Piracy sucks, and thankfully, despite the unfortunate leak of the USB jigkey that started all the recent PS3 piracy off, Sony have been pretty quick to get it locked down and shut off. The most recent firmware updates have been focused on making sure that the security hole was patched up good and proper, and EA’s decision to ensure that Medal of Honor was one of the first games to be built with the latest SDK (software development kit) has meant that the first person shooter (released today, reviewed here) is safe from the pirates.
Why? Because since SDK 3.42 (these things normally tie in with the appropriate firmware update too) PS3 games have been encoded with another layer of encryption that the console decrypts on the fly, but only if it’s running firmware 3.42.
Basically, you need firmare 3.42 to decrypt the games, and as we all know the USB keys (such as the PSGroove) don’t work under 3.42, so the process is stopped dead in its tracks. Firmware 3.41 (and under) can’t decrypt the games, kicking out an error 80010019 instead of running the pirated copy. Of course, this is likely to turn into a cat and mouse game now between Sony and the pirates, who are now planning to try to decrypt the games’ main executable and re-distribute, but hopefully this won’t be possible for them.
So, whilst ensuring Gran Turismo 5 was built using the latest SDK has more than likely resulted in the delay, at least it means anyone playing the game is meant to be playing it. Let’s hope all future PS3 games are built in a similarly secure manner.
tonycawley
Can’t see this holding off the pirates for too long. They’re clever these pirates, not like the old ones who just knew how to rape and pillage, these guys actually know how to break computer code.
woodsy321
Shiver me timbers, im gonna crack the hex encryption. blow me barnacles ….
Gamoc
Blow your barnacles!? I will do no such thing!
TSBonyman
Just don’t forget to swab the decks when you’re done. :s
As an aside, do hacker pirate parrots say “Pieces of Byte”?
Darksidesystems
Nope, “pieces of base-eight”…
paxpacis
I agree and now EA helped the hackers by updating the game with a binary that does not need fw 3.42.. stupid mistake…
toutski
I wonder if there is going to be any problems with different versions of the games shipping with different versions of the FW. (i.e. a GOTY version coming out a few months later)
Sounds like a recipe for someone to feck up at some point.
teflon
It’ll be interesting to see this go on. I reckon that the PS3 will be a much tougher proposition than the PSP to re-hack over and over, and with their ability to keep adding extra layers of encryption…
At the very least, it means there’s no day one hacks to games, like there are on PC and 360.
Foxhound_Solid
Anything that prevents piracy is great……I hate cheap shitty fake games and chipped consoles. I have never done it and never will. My bud had his 360 chipped and this allowed games to be stored on his HDD so he just rents whatever he wants and copies the title.
It is damaging and shouldnt be endorsed in anyway – whatever platform!
TSBonyman
Those hackers have it good, free games and storing full games on their hdd, the challenge of hacking the new firmware but above all no chance of subscribing to PS+…. lucky sods.
gaffers101
I’d happily have regular FW updates if it keeps the hackers at bay – as long as it doesn’t take a age to download each time.
An-dz
I hope that Sony can stay one step ahead of the hackers,
Voolar
I’ve heard that the latest firmware is already cracked, but the pirates are holding off until all the Christmas releases (COD:BO and GT5) before releasing it.
Cat and mouse I suppose. ‘Tis a shame.
ghost5
I fully expect that the hackers will break the current encryption but I would be very supprised if Sony then don’t come out with new protection within a week. I have a feeling that Sony have a raft of counter measures they can use. In my opinion firmware 3.42 came out too quickly after the exploit to be fully tested, especially if it contain a brand new encryption method. This must mean it had been developed long before and then just put on the shelf till needed, probably along with a load of other security measures.
BIGAL-1992
Hahahaha. *To pirates* Nanananana, you can’t hack it!
solidsteven
No but they can rape and pillage you }:)>