Sony is apparently taking its fight against PS3 jailbreaks a step beyond court injunctions with a new firmware update that blocks hacks meant to let users play pirated games on the system.
System software update 3.42, made available for download Monday, contains features that PS3 owners report patch the exploit used for PS JailBreak, a USB dongle that would allow PlayStation 3 owners to dump borrowed games onto the system's hard drive. It's probably the most publicized of the hacks; PSGroove, open-source code that allows homemade games to be played on the console, is also reportedly impacted by the firmware update.
Sony, for its part, made just a brief statement on its PlayStation blog, calling the update "minor" and noting that it includes unspecified "additional security features." The update is mandatory for those wanting to access PlayStation Network features.
Even though Sony wouldn't confirm whether the v3.42 update disables the functionality of the PS Jailbreak, visitors to the PlayStation blog's message boards were quick to make the connection. "I think we all know what this update is really for," one wrote.
Wrote another: "Oh, come now. At least be honest about the update. We all know it's the first of an expected hundred-plus firmware updates to block the Jailbreak. Now you'll be doing these every day like with the PSP instead of actually taking the time to give us updates we actually need or working on making the system/service better."
Other users applauded the update. … Read more
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