Sony's senior vice president of publisher relations, Rob Dyer, has always been vocal about the "biggest problem" that plagues the PSP: Piracy. However, a new endeavor by the platform holder may offer renewed hope in the continued battle against illegal downloads. Dyer told Gamasutra that Sony has been helping developers implement some kind of protective code, potentially offering "a 60-day shelf life" before a game inevitably "gets hacked."

Dyer did not provide details on how this added code functions, and whether or not it functions similarly to the PlayStation Network connectivity first tested in SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3. Like EA Sports' Online Game Pass, all online functionality of Bravo 3 is locked out for gamers that don't buy a legitimate copy of the game at retail or online. The upcoming PSP version of ModNation Racers also features the same restrictions.

"It's become a very difficult proposition to be profitable," Dyer admitted. With PSP on the cusp of a series of major releases -- including God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep -- publishers and developers will undoubtedly want to pay close attention to Sony's continued battle against non-seafaring pirates.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/21/sony-offering-psp-developers-code-to-slow-down-piracy/

Posted: May 25, 2010 2:40 am