated software from their PlayStation 3 systems.
The blog post continued with a message specifically to its readers:
Circumvention devices and game piracy damage our industry and can potentially injure the online experience for you, our loyal PlayStation customers, via hacks and cheats.
Many PlayStation.Blog readers have asked how we intend to deal with these incidents that they have been reading about in the gaming press, and this is our initial response.
By identifying PlayStation 3 systems that breach our guidelines and terminating their ability to connect to PlayStation Network, we are protecting our business and preserving the honest gameplay experiences that you expect and deserve.
Rest assured, this message does not apply to the overwhelming majority of our users who enjoy the world of entertainment PlayStation 3 has to offer without breaching the guidelines detailed above, and we urge you to continue doing so without fear.
Clearly, Sony is not messing around when it comes to preventing the hacking of their devices.
Sony has had to really step things up since hackers brought about the ultimate hack to the PS3 in December of last year. A hacker, known as Geohot, was able to decrypt a set of 'keys' from Sony's hardware and software to allow for encrypted games and user-generated (known as homebrew) software to be played. The hack made the PS3 completely vulnerable to all kinds of hacker exploits, something Sony clearly disapproves of.
This latest announcement coincides with Sony's restraining order against Geohot (George Hotz) and the company's strong stand against piracy.
The hack came merely weeks after Microsoft's Kinect was made completely vulnerable to the hacking community, but Microsoft's response has been significantly different. The company, which at first decried the hacks, has become much more understanding of users desire to explore their creativity and since allowed the continual use (or abuse, depending on your point of view) of the system's most anticipated add-on.
Arguably, an add-on is quite different than the system itself and while both companies hold hackers in different light, it's understandable why Sony would be so upset over the hacks.
Do you own a PS3? Have you experienced cheating online?
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