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Serial Keys for PS3 games: The price we might pay for Sony's stupidity

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So, wouldn't the same thing happen as computer games? They will just crack those too.
 
Sony, you got ONE last chance from me. Your electronics division went from building tanks, to building paper airplanes from flash paper and sodium. You require me to type out the equivalent of a MS serial key whenever I install/load/play a game? I will walk right back over to my PC and not even look back and miss your company.

I don't honestly see how Sony can require a serial anyways, they would lose a ton of business from Gamefly, Blockbuster, Gamestop, and anyone else that rents, loans, resells games. Not to mention the sheer folly of forcing the customers to take up the security aspect of the lazy developers...

Ok here's the plan, we encrypt EVERYTHING!

BUT

We only use a SINGLE key, no one WILL EVER NOTICE!

Didnt Sony already get caught with this DRM mentality previously? Oh yeah Rootkits, and the replacement security system that created security issues...

http://pointlessdribbles.blogspot.com/2005/12/sony-drm-snafu-12.html

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/...-sonys-flip-flopping-history-with-the-ps3.ars

Please, Sony, go ahead. Force serials/DRM for the games, you will be commiting the suicide equivalent of nuking from orbit...
 
*Scratches head* This is for the PS3 right? A Console... one console and a controller....

They expect people to type in a key to launch a game. Umm you have a disk that has encryption on it that the console unlocks. Thats the great thing about consoles... no need to deal with BS keys and crap, unless its for extra content which is cool.
 
LMFAO sony is ****ting bricks right now there is no way to stop the hacking its to late now they have to face it and keep going like MS did
 
I don't really understand why it is such a big deal that people hack the systems. I know it lets people play copied games, but doesn't it produce more sales overall. Like when the PS3 had support for linux. People bought it just for that reason. What is so bad about letting people customize a product for their needs.
 
Seems pretty dumb that they have to come down to using a serial#/key for their games. It doesn't really make much sense as it would pretty much require an online activation to Sony's servers in order for it to work, which I'm sure could be worked around without a ton of effort (proxy/port forwarding/etc to a fake acknowledgement server).

There's that issue and the fact that it would ruin the used-game/gamefly market for their games. Which I guess is good/bad for them?
 
I don't really understand why it is such a big deal that people hack the systems. I know it lets people play copied games, but doesn't it produce more sales overall. Like when the PS3 had support for linux. People bought it just for that reason. What is so bad about letting people customize a product for their needs.

Why? Because well at least in the first years of the console, the actual system lost money. It was made up by game sales and selling accessories. Now its not bad, if not they are breaking even or making a little per sale.

Guess its just the way things are... Keeping control of the system for as much as it can.
 
Wow, this will make their system so much more secure!! I don't think they understand what these people(hackers) want, they want a challenge. Sony removed the OS support and look what happened, people were getting what they needed with that and never really felt the need for hacks or mods. Once they removed it people began to prod and experiment with the security and look what happened. IMO this is a backwards move if it is true and think that they really need to re-think their approach.

EDIT: I also see this being aggressively backed by publishers due to the effect it will have on the used game market.
 
I don't really understand why it is such a big deal that people hack the systems. I know it lets people play copied games, but doesn't it produce more sales overall. Like when the PS3 had support for linux. People bought it just for that reason. What is so bad about letting people customize a product for their needs.

That they don't make money on hardware. Nintendo makes money on hardware, because the Wii is a disc drive, an overclocked gamecube, and a pistachio, and that costs fifty cents to put together. The PS3, however, has a very very slim profit margin. You make all the money on game licensing.

I'm surprised at how badly Sony has bungled their efforts with the current generation...
 
I had heard about something like this for a while, on a broader scope I just realized that for all the pluses of steam, I can never decide to sell any of those games like i can my PS3.... its all about the profits, but if i have to type out some 16+ digit code for every new game on a friggin controller ill be annoyed...
 
The real villans in this are the hackers. They needed to have some fun. And all of you are paying for it.
 
The real villans in this are the hackers. They needed to have some fun. And all of you are paying for it.
And Sony is the saint that has never done anything wrong or stupid. Oh, wait, this thread was about what again?

The point is, this is a bit extreme and useless. They are trying to screw over other portions of the gaming industry, not deter hackers. Add a serial number to the game and now the renting business model stops working unless they purchase this special keys from Sony for tons of money. In addition to that, if someone wants to sell their game, they can't. It will be tied to their Playstation ID, console or both.

They are greedy, that is all it comes down to. If this is truly to deter hackers and they are this perfect angel of a company, then they are flat out stupid. It is going to cost them more money than to just ignore them.
 
and would they be doing this if the hackers did break the key for fun? Answer: No
simple lesson of cause and affect
 
and would they be doing this if the hackers did break the key for fun? Answer: No
simple lesson of cause and affect
See my edit. I was changing it after you saw my first post to clarify my point.
 
See my edit. I was changing it after you saw my first post to clarify my point.

I see your point I just don't think Sony is trying to lose buisness I don't play console games myself but i have tons of adult friends of mine that would have hard drives full of cracked xbox/play station games (and some do) if they could. If MS and Sony did not combat it and pursue people or brick/ban people more and more people would do it. I will never download mp3's just on the off chance the damn mp3 police come after me with a 600k fine. They suck the fines are crazy but it also stopped me from eer downloading any mp3s I didn't buy. I was offered a hard drive with some cracked crap filled with moves I said no because i didn't want the hassle of having my xbox live account banned. I'm sure plenty of people who would are detered by what I admit are heavy handed tactics.
 
I see your point I just don't think Sony is trying to lose buisness I don't play console games myself but i have tons of adult friends of mine that would have hard drives full of cracked xbox/play station games (and some do) if they could. If MS and Sony did not combat it and pursue people or brick/ban people more and more people would do it. I will never download mp3's just on the off chance the damn mp3 police come after me with a 600k fine. They suck the fines are crazy but it also stopped me from eer downloading any mp3s I didn't buy. I was offered a hard drive with some cracked crap filled with moves I said no because i didn't want the hassle of having my xbox live account banned. I'm sure plenty of people who would are detered by what I admit are heavy handed tactics.
Off subject a lil, but before you call it heavy handed, ask yourself this: If your buddy walked into a wallmart or best buy and stole all the physical copies of CD's, games, and Movies he stole electronically, what do you think his fate would be then.... not just a fine for sure....

Sony and Microsoft have to try and protect their investment, they have too, if they cannot protect it then there is no point in producing it in the first place... is this the best course of action to protect it, i dunno maybe maybe not, but people seem to think that because they dont have to walk into a store and physically steal something that makes it OK or less of a crime... Is everything in my life up and up and perfectly kosher, I'm not gonna discuss that, but when i speed in my car or run a red light or possibly DL something without obtaining legal right to it, or actively choose to bend or break any law, i at least realize and accept the consequences if they ever come down on me, you know the rules, you dont like the consequences dont say they arent fair, pay your dues and avoid them...
 
The thing is, they won't lose business. They are using it to make MORE money. Instead of companies simply buying a bunch of games and renting them out, they would need special serial keys or special versions of the disk. In addition to that, you can't buy used games any more. So, anyone that wants it has to pay full price or a slightly on sale price.

Either way, this isn't because of hackers. They are using it as an excuse. How many steal PS3 games compared to how many buy them legit?

There is a hell of a lot more money they can make by adding keys than getting rid of illegal copies. And honestly, you are saying that people will go to lengths to flash their PS3 to a custom firmware and download/obtain games, but won't go far enough to spoof the authentication server? That is going to be broken. It isn't even a question of "how" as it is "when".

In either case, I'm not saying stealing is legal or moral in any way. I'm just saying that they are releasing this under the guise of "OH THEY ARE STEALIN OUR GAMES", which seems legitimate and this is an extremely ineffective way to combat stolen material.
 
The thing is, they won't lose business. They are using it to make MORE money. Instead of companies simply buying a bunch of games and renting them out, they would need special serial keys or special versions of the disk. In addition to that, you can't buy used games any more. So, anyone that wants it has to pay full price or a slightly on sale price.

Either way, this isn't because of hackers. They are using it as an excuse. How many steal PS3 games compared to how many buy them legit?

There is a hell of a lot more money they can make by adding keys than getting rid of illegal copies. And honestly, you are saying that people will go to lengths to flash their PS3 to a custom firmware and download/obtain games, but won't go far enough to spoof the authentication server? That is going to be broken. It isn't even a question of "how" as it is "when".

In either case, I'm not saying stealing is legal or moral in any way. I'm just saying that they are releasing this under the guise of "OH THEY ARE STEALIN OUR GAMES", which seems legitimate and this is an extremely ineffective way to combat stolen material.

how woul dyou combat people stealing games? and yes people will/and do try to mask their cheating etc but its a constant battle one I myself would rather avoid. You win Microsoft find new way to catch you. Bans you you find a hack around get a new live account you win and around it goes. Almost everyones answer to people stealing/hacking is "the hackers will just find away around it anyway" So the solution is to just give up and let them steal so the "good people" don't have any inconvience?


In the old days we have secured ftp servers and people spent months just trying ot get/earn an account Now every kid can get all the hacked stuff they want off BT As it gets easy more and more people will abuse it and they (sony etc) have no choice but to respond.
 
I'm not saying they should just give up or not do this. I'm saying they are doing it for other reasons. I can't put it any more simple as that.

I'm repeating what I've been saying in my past posts. So, all I can ask is if you read them again. Not going to type this out 10 different times and word it differently.
 
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