PSN Code - Maximum Amount

[DuctTapedGoat]

So, on Answers.com I posted the question...
How many PSN game codes can exist?
In: Video Games


And then I posted the answer...

Answer:
36 possible characters ^ 12 digits long
4,738,381,338,321,616,896



Then someone added...
An infinite number of codes can exist at one time.




To which I modified their answer to read...

Four quintillion, seven hundred thirty eight quadrillion, three hundred eighty one trillion, three hundred thirty eight billion, three hundred twenty one million, six hundred sixteen thousand, eight hundred ninety six codes can exist at one time.

[DuctTapedGoat]

To which they edit the entire answer to read...


There can be an infinite number of codes at one time.

No more of no less.



To which I respond after striking out their answer with....


That's incorrect. There is always going to be a limit of  4,738,381,338,321,616,896.

36 possible characters ^ 12 digits long

There will never be 4,738,381,338,321,616,897 POSSIBLE codes, though they can be recycled ad infinitum. 

[TwisTtheTwiTcH]

Nice job

-TwisT

[DuctTapedGoat]

Shortly after, someone had flagged it as having "Too much repitition".

So, I restated it to read as :


There is always going to be a limit of 4,738,381,338,321,616,896.


36 possible characters ^ 12 digits long


There will never be a single more code written based on the key that is already in place, though they can be recycled ad infinitum.

[TwisTtheTwiTcH]

. . .Okay...

-TwisT

[jacobia jacob]

1. do math
2. disregard math
3. do math
4. disregard math
5. repetition
6. do math
7. acidmods

[FOOKz™]

lol why do people think infinity is a number

[GhoSt]

Yeah you are correct since they would never use every possible combination, as it would be rather easy to guess one.
In reality there is an algorithm that generates the codes, so there would be no where near that many.

On another note, someone cracked the old Microsoft points algorithm not that long ago.

[FOOKz™]

TBH I saved all my 1 month codes and 3 month codes i had and i noticed a pattern too.

EVERY SINGLE code i had contained a Q in it or an X...

the common letters were D J M N P Q R S T X Y

[DuctTapedGoat]

I'm actually curious as to how their system works - I know we'll likely never know, but it would be interesting to see what their generation algorithm is, and how long it takes until their codes are recycled.