PS3 Likely to be Region Free ++ Used Software Blocked

SONY Computer Entertainment is likely to abandon its practice of region coding games for its PlayStation 3 console, the head of its South Pacific operation said.

"If you look at the fact that it will support high-definition TV, which will be a global standard, there’s a good likelihood that it will be global region, as for example we’ve done with the PSP (PlayStation Portable)," Mr Ephraim said.

AustralianIT - Region coding for PS3 unlikely

In related news, rumour flared overnight that the PlayStation 3 would prevent the use of used software, with technologies patented by SCEI’s Ken Kutaragi and team set to read, store and delete security codes on a per-disc, per machine basis.

Registered with Japan’s patent office, the concept would see each game disc individually encoded. Upon being played for the first time, the host hardware would store then delete from the disc the security codes required for registering the software with the console.

Spong - PlayStation 3 Region Free – Blocks Used Game Use