Sony's Lempel: 'You're not going to see trophies on the PSP'

by Christopher Grant on Jun 8th 2009 5:30PM

With Sony's Trophy system coming up on its one-year anniversary this month, we were eager to learn how Sony could enhance the service, leveraging the PlayStation brand and distancing itself from the Xbox 360's Achievements system. So, during E3 last week, we asked Eric Lempel – Director of PlayStation Network Operations – when Trophies would make their way to the PSP, newly invigorated by the PSP Go announcement. Lempel said, bluntly, "You're not going to see Trophies on the PSP."

Now, before you curse his name, hear him out, okay? Lempel explains that "there are a few reasons" you won't see Trophies on PSP and, chief amongst them is "keeping it secure." See ... the PSP has been hacked. A lot. Like, a lot a lot. Lempel says that "if people can artificially inflate their rankings and amounts of Trophies" via the PSP on a shared PlayStation-wide Trophy system then it "kills the whole [Trophy] system," PS3 included. So "keeping it secure, keeping it fair" is the best solution – but that means no Trophies on PSP.

And, since the PSP has that same promised 10-year life cycle (as evidenced most recently by the PSP Go) it'll be some time before we get an entirely new (and ostensibly secure) PSP platform upon which a functioning Trophy system might be grafted. See you in 2015!

Tags: e3-2009, Eric-Lempel, PSN, SCEA, Sony-Computer-Entertainment-America, Trophies

Reader Comments (69)

well that makes perfect sense....but I suppose if they found better ways to make it UNhackable then its possible to see Trophies on the PSP2 maybe....

What?? PSP2. I dont think ANYONE has hacked that yet, or even knows what that looks like.

true but if the PSP can be hacked then most likely so will the PSP2 after it comes out unless they do something Major...

The PSP-3000 has already been deemed unhackable, so don't get your hopes up for the PSP2, or even the PSP Go...

its unhackable for the time being....if the thing can connect to a PC it can be hacked.....thats like saying Macs dont get viruses or cant be hacked....when in actuality it can be done its just most hackers do stuff to get attention....why bother hacking something that has less that a 10% market share??

I suppose that may be another reason as to why they went to that proprietary cord for the Go!

The PSP3000 has just recently been hacked.... So no, it's not good for the system.

Nothing's unhackable, and I was under the impression that the PSP-3000 was steadily being broken down as we speak and there was currently workable homebrew on it. I could be wrong about the latter, but it's definitely being worked on and is far from "unhackable".

What is surprising about this conversation is that the PS3 hasn't been hacked. Every console and handheld has been hacked to played pirated games, from the original Famicom (using floppy disks) to the Xbox 360.

I'm sure the PSP-3000 will be hacked sooner or later there have been some exploits, but the fact the PS3 hasn't been hacked even with Linux being installed is amazing. Maybe they can make an unhackable PSP Go! that allows for Trophies?

The PS3 has been hacked...using Linux people have ripped PS3 games to the HDD and are able to play them from there no disc needed

@Chris

Last I knew that wasn't the case. I know it has been done, but only on dev PS3s. I just did a search and I can't find anything that says otherwise.

Here's a thread at Afterdawn that refers to that:

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/675846

Check out the very last thread in bold red text.

Everyone who claimed to hack PS3 faked the evidence

thanks for that...I recall reading that people got to it thru linux but could never find a how to or anything....makes sense that people would lie about it...lol

I'm actually relieved. Trophies and achievements are just annoying.

Do you also find those extra ketchup packets stuffed in your fast food bag annoying too?

Yeah I do. I don't even like ketchup dammit.

Ketchup, Catsup....it's alright, don't love it like I used to.
Yeah, I hate those little packs too.

PRO TIP: Good to hang on for hard times though.

This is kinda a blessing for me, now I don't have to become a slave to the trophy gods. Would it be cool? Yeah. Will I miss it? Nah.

I'd have to agree. I don't mind them for a second play through (it forces developers to improve on the replayability of a game), but I'm not a fan of them popping up when I'm immersed in a story.

(And, before anyone else says anything, yes, achievement notifications can be disabled on the 360 - which is awesome! - but sadly, not on the PS3. Too bad Sony is far more concerned with making useless 9 person text chat instead of a feature I'd actually use.)

first I was a bit angry and then a i read the article and he makes perfect sense. Damn hackers ruin my PSP even more.

well at least there's one good thing about hackers: homebrew games and apps.

apps are AMAZING!!! PSPtube just to name one.

i agree, it sucks when leaderboards and achievement boards are full of hackers.p

a game within the game.

I thought Trophies and Achievements were stupid too, until I realized that I get double my money out of most games when I try to get them. Plus, it makes games more fun. I really wish the PSP would add Trophy support.

Agreed. I've actually replayed games just to get trophies when normally I would have traded it in or let it rot on my shelf. Trophies/Achievements have actually reduced the amount of money I spend on games because I play the ones I already own longer than before.

Exactly what I've been saying for a long time now about PSP trophies. I was actually a bit surprised to see it on Joystiq's sony bingo card, because I was under the assumption that it was clear as day why they wouldn't do it.

He does actually have a good point. Hackers already find a way to cheat in online PSP multiplayer games, like Resistance Retribution. I'm not gonna name any names....(cough)ThatHackerzGuy765!(cough).

what did i do?

Ok... then what popped up on the screen of that guy playing the new SOCOM during E3?

So seriously? That's the reason. Hacking? I mean you could make that argument for ANY application on the PSP. But tracking progress is an issue? Can't you encrypt the data?

I would have thought the technical issue would have been connecting to a network to offload data for each game, and what happens if you're not part of a network.

I'd like to think that Sony will eventually support such an option at some point. It only makes sense, especially if you intergrate with the PS3.

They just want to make sure the trophies have value.

There's no point in measuring your e-penis if you can pull any old length and girth out of a hat. Plus, they'd be sort of lame without a friends list system to periodically sneak a peek at.

I thought Trophies were tied to the network, so it would be easier for them to regulate?

Or am i way off base?

Might be worried about hacked game saves. But MS had some issues with this and managed to change the saves so they couldn't be hacked/transferred to unlock achievements. People still figure out tricks for achievements and MS periodically just bans cheaters. Maybe Sony doesn't want to police these things?

I don't know, it seems like they could implement something if they really wanted. At worst maybe they could keep PS3 and PSP trophies completely seperate and make known that the PSP trophy system will be reset when a new system arrives?

vidicron, game saves wouldn't help. trophies aren't retroactive. just downloading a save game won't do anything, same as the psp. piracy is the main issue. since people with hacked psps (like me) can download ANY game at will, that would horribly mess up the entire system, which would be a disaster. people with hacked PSPs could have GIANT trophy scores. it's not worth the trouble for sony.

"people with hacked PSPs could have GIANT trophy scores"

well that would make the hackers a lot easier to pick out

@Ezio

I really don't think that's the issue at all. You would still have to work your way through the games. You could accomplish the same thing with a Gamefly subscription to the 360 or PS3. Also, you can play back-ups on your 360 with the firmware of the drive hacked. I really think it goes deeper than just the ability to play a copied game.

Did he have anything constructive to say about new PS3 firmware?

No, I didn't think so.

Lempel, you are not going to see my money for PSP GO.

Well actually, you are not going to see my money for PSP GO either way.

Sony should focus more on a better method of chatting and connection with others on PSP, a friends list and chat system is what Im still waiting for :( I should be able to add mates and talk to them via PSP, I'd rather that then Trophies tbh.

agreed.

I don't game for achievements... Not anymore at least.

C'mon, you guys know better than to fall into that 10-year lifecycle nonsense. It doesn't mean 10 years before a new platform is released, it means the old platform coexists with the new one. There'll be a proper PSP2 in the next 18 months without a doubt. I'd wager on Fall 2010 which will be the six year anniversary of the PSP.

They really need a new portable with dual analog, touch etc. if they hope to compete with Nintendo and Apple. The people who buy a PSPGo now are going to be mighty pissed when the thing is obsolete next year.

You just contradicted what you said:

"the old platform coexists with the new one"

"The people who buy a PSPGo now are going to be mighty pissed when the thing is obsolete next year"

Sony wouldn't abandon a product like that a mere year after release (especially seeing as the price point for this bad boy is the same as the original PSP).

I was actually under the assumption that the PSP Go was essentially the PSP2. It's not the PSP-4000 that's for sure.

meh.

Trophies are such a waste. If you can't enjoy playing a game for the sake of playing a game, it's not worth it.

I don't see why having extra objectives in a game is a "waste" of anything. Silly things like gamerscore and level and penis are lame, but trophies and achievements themselves add replay value. (Well, if implemented properly.)

trophies actually help to compel people to play the game like they should. like in inFamous for example. i wouldn't have gone through all the trouble of healing 250 people, or finding all the dead drops on the islands, or hunting for shards. the trophies just have to be well implemented, that's all.

Playing the game itself is the achievement!

As far as the life cycle give the 3000 until early 2010 and you will hear that Sony is going to stop production after March of 2010 (end of their fiscal year) and will end whatever system that is in place regarding the UMD to Digital shift by June 1 and PSP2 will be revealed at E3 2010 as the PSP Go with touchscreen, dual stick, larger memory and phone on some models and be compatible with PS2 games available on the PSN and launch in time for Christmas 2011. Go will get a price drop then.

Oh the trophy support will come out with PSP2 only a year after launch since that is the trademark of Sony.

I would assume for it to be hacker free is if it is a digital copy it would only play on a system with that PSN ID and have all the online games go through the Sony network. If Sony is losing that much money on software and giving dev kits away at 80% off I would think that would be Job #1 not a new system to hack

My first response: "WTF!" My response after reading his explanation: "Oh, okay."

Damn hackers...

There's a whole interview waiting to be posted – just broke this piece off. :-P

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Sony's Lempel: 'You're not going to see trophies on the PSP'

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