The most infamous Playstation abuse is modding it. Like most electronics that use compact discs and DVDs, the Playstation is sold in terms of region; CDs and DVDs from one region will only play on players from the same region. Unfortunately, Japan and the United States are not in the same region, which annoys game players and anime fans, as that means that some of the best games and anime would require someone to own two Playstations (one for the United States region and one for the Japanese region).



[The twin issues are that a lot of anime DVDs are not imported into the United States, and a lot of great Japanese games are available only in Japanese. A United States Playstation won't play either.]

However, by illegally modifying the Playstation, it is possible to make the Playstation play anything from any region. There are a number of ways to do it, which generally involve flashing the BIOS of the Playstation. However, in light of the new Playstation 3's ability to play anything from any region, this is not needed anymore.

Another illegal way to abuse your Playstation comes from copying games. Pirated games are illegal, yet they end up on sites all the time. The various sites are doing what they can, but pirating still happens.

Another abuse of the Playstation involves the various cheating devices. By using them, the Playstation becomes capable of doing anything in any game, form infinite lives to having maximum statistics to being invulnerable. Although not ethical by any means, the various cheating devices are popular.

However, some gamers have found practical use for the Playstation, as a way to make money. There are a number of tournaments for gamers, and some of the players are professionals, at least in the sense that they train and make a reasonable wage from tournaments. They train and study their game, becoming masters of their chosen distraction, and using that experience to win at tournaments, placing well enough to pay their bills. Strangely some of these virtual warriors are even sponsored by various companies, who pay their expenses while the players are on the tournament trail.

These champions are even have a fan following, and are interviewed just like minor celebrities. Some are able to sell advertising on their blogs, and even write articles on their respective games. They are able to use their modicum of fame to pay the bills.

There are a lot of ways to abuse your Playstation. Most aren't exactly kosher, but there are ways to make money from it. One day, Playstation abuse will stop, and tournament players will find other ways to make money. Until then, one can only hope that the abuse will taper off.