SONY REMOVES KEY PS3 FEATURE TO COMBAT PIRACY

INTERNATIONAL – Sony has added a firmware update to its PlayStation 3 console which will disable a function that allows users to install alternative operating systems. The move, which was announced on the company’s blog, is being seen as an attempt to stop video games piracy. It follows news that a US hacker, Geohot, released code which exploited the PS3’s ability to run alternative operating systems, in order to bypass security features on video games. The update is optional, but people who do not install it will no longer have access to certain console features, such as its online games network.