A year ago didn't we have the same argument regarding the Beastie Boys album To The 5 Boroughs?
Hey! EMI!
It always amazes me that apparently intelligent people make mountains out of molehills so quickly.
Everyone's immediately gone all "Sony have deliberately contaminated my PC".
On what evidence? And why? If you read the article it's harshest claim is that the software appears to act like a rootkit and may, potentially, prove to be a security risk. Turn off your PC's. Now! A higher risk is being connected to the internet!
Sony are completely within their rights to stop you copying (or, at least, to try to stop you!) your CDs. When you buy a CD you are buying something which you are not allowed to copy. Read the small print people!
In most of the world the copy-protected CD is normal. Suddenly it appears in the USA and it's the end of the world? Get over it! And, get around it! There are any number of online guides to guide you through the process.
I used to think that the/.'s were intelligent. With every day, I'm less and less sure.
Lost in the midst of all this is a huge bundle of reality checking.
The guy in question is a pirate. He was selling pirated, locally available, software.
He was modding PS2's so that he could sell his copies.
He got off on a legal technicality.
I, personally, don't know ANYONE who has had their PS2 modded to play IMPORTED games, but I know plenty of people who've had their PS2 modded so that they can go to their local video rental store, rent a game, copy it and just play the copy.
Before the case was brought I could go to my local market and see 4 stalls with someone with a soldering iron modding PS1 and PS2's while someone else sold dodgy pirated copies of games next to them.
Sure, it is possible that modding a PS2 (or XBOX) enables you to get around a restrictive, big business driven, region protection regime. I wish it was not the case that Sony and M$ had to region code their software/hardware. But it IS the case and if you're not willing to put up with it, DON'T BUY THEIR MACHINES! DON'T BUY THEIR SOFTWARE! Don't buy their product and then complain.
It is a legal grey area as to whether or not Region-free DVD Players are legal. I live in SW Sydney and I can tell you that if I buy a DVD player (I have bought 4 so far)then it is region coded 4. If I want to de-code it I have to source a de-coder hack off a website. It is not a given. All DVD players sold in Australia may very well be multizone-able, but not out of the box.
Don't get me wrong. I think that it should be possible to backup your games. I do backup all my PC software. But the pitch is set when it comes to consoles. You know the game rules. Don't get into the game and then complain. That's not the way it works.
And, as a final reminder, by opening the console you tear up your warranty. I have a friend who had a new PS2 modded and now it won't play anything but PS2 DVD-Rom games. (i.e. it won't play PS2 CD-Roms or PS1 CD-Roms or DVDs) He's lucky! If you give your PS2 (or PS1 or XBOX) to someone to mod and they stuff it up, what are you left with? If you must mod to play import games and feel your life is incomplete without a game that involves rolling objects into a large ball, then, hey, today in Aus, you can.
Just don't whinge too much when it all goes pear-shaped!
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It's a Sony Root Kit Monster! This? In My Hand? Oh, it's nothing.....
A year ago didn't we have the same argument regarding the Beastie Boys album To The 5 Boroughs? Hey! EMI! It always amazes me that apparently intelligent people make mountains out of molehills so quickly. Everyone's immediately gone all "Sony have deliberately contaminated my PC". On what evidence? And why? If you read the article it's harshest claim is that the software appears to act like a rootkit and may, potentially, prove to be a security risk. Turn off your PC's. Now! A higher risk is being connected to the internet! Sony are completely within their rights to stop you copying (or, at least, to try to stop you!) your CDs. When you buy a CD you are buying something which you are not allowed to copy. Read the small print people! In most of the world the copy-protected CD is normal. Suddenly it appears in the USA and it's the end of the world? Get over it! And, get around it! There are any number of online guides to guide you through the process. I used to think that the /.'s were intelligent. With every day, I'm less and less sure.
Lost in the midst of all this is a huge bundle of reality checking. The guy in question is a pirate. He was selling pirated, locally available, software. He was modding PS2's so that he could sell his copies. He got off on a legal technicality. I, personally, don't know ANYONE who has had their PS2 modded to play IMPORTED games, but I know plenty of people who've had their PS2 modded so that they can go to their local video rental store, rent a game, copy it and just play the copy. Before the case was brought I could go to my local market and see 4 stalls with someone with a soldering iron modding PS1 and PS2's while someone else sold dodgy pirated copies of games next to them. Sure, it is possible that modding a PS2 (or XBOX) enables you to get around a restrictive, big business driven, region protection regime. I wish it was not the case that Sony and M$ had to region code their software/hardware. But it IS the case and if you're not willing to put up with it, DON'T BUY THEIR MACHINES! DON'T BUY THEIR SOFTWARE! Don't buy their product and then complain. It is a legal grey area as to whether or not Region-free DVD Players are legal. I live in SW Sydney and I can tell you that if I buy a DVD player (I have bought 4 so far)then it is region coded 4. If I want to de-code it I have to source a de-coder hack off a website. It is not a given. All DVD players sold in Australia may very well be multizone-able, but not out of the box. Don't get me wrong. I think that it should be possible to backup your games. I do backup all my PC software. But the pitch is set when it comes to consoles. You know the game rules. Don't get into the game and then complain. That's not the way it works. And, as a final reminder, by opening the console you tear up your warranty. I have a friend who had a new PS2 modded and now it won't play anything but PS2 DVD-Rom games. (i.e. it won't play PS2 CD-Roms or PS1 CD-Roms or DVDs) He's lucky! If you give your PS2 (or PS1 or XBOX) to someone to mod and they stuff it up, what are you left with? If you must mod to play import games and feel your life is incomplete without a game that involves rolling objects into a large ball, then, hey, today in Aus, you can. Just don't whinge too much when it all goes pear-shaped!