If you’ve modified your PS3 recently, you could soon be facing a ban from PlayStation Network.
Word is spreading that a new Terms of Service update for PSN is going to take place during a scheduled maintenance outage on Thursday, November 18th for PS3 owners in Europe, Africa, and Australia. The update is reported to be bringing the TOS for those customers up to the same standards that North American customers have been agreeing to since their last update in June of this year.
Considering the recent launch of PS Downgrade, which was produced by PS Jailbreak developers to make their original product usable by rolling back Sony’s latest firmware to previous versions, the news is fueling rumors that a worldwide wave of PSN bans may be imminent.
For those who don’t care to read the entire book of legalese they are going to be presented with in the updated TOS, the damning clauses that must be agreed to are as follows:
• You must not use any unauthorised hardware or software to access or use Sony Online Services or make, or distribute unauthorised software or hardware via, or in connection with, Sony Online Services (including but not limited to cheat code software or devices that circumvent any security features or limitations included on any software or devices).
• You must not modify or attempt to modify the online client, disc, save file, server, client-server communication, or other part of any Service or cause disruption to any account, system, hardware, software, or network connected to Sony Online Services for any reason, including to gain an unfair advantage in any Service.
• You must not bypass or attempt to bypass any user authentication systems or security feature or attempt to hack or reverse engineer any code or equipment in connection with Sony Online Services (unless permitted by applicable law)
This, of course, means that Sony is reinforcing the fact that they frown upon any type of software or hardware modification to their consoles.
There is a chance that Sony could be targeting those who are installing cheats, something that has been widely reported to be an issue with the new Call of Duty: Black Ops game. It is also possible that they could attempt to deal with the cheaters and modders all at the same time. If you fall into either of these categories, consider yourself warned.
