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A clever bit of automatic deduction could help block users playing pirated versions of Sony games in the future, with the company patenting a system that compares load times to see if it’s playing off an official disc or a dodgy cheap burn.
Sony’s system sees it check load times against a benchmark. If you pass this initial test the game loads, and away you go into the future to shoot some aliens. Fail this test and the machine will harvest more user information to carry out a “secondary verification” before deciding if you’re a genuine buyer on an illegal warez criminal. Or just someone with greasy fingers and dirty discs.
The patent also contains a benefit-of-the-doubt option, which ranks the “user reputation” of the person trying to play the title. Presumably, over time, if you show a pattern of playing games that don’t conform to the average load and installation times, you’re more likely to set off the ban alarm and be blocked from playing games. [Free Patents Online via Dark Zero]
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Another reason to stay away from Sony games and consoles. I do not pirate but I object massively to this gathering of data.
First person to say “nothing to hide, nothing to fear” or some variation gets a kick in the nuts.
This has got nothing to do with “nothing to hide, nothing to fear”, it gathers how long it takes for a game to load, what possible information could they get from that, that you don’t want them to know?
What he should have written is I’m gonna get on my high horse because I saw the words gathering data.
1. ANY information gathered can be used. Seeming innocuos info on games could be mixed with other infos to learn the types of games you play, if you’re the violent type, possible serial killer, leisure/work pattern etc. Surely facebook has shown you this? Infact who know what they collect already. God save us all.
2. If sony are going to do something like this, then patenting it is just stupid. So tell the hackers “here’s how we’re going to catch you, this is how it works, so just go ahead and bypass/disable it.”
The info telling them that a game is pirated has to go somewhere. How else would they be able to take action? That is, after all, the whole point of the system. You really think Sony won’t share that with the authorities?
Im as concerned as you are about privacy issues especially concerning Google and Facebook but how you can find the measuring of load times objectionable is beyond me, its not personal information its not as if they’re prying into what your buying your girlfriend for valentines day and selling it to the highest bidder, or something like that.
It will be used to accuse you of copyright infringement which could mean you end up paying disproportionate fines for your ‘crimes’.
Theres a simple way to disprove those accusations isn’t there.
It is not Sony’s job to check who is using counterfeit discs or not, they are not police.
Yes I know they want to protect their ecosystem but, still it is not their business!
It is not any different then illegal tapping on your wires just because you are using a network. Do you like your conversations being listened to? Even though you have nothing to hide, but still your private life…
There is no guarantee what else Sony will gather under the Terms.
The first bit of the tech sony wants to do is OK, to protect their system from counterfeit discs, legit, but second bit requires more of info gathering about your habit be it good or not. In a similar way that google does. It will become norm and you wont be able to argue what Sony will do with the info.
If your stealing their product its precisely their business besides “loading times” its a number, a number that if you haven’t stole anything you don’t have to give it a second thought, it says nothing more about you than I don’t steal games. Im sure pirates or even more serious criminals would love to live in a society where everyone is blindfolded to their wrong doing but thankfully thats not the society we live in.
So I take it you wouldn’t use Steam because it tracks the games you play and the duration. You don’t use Google because it tracks your searches. You don’t use Gizmodo because the FBI might track which articles you comment on and find psychotic patterns in your text.
Gathering of data? Because checking to see if you pirated a game is some how an immoral act?
Do you know what is immoral? Making others pay for games and movies to be produced for you then thinking you are special enough to not get monitored and not have to pay.
The only people who should have a problem with this are people who plan on pirating.
I see this hurting the average consumer who gets wrongly accused whilst as per usual the pirates bypass it in a week. Actually making it another reason TO pirate stuff as it is more convenient.
Stand up DVD’s and their stupid unskippable anti piracy videos that aren’t on pristine pirate copies, moronic.
dara obrien actually says on one of his standup DVDs that this is a reason to pirate
Probably just another defensive patent, because with the US patent system if you don’t patent an idea someone else does and sues you over it.
lets hope so!
I hate this crap. If I pay for a game and the discs are easy to damage why should people not be aloud to make a copy of it incase it gets damaged. Or will they give you a replacement if your game gets damaged?
i agree we should be able to make legal backups. but i cant see them allowing it. maybe best would be that you take the damaged disk into a game store and they swap it for a new disk. or send it off etc.
An option like that would be nice but I think a small fee (say $5) would be justifiable to pay for the extra costs. Its your fault if the disk is scratched.
The reason is that then you can save the game on your PS4 sell it the same day for %80 of its price and the other person will be able to play it offline. How is that fair on the company that sold you the game?
sleep(10);
yup. i cant see it taking a genius to hack this.
“a genuine buyer on an illegal warez criminal.”
This provokes distrubing images.