Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

February 16, 2011 -

Sony Computer Entertainment America today issued an official statement via the PlayStation Blog concerning its policy on jailbroken PS3 systems connecting to the PlayStation Network. The short story: it's a great way to get your account banned. First, the official notice from SCEA:

"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."

Jeff Rubenstein, Social Media Manager for SCEA, expands on this a bit more, saying that honest users have nothing to fear. Those using Jailbroken systems, however, can expect to lose access to online play:

"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."

Sony has been dealing with the leak of the PS3 security key on multiple fronts even before this very public notice: it started banning consumers online a few days ago, and has been dealing with hackers such as George Hotz and Fail0verFlow in court. Where it goes from here remains to be seen, but for the time being the PlayStation Network seems to be marked as "off limits" to anyone with a hacked PS3. We'll continue to follow this story as it develops.

You can read the whole thing here.

Comments

Re: Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

Submitted by cpu64 on Thu, 02/17/2011 - 00:07.

That's not enough, they should send a code to cause the illegal PS3 to jack up the CPU voltage and destroy itself!!

YES!!! JUSTICE IS AT HAND!! Your turn to walk the plank, ARGH! 

Re: Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

Submitted by Zeke129 on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 18:59.

So basically the people who are equipped to run pirated games are now being banned from the place that allows them to legally purchase games; and from the only way to play games online, one of the largest incentives for purchasing many retail games.

Excellent business tactics as always, Sony.

Re: Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

Submitted by faefrost on Thu, 02/17/2011 - 10:02.

To sort of put this in persepctive as to why, Yes! it is an excellent and necesary business tactic. This is an e-mail I got from a friend yesterday. he and his family are not the most tech uber users, but are reasonably competant everday users. Both the father and the 12 year old son are avid gamers.

 

Hey, J****** has been playing Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops for months online.  Today someone hacked his profile and changed several things, he is freaked out:
1.  He never had a clan name but they put one in: cun*[profile name] ---- you can imagine what the * represents
2.  there is a scrolling bar at the bottom of the game screen that says: "You got fu**ing owned"

 

3.  all of his challenges got reset to zero 

The kid simply and trustingly played ranked public games through the network services. He unknowingly entered into a hacked lobby (which there seem to be an AWFUL lot of lately) and ended up with obscenities dumped on his profile and display screens. I don't care if the pirates would otherwise pay for games. When the simple fact that they are hacked/pirated leaves open the far to strong possibility that they can disrupt others not just gameplay but entire gaming experience like this, then yeah, they need to be gone permanently.

Re: Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

Submitted by Grif on Thu, 02/17/2011 - 00:30.

I think you're totally missing the point.

People who are equipped to run pirated games don't USE the place that allows them to legally purchase games. Why pay for games when you can get them for free? Although I agree Sony's business tactics are hardly what one would call "smart", those are the kinds of customers I could do without.

"Power means nothing without honor and pride."

Atlanta Video Games Examiner for examiner.com

Re: Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

Submitted by lordlundar on Thu, 02/17/2011 - 09:51.

I do think that's the point he's trying to make. By kicking off the "pirates" (emphasis because unlike Sony, I don't think every single person hacking their PS3 is exclusively going to pirate games) or people who want to restore linux install capabilities on their box, all they're doing is demonizing people who buy their games legitametly while doing nothing to stop the pirates.

Re: Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

Submitted by Grif on Thu, 02/17/2011 - 12:46.

If you honestly believe that, you're very naive. Nobody likes to admit it, but hacking/homebrew = piracy. I see it just about every day. Whether you're actually pirating or not, however, is irrelevant. Hacking/modding the software or firmware is violating the software agreement when you buy your system. You can do all the body mods you want, like decals, skins, and paint jobs, but messing with the insides is a no-no.

"Power means nothing without honor and pride."

Atlanta Video Games Examiner for examiner.com

Re: Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

Submitted by Zeke129 on Thu, 02/17/2011 - 14:54.

Why is it a "no-no"? Because Sony says so?

Sony aren't the government or the police. If I want to "mess with the insides" of the device I bought, I damn well can. And by the way, homebrew does not equal piracy. It equals Linux, it equals emulators, it equals a way to install all of your retail games to the hard drive to decrease loading times. It "equals" piracy in the same way that streets "equal" drug trafficking.

Re: Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

Submitted by SeanB on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 20:34.

smiled when i read your post. /agree

Re: Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

Submitted by Adrian Lopez on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 17:21.

"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."

Here I thought this was a purely selfish move on Sony's part, but if they say they're doing it to preserve honest gameplay experiences...

Re: Sony Issues Statement on PS3 Hacks, Promises PSN Bans

Submitted by airford on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 16:04.

Considering the PSP's copious firmware updates and the subsequent circumventions, I say start the clock on this PS3 banning.

 
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