27w ago - Today Italian PlayStation 3 developers PS3ITA have made available what they call PS3ITA CFW 4.21 DEX which includes Change IDPS All Region 4.21 followed by version 2 containing a bug fix with details below.

Download: PS3ITA CFW 4.21 v0.9 DEX (Password: gintonic) / Change IDPS All Region 4.21 / Change_IDPS_All_Region_v2-4.21.pkg

PS3ITA_Debug_4_21_v0.9.PUP MD5: abd0aaca504a271c65a10f8122ba96c2

To quote, roughly translated: After noting the creation of "PSoN_DEX V2" and "Change_IDPS-All_Region", you PS3ITA announces the release of CFW 4.21-DEX and Change_IDPS-All_region-4_21.

Finally a good news for all users who have bought a console converted into DEX (debug / test) who want to start their own game backups regularly purchased without having to resort to various patches / fix for cfw 3.55.

The CFW has already been tested on different consoles, and we can confirm that everything works fine without any problems, including their access to the PSN and PS-STORE.

Following are the details:

Disclaimer 1

43w ago - Following up on his initial release, today PlayStation 3 developer andbey0nd has updated his PS3 C2D.exe CEX to DEX Flash Patcher to version 2 which now includes Region / TargetID changing in the PS3 NOR Flash as outlined below.

Download: PS3 C2D CEX to DEX Flash Patcher v2 / PS3 C2D CEX to DEX Flash Patcher v2 (Mirror) / PS3 C2D CEX to DEX Flash Patcher v2 (Mirror #2) / PS3 C2D CEX to DEX Flash Patcher v2 (Mirror #3) / Metldrpwn (Pre-compiled) / C2D for 0x8D (China) Targets / C2D for 0x8E (HK) Targets by deank

To quote from the ReadMe file (via pastie.org/4282714):

c2d.exe (win32 app)

Requires:

• OpenSSL 1.0.1 installed in c:\openssl or d:\openssl (http://slproweb.com/download/Win32OpenSSL_Light-1_0_1c.exe)
  
• EID root key (per_console_key) obtained with...

45w ago - This weekend Atlus has confirmed that Persona 4 Arena will indeed be the first PS3 region-locked video game for the PlayStation 3 entertainment system.

Up until now, all games (not Blu-ray movies) have been region-free on the PS3, however, the Atlus representative stated to EGM that "Persona 4 Arena will be region-locked in all territories on both PS3 and 360."

Sony developers have been able to region-lock PlayStation 3 games since PS3 Firmware update 3.30, although publishers didn't utilize the option until the PS3 3.50+ SDK.

From Atlus Staffer lol, forums via Forum to quote: "Sorry for the delayed confirmation, but yes, the PS3 version game will be region-locked. I certainly can't offer details as to why, but there might be an official response at some point.

To reiterate, our version of the game works for the North and South America regions. Also keep in mind that both the NA and JP versions have both English and Japanese text/voice options, making them nearly identical. I'm unsure of what the case will be for the EU version."

To quote from the official Press Release: Friends of...

108w ago - Ever since the first PS3 JailBreak was out i was hoping for a region patcher so I can watch all the blu ray discs i own no matter if region a/b/c and nobody ever knew how... after lots of research and checking around i present to you 3 patch*.txt files for lv2 patcher!

Download: PS3 Blu-ray Region Patches and LV2 Patcher / PS3 LV2 Patcher BD Region Changer by bitsbubba

just copy the files into: /dev_hdd0/game/LV2000000/USRDIR

and the next time you start lv2 patcher you will have 3 new patches to choose from (region a/b/c)

once you patch you don't have to restart your ps3, it works right away! if you restart your ps3 the bd region is set to standard again.

tested & working for me on pal cechcxx machine with 3.55cfw (rebug & kmeaw) using kmeaw's lv2 patcher v9!

this only works for blu ray and nothing else, for dvd the old xregistry trick applies... i didn't code anything, just collected and tested, sources for this can be found here:

http://www.ps3news.com/ps3-hacks-jailbreak/ps3mrenigma-releases-ps3-tool-to-test-model-version-data/
http://www.ps3news.com/ps3-hacks-jailbreak/PS3-Model-Detection-PKG-Homebrew-Application-is-Released/

134w ago - According to French site PS3Gen.fr (linked above), Sony may be planning to region-restrict upcoming PS3 video games using the new 3.50 SDK.

To quote, roughly translated: "While Sony had surprised everyone by not only zoned games on PS3, unlike the PS2 or the PS1, it seems that this idea can be challenged in the near future.

Since the advent of the SDK 3.50, it is possible for official developers restrict their PlayStation 3 games at a specific region.

For information, be aware that verification of the region of the disc was in fact quietly implemented since the 3.30 firmware but was not yet usable by the studios.

Here are screenshots from a PlayStation 3 when trying to launch a drive to a "bad area"... following an audit of this same disc into console development.

If any games yet so far does this "feature", however it is likely that it will be in the coming months."

DrEB states: "Some people said that the region restriction is old and already used with some demos, but it's wrong! This feature was added in 3.30 SDK and cannot be used with previous software versions. The very few demos using that kind of region lock in old firmwares had nothing to do with that new feature.