Backups On PS3 – Why Do It?

Before we get around to the question of how to do our backups on PS3 we should probably first answer the question: why do backups on PS3 in the first place?

I’m older than most of the other gamers I know so for me money is not so big an issue; but I can remember that this certainly wasn’t the case when I was younger and nor is it the case with most young people I know these days,  who are heavily into gaming.
So let’s start with what we all know. When people talk about their favourite gaming platform these days Sony Playstation would come near the top of the pack. PS3 Games are some of the hottest sellers in the gaming market and their is  no sign of their popularity abating. But these games can be expensive. When you’re paying upwardsof $50 for a new game you certainly don’t want to be in a position where it becomes unusable and  you’re then forced to shell out another $50  just to replace it – particularly when you’re a teenager and don’t have ready access to that type of money.
In addition to this, PS3 game disks are fragile. They are simply  Blu-Ray or DVD disks which can scratch or break easily. Dropping a   disk onto a hard surface will quite often do enough damage so that it becomes unplayable (I know – I’ve done this!) Playing  games regularly can also result in minor damage to the surface of the discs  caused by the playing mechanism. Through repeated and frequent use (and don’t we all play PS3 a lot?!), these minor blemishes can accumulate and end up damaging the game disc permanently.
To reduce the risk of having to pay again should any of this happen – your best bet is to make a copy of the Ps3 games that you already have. And it should also be noted that you have a legal right to do this. There’s no issue with respect to making backup copies of  games that you’ve already bought. The problem of course lies in what is the best way to do this? It’s not possible to burn Ps3 games in the same way that you would a music CD as video game discs have “copyright protection” which precludes the copying of their content. Your Playstationwill simply not recognise the disk.
What is therefore needed is a way to bypass the copy protection encryption that is found on the majority of Ps3 game discs.

Tony.