Sony has confirmed with IGN what Joystiq and the Fanboy sites discovered last night: current downloaded PlayStation Classic titles do not work on the PS3, despite its firmware upgrade.

The problem is that two files -- the ROM and its certification key -- are needed for the PS One titles to work on the PSP, but that "such a system is not needed on the PlayStation 3," according to the article. We're not sure how this explains the console's inability to play the titles, but rest assured SCEA manager Al de Leon told IGN that, "we'll be replacing the older PS1 games with fixed versions sometime in May" and you will then be able to download the games directly to your hard drive.

Sony did not comment on whether or not previously-disabled multiplayer modes would be reinstated upon the May update.

An old skeleton from the PSP closet has come back to haunt Sony as their 2.81 lockdown has come to an end thanks to the ongoing efforts of the PSP homebrew community. Famed PSP hacker Fanjita has taught an old crack a new trick as the Grand Theft Auto saved game exploit has once again brought Sony's PSP security measures to its knees, enabling any and all firmware versions to run homebrew applications.

That's odd. We thought they squashed that bug a long time ago. According to Fanjita, Sony didn't quite bring their A-game when it came to stopping their unruly fan base.

It's not all sunshine and unicorns for those itching to tear apart the coding that holds their PSP together. The brave will need an original copy of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (later copies were updated to prevent this trick from resurfacing) and nerves of steel. An "easy mode" downgrader isn't available yet, but the wait should give you enough time to scrounge up a stack of PS One games to stick in there.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]

Sony has stopped all production of its original PlayStation console, turning towards the future and the PlayStation 3. Last September, the PlayStation (and the PSone redesign, pictured above) surpassed 100 million units sold and continues to be a popular item around the world. While, the PlayStation's 11-year-plus production run was impressive, the Atari 2600 topped that marked, as it was released in 1977 and not pulled out of production until 1991.