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Rumour has it that Sony is looking to the PC games market to help solve its growing piracy problem on the PlayStation 3 - with the introduction of serial keys to its games.

According to 'a very reliable source' quoted by PS3-Sense, Sony is attempting to address the recent revelation that it failed to properly secure the private signing key for its flagship console - leading to clever tinkerers producing third-party firmware that allows unofficial software and illegitimately downloaded games to run on unmodified hardware - by looking to the PC retail market for solutions.

Unlike the PS3, the PC doesn't have a hardware DRM system built in to it - despite attempts by groups like the Trusted Computing Group, formerly the Trusted Computer Platform Alliance, to introduce such a thing - relying instead on software-based DRM and a surprisingly old-fashioned guarantee of a game's uniqueness: a serial key.

Printed on the product's packaging, the key is a unique identifier that promises that the game is the real deal - and usually verifies itself with an online server, preventing the game from running or accessing multiplayer features if the same key is in use elsewhere.

It's a solution that the PC gaming industry has been using for years, but if the rumour that Sony is looking to use it as a bandage for its thoroughly broken PS3 DRM proves true, it could have one major hurdle in its path: unlike a PC, the PS3 has no keyboard.

While the PS3 is compatible with USB keyboards, and has an optional Bluetooth-connected miniature keypad accessory, many gamers rely solely on the console's controller - using the on-screen soft keyboard for those rare occasions when text entry is required.

If every game that's purchased requires the entry of a code - and, given the code's requirement for uniqueness and high entropy, they're usually around 24 alphanumeric characters in length - it could soon prove a pain for gamers.

Worse, the move would effectively kill the rental market for PS3 games - and, if Sony decides to tie each serial key to a PlayStation Network account, could even block second-hand sales.

Sony, for its part, hasn't confirmed or denied the rumours - but it will certainly have to do something to get the genie back in the bottle.

Even if they do add CD keys there will ALWAYS be a way around...

Yeah, hack their servers lol. No other way... Stop thinking EA and all are full of dumbness. Singplayer, sure. Online? Never.

Hamachi Servers..?

How is it hard to put in codes? Gamers do it all the time for additional content and PSN cards. So I highly doubt inputting a CD Key will quote "prove a pain for gamers"

If they ask serial before showing main menu? No.

I posted a theory on this several days ago. I still think it may be the way game companies go not necessarily Sony though to keep people from pirating there games (an example being like the vip codes that Bad Company 2 had expect the codes would allow access to the whole multiplayer part of the game. They couldn't individualize serials to a whole disc as people who do not ever access the internet on there ps3 would not have a way to verify copies. However if a game has online multiplayer they may block access to that as you would have to be signed in and online to play it... thats just my theory anyway... even if they do someone will figure out a way around it eventually.

That's the PC approach: Feel free to illegally download our games, we won't complain, you just won't be able to play them online

That's why CD keys were implemented really

Well if that happens there is a thing called Proxies...

There will ALWAYS be a way around to access the game + some of its online features

There is no way around CD keys, the server checks for legit CD keys only and the person who uploaded the game prolly already used the legit CD which is stored on the games servers

This just means you won't be able to play pirate games online