PSP Piracy is a Problem, Sells Systems

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe President David Reeves is upset over Playstation Portable piracy, despite the boost it gives hardware sales.

Speaking at Sony's DevStation conference in London, Reeves stated, "There is a piracy problem on PSP. We know about it, we know how it's done."

Reeves reluctantly confirmed that piracy "sometimes fuels the growth of hardware sales, but on balance we are not happy about it."

To combat the growing illegal activity, Sony is hoping for more exclusive games and updates that will clamp down on offenders.

Piracy, besides the activity of hackers itching to crack any system, has been an alternative for gamers in dire need of enjoyable software on the system. Reeves previously acknowledged the slower software sales when he openly admitted that "Hand on heart, would we like more PSP games? Yes, we would." Rampant emulating of older games on the handheld may be deterring PSP owners from purchasing licensed software off store shelves.

PSP owners should expect more anti-piracy patches that will secure the system firmware from emulators and other third-party applications.

Source: MCV via Next-Gen