Controversial PS3 firmware goes live

By Tom Bramwell Published 1 April, 2010

End of the Linux.

Reports in the wild suggest that users are being prompted to grab the controversial 3.21 firmware update for PlayStation 3, announced earlier this week.

Unlike previous updates, which introduced new features, firmware 3.21 is designed to shut down the "Install Other OS" option that previously allowed owners of the original 'fat' PS3 to install Linux or another compatible operating system.

Sony blamed the decision to ditch Other OS support on "security concerns" - believed to originate with hacker Geohot's breakthrough in cracking the console's tough veneer.

The platform holder advised users who currently rely on the Other OS option to reject the mandatory update - but warned that doing so would make it impossible to sign into PlayStation Network, use games or Blu-ray movies that require firmware 3.21 or later, access copy-protected videos, or use any features introduced to the console by future firmware. Lose lose!

Eurogamer's technology editor Richard Leadbetter analysed the situation this week, concluding that the firmware is "a pre-emptive strike against the possibility of piracy".

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (97) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • woodnotes #1 2 years ago

    Well, it's the end of an era. An imaginary one.

  • funkateer #2 2 years ago

    Yeah, there goes Linux on all 5 PS3's.

  • jellyhead #3 2 years ago

    Terrible news. PS3: It used to do everything.

  • Psi #4 2 years ago

    Microsoft: If we say sorry for pushing the HDDVD drives and that Blueray rocks will you remove that operating system we hate?

  • kingcrowbar #5 2 years ago

    I have a slim so maybe they detect it and don't present any message about the update, but for an update that deletes features, shouldn't Sony at least tell the user what the update does before installing. At least something like Nintendo did when they tried to get rid of the Twilight hack.

    To be fair I didn't actually read the agreement, but just skimmed through and saw no mention of OtherOS.

  • paul_haine #6 2 years ago

    Wasn't the ability to run Linux basically just there so that Sony could bolster their claim that the PS3 was a computer and not a console, for beneficial tax reasons?

  • paul_haine #7 2 years ago

    @kingcrowbar: the PS3 slim never had OtherOS support, this firmware is for the original PS3.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 08:41

  • bad09 #8 2 years ago

    Well I didn't use it and from what little I read on using it there was no real point anyway. However, losing a minority feature I painfully wanted in B/C makes me feel for those that used it.

    Personally I don't think piracy would kill PS3 like PSP (it's more about the games you see quality will make money) and this is overkill from Sony, but you can't blame them PS3 is untouchable they want to keep it that way.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 08:43

  • SlackMaster #9 2 years ago

    I've never used this feature so it doesn't really bother me plus I can see why they'd want to remove it.

  • kingcrowbar #10 2 years ago

    Well it's installing on my slim now (silly slow sony servers) but I would have expected a big warning message, not just the usual terms and conditions, do you agree stuff.
    Anyone with an old PS3 want to check if it presents a message to the user about what the update does?
    Or is everyone supposed to read the internet these days before doing anything? :)

  • ybfelix #11 2 years ago

    Sony could at least wait until they have some new features to push a firmware that isn't pure downgrade. Oh well. Guess they were really really hurt over psp.

  • loveless #12 2 years ago

    I only flirted with Linux OS on PS3 when it first launched, and was prepared to sacrifice the possibility of using it to buy the PS3 Slim.

    Whilst the upgrade doesn't directly affect me, and I don't particularly care about running Linux anyway, this decision has far deeper implications.

    It's been bad enough that Sony have been removing features as they've released new revisions (hardware PS2 compat -> software PS2 -> No Ps2 compat -> remove two USB ports -> remove card readers), but to retrospectively remove features from consoles that were sold as having those features (linux) takes this into a whole new area.

    Enough is enough. Sony is demonstrating that it can no longer be trusted to support the console it launches over it's lifetime. What confidence can I have that any feature that I do use and appreciate now won't be removed in the future - either in later hardware revisions (should I ever need to replace a broken console), or through firmware?

    Every time they do this, it reduces the likelihood that I'll ever buy a PS4 when they come out.

  • jellyhead #13 2 years ago

    I love the way that people who didn't use are proclaiming it useless. Hysterical.

    We use Linux based PS3s as a renderfarm and on a cell coding module. It's not useless just because you can't see the need for it yourself, blimey.

  • kosigan #14 2 years ago

    I've got a fat PS3 and I installed the new firmware this morning. It does make it very clear that the "Other OS" feature will be removed and gives you the opportunity to cancel out of the update should you wish not to upgrade or to backup data first. Personally, I won't miss it as I never used it, but it will be an annoyance for those who do.

  • MaoZedong #15 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:40:08 17-12-2011

  • the_dudefather #16 2 years ago

    @jellyhead
    This is a comments thread for a games website, where 'I don't like a game, that game must be shit' and 'I like this game/console, therefore this other game/console is shit' logic prevails ;)

  • OnlyMe #17 2 years ago

    jellyhead: wouldn't that mean that firmware upgrades for your PS3s aren't necessary, and you can continue to use it as a renderfarm?

  • jellyhead #18 2 years ago

    Sorry, dudefather. It's early and my caffeine hadn't kicked in yet. I forgot where i was for a minute :)

    OnlyMe, yeah. I think they'll be staying at the same FW they're using now. PSN is pointless and they don't use it so no big loss there ;)

  • drumbaby #19 2 years ago

    Damn, now I'll have to go back to not using Linux on my PC instead.

  • Gaol #20 2 years ago

    @paul_haine

    Yeah, it was a tax break attempt that never worked.

  • Psi #21 2 years ago

    lol did everyone get up on the wrong side of the custom partition this morning! I was joking!

  • rotmm #22 2 years ago

    @jellyhead, "We use Linux based PS3s as a renderfarm and on a cell coding module. It's not useless just because you can't see the need for it yourself, blimey."

    That may be true, but then it's also true that those PS3's aren't used for gaming and therefore won't need the update. They are essentially Sony-subsidised number-crunchers.

    For those that bought their PS3's as gaming machines, and who contribute to Sony's coffers in the form of buying games, the lack of OtherOS is unlikely to have any impact whatsoever for the vast majority of them.

    I'm not saying that the removal of a feature via a firmware update isn't a little big stinky, but only that it's not going to be an issue for most.

  • parablax #23 2 years ago

    For anyone who has installed the update - does it automatically reclaim the linux disk partition for the PS3 OS?

  • rotmm #24 2 years ago

    @MaoZedong, "That's an internet myth."

    Not exactly. It's true that, back in 2000 and for a few years afterwards, there was a significant benefit to classifying the PS2 as a computer and not a games console in the EU, so much so that Sony went to court in the UK (and, I believe, other EU countries) to fight exactly that case.

    As a poster above me said, they didn't win. But in the UK alone, Sony were hoping for a €50m rebate from the taxman if they could get the PS3 reclassified. This was finally thrown out in the UK courts in 2006, well after Sony announced that the PS3 was also going to be "a computer" and would be able to "run Linux".

  • Dave52 #25 2 years ago

    Big thanks goes to Geohot... twat...

  • ps3owner #26 2 years ago

    @jellyhead

    good point. what happens to all the ppl that actually use the PS3 for rendering + as a cheap supercomputer (maybe OTT) alternative?! will sony make an exception? doubt it. hm.

    @loveless
    good point as well. in the good ol days you were able to keep what you bought... nowadays you purchase something unfinished and if you are lucky they'll fix it for the next 4-5 years and then start removing unwanted stuff... god this pisses me off.

    personally I haven't used the linux partition, no need for it, but still. selling it with that feature and then removing it in retrospect is quite dubious.

  • Dan234 #27 2 years ago

    I suppose Nintendo should have pulled GC compatibility from the Wii as soon as Team Twiizers gave their talk saying they used it to look at what was in the Wii's memory? It wouldn't have worked anyway, the cat was out of the bag, as it is now.

    By the way, you can connect the PS3s on firmware earlier than 3.21 to PSN through a proxy and avoid the forced update...

  • septimus #28 2 years ago

    Errr... who cares?

  • xexuxjy #29 2 years ago

    Why blame Geohot when it's Sony making this decision?

  • Dizzy #30 2 years ago

    What will be next to disappear from the PS3? I find it funny to compare the current machines to the big loaded original. About 40% left.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 09:39

  • Dave52 #31 2 years ago

    xexuxjy: "Why blame Geohot when it's Sony making this decision?"

    Because Sony have had their hand forced on this. If Geohot et al hadn't used this function to hack the PS3, Sony would've left it in place.

  • IronGiant #32 2 years ago

    If hackers weren't attacking the system through the other OS option then it wouldn't be removed, simple. Piracy would be a big problem if allowed so they're stopping it before it gets started. 40% left? Is there no end to the bullshit you type.

  • Dean #33 2 years ago

    @rottmm As a poster above me said, they didn't win. But in the UK alone, Sony were hoping for a €50m rebate from the taxman if they could get the PS3 reclassified. This was finally thrown out in the UK courts in 2006, well after Sony announced that the PS3 was also going to be "a computer" and would be able to "run Linux".

    Close. But cigarless. The case that was thrown out in 2006 was related to tax for previous years up to 2004. By the time PS3 came out, there was nothing to claim for.. Read http://m.reghardware .co.uk/2006/06/20/ps... if you want further clarification.

    The main point, if you look at that page and think 'TLDR', is:

    "Since 2004 the issue has been irrelevant since neither classification of machine has attracted import duty since then."
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 09:59

  • Gurgeh #34 2 years ago

    Speaking of Geohot:

    [link url=http:// arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/03/hacker-vows-to-fight-son y-ps3-update-restore-linux-support.ars
    ]http://ar stechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/...[/link]

    "GeoHot is now threatening to release custom firmware for the system, which is quite the escalation from what was previously available from the hacking community. "I never intended to touch [custom firmware], but if that's how you want to play..." Hotz wrote on his blog"

  • EvilBob_leeds #35 2 years ago

    "What will be next to disappear from the PS3? I find it funny to compare the current machines to the big loaded original. About 40% left. "

    Single most retarded comment on here. About 40% left? What are you tallking about? Did pull this number out of the same orofice as your "3dtv is 99% certain to fail" perchance?
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 10:33

  • SL33PY #36 2 years ago

    I won't miss Linux on the PS3 for a second, it was a cool possibility, but nothing more. I do miss backwards compatibility on all new hardware. I'm a lucky owner of an old phat system with BC, but if it dies I won't be able to play any PS2 games, since I gave away my PS2 after getting the PS3

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #37 2 years ago

    "Piracy would be a big problem if allowed"

    What, like it has been on 360 and DS and Wii, you mean?

    PS3 is piracy-proof. It's also the worst selling of all the mainstream consoles, despite starting from a position of total and utter crushing market dominance. Come on, you can do it. Make the connection.

  • EvilBob_leeds #38 2 years ago

    ^ Correlation != causation

    With a decrease in the number of pirates(as in yarr scurvy dog, not warez), there has been an increase in global warming over the same period.
    Therefore, global warming is caused by a lack of pirates.
    Edited by 2 at 01/04/10 @ 10:48

  • markmitt #39 2 years ago

    Geohot is simply a hacker who is interested in seeing what makes the PS3 tick. It has nothing to do with game piracy.The trouble is that when he went public with his findings, it has forced Sonys hand into the removal of this feature, for the fear of other hackers getting what they wanted all along. Pirated games. There was no other other option for Sony on this matter I believe...

  • luckyse7en #40 2 years ago

    How can trust a company that steals features you paid for?

  • Murton #41 2 years ago

    This thread is turning out exactly as I expected it to. It's not like Sony have pulled a primary feature used by everyone, they've pulled something they threw in as a little something extra, that extra has been abused and it's only right that Sony protect its property, if that means pulling the feature, so be it. There are however some major misunderstandings surrounding the issue.

    1: the only users who rely on Linux would be those using the PS3 for its processing power in various research fields. These organisations likely won't be using them for entertainment and thus won't be affected.

    2: Geohot may or may not have hacked the PS3 (his "proof" falls well short of proving a proper hack) but he did publically expose a potential exploit that may one day prove fatal to the PS3 if its development continues.

    3: OtherOS was a security risk long before Geohot went anywhere near it. There is linux software out there to rip Blu-Ray movies, as Sony has a massive stake in BD tech and its film studios release on the format, it makes sense to try and shut down the easiest method of BD piracy.

    Bottom line, it isn't really a big deal. To those who actually used Linux it's a kick in the nuts sure, but is Linux on the PS3 really that important?

  • dedalus05 #42 2 years ago

    EarlBassett - Comment No. 41. The PS3 does not have .srt support, but if you want to watch movies with subtitles on your PS3 this free app is essential. It is quick (two mins per movie, and simple to use). Works with IDX/SUB files too.

    <a href="http://www.c alcitapp.com/AVIAddXSubs.php
    ">http://www.c alcitapp.com/AVIAddXSubs.php
    </a>

    I have found it indispensable.

    Denis

    Edited for clarity.
    Edited by 2 at 01/04/10 @ 10:58

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #43 2 years ago

    "Correlation != causation "

    Indeed not. But the entire history of videogaming platforms consistently shows us that the hardest ones to pirate on are the ones that sell the least. PS1 easy, Saturn and N64 hard - PS1 wins. DS easy, PSP hard - DS wins. PS2 and DC easy, Gamecube hard - Gamecube loses. 360 and Wii easy, PS3 hard - PS3 loses. After a certain number of decades you have to stop pretending that it's coincidence.

  • Dan234 #44 2 years ago

    @markmitt

    Geohot is simply a hacker who is interested in seeing what makes the PS3 tick. It has nothing to do with game piracy.The trouble is that when he went public with his findings, it has forced Sonys hand into the removal of this feature, for the fear of other hackers getting what they wanted all along. Pirated games. There was no other other option for Sony on this matter I believe...

    Really? Don't you think it's more like now the reasons for the update have been so widely publicised people interested in pirating games are just going to not update in case the possibility comes along in the future and Sony has only made life difficult for everyone else?

    They could have kept quiet, worked on a proper patch, and slipped it in the next update.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 11:50

  • EvilBob_leeds #45 2 years ago

    Reverend

    Errr.. well no as it happens.

    PS3 has consitently sold more than the 360 since it was released.

    The Dreamcast (which just required a disk to play pirated games rather than a chip iirc) was a) discontinued right about when the Gamecube was released and was therefore up against the N64 which sold some 30 million and wasn't really piratable b) and only sold an undeservedly low 10 mil anyway.

    And the PSP is piss easy to jailbreak.

    Caveat I am not a pirate.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 12:27

  • Akuma #46 2 years ago

    @Dave52

    If you're going to moronically moan, at least get his name right.

    Anyone that uses Linux will just wait the very small amount of time for George Hotz to release a hack so we can carry on using Linux.

    Sony's reaction was stupid anyway, all they're doing is forcing CFW which was never intended in the first place. At the end of the day, no one looses out. People that never used Linux will never even notice it's gone and people that do will just upgrade using CFW.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #47 2 years ago

    "PS3 has consitently sold more than the 360 since it was released. "

    Absolute cobblers. If that was true it would have caught up by now. Whereas in fact, the PS3 has been out for three and a half years and the gap between it and the 360 is around 6 million, in other words almost exactly the same as it was the day the PS3 was released. And it falls further behind the Wii with every passing day.

    "And the PSP is piss easy to jailbreak. "

    Current PSPs (the 3000 and the Go) are currently pirate-proof as far as I know. And the earlier models were vastly more complicated to crack (special batteries, special memory cards, scary and often incomprehensible firmware hacking) than the DS, which merely required the purchase of a flashcart.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 12:35

  • EvilBob_leeds #48 2 years ago

    Absolute cobblers. If that was true it would have caught up by now.

    No it wouldn't. The sales of both consoles have followed a bell curve, not a straight line. And in any case since the release of the Slim the PS3 has been demolishing the 360 in sales. You're just making shit up now.

    Current PSPs (the 3000 and the Go) are currently pirate-proof as far as I know

    PSP3000 is still susceptible ot the battery hack. Which is frankly piss simple.
    Edited by 3 at 01/04/10 @ 12:46

  • makeamazing #49 2 years ago

    Yay cant wait to apply this new patch... :)

    It really isnt a big deal as far as i am concerned, if i really wanted to install Linux i would just use a PC... though some people are making mountains out of molehills (threatning to sue Sony etc).

  • makeamazing #50 2 years ago

    But the entire history of videogaming platforms consistently shows us that the hardest ones to pirate on are the ones that sell the least

    OK there is some serious flaws in your logic, firstly when products are released and the cost they are released, and the games that they have are way more important on which one is easiest to hack. The PS3 suffered as everyone knows because Sony held the console back to put BR into it, and that also made it a major expense, but even with that, its generally matched the Xbox (based on yearly sales).

  • loveless #51 2 years ago

    @Rev. Stuart Campbell

    So, the fact that the Wii was easily the cheapest console, and offered a different kind of gaming experience had nothing to do with how many it sold?

    The Xbox 360's cheaper price, and much earlier launch had nothing to do with it's sales lead?

    Sony's marketing and the fact that it was the first console to have hardware 3d acceleration had nothing to do with PS1's success?

    Nintendo's recognised history in handheld gaming, and backwards compatibility with Gameboy Advance had nothing to do with DS's success?

    OK, no doubt that the DS has 'enjoyed' more hardware sales than it would have done if it didn't have piracy, but it would still be the dominant handheld without the pirate market.

    It's simply not true that piracy = mass hardware sales, and no piracy = no hardware sales. Successful consoles are successful because of their legitimate use.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #52 2 years ago

    "It's simply not true that piracy = mass hardware sales, and no piracy = no hardware sales."

    Actually, it almost always IS true. What can be debated is, as previously noted, correlation and causation.

    "Successful consoles are successful because of their legitimate use. "

    See, this is where your argument is so much shitter than mine. You have ABSOLUTELY NO grounds for that statement. (Unless you've conducted a survey of all console owners, of course.) You don't have the FAINTEST IDEA why any given console has been bought by its owner. My conclusions can be debated, but at least they're supported at the most basic level by hard verified facts, rather than your pulled-out-of-your-arse opinion about why people bought Console A.

    PS2 outsold Xbox by 6:1. To throw that lead away in a single generation requires several factors to be at play, and lumping it all onto price is pretty stupid. Being relatively cheap didn't save the Dreamcast. And incidentally, almost EVERYONE (though not me) predicted that the PSP would smash the DS, regardless of Nintendo's handheld pedigree. There's an awful lot of 20/20 hindsight on show here.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #53 2 years ago

    "The sales of both consoles have followed a bell curve, not a straight line. And in any case since the release of the Slim the PS3 has been demolishing the 360 in sales."

    ...yet somehow without managing to make any impression on the 360's lead, which has remained almost completely stable since the day the PS3 was released.

  • EvilBob_leeds #54 2 years ago

    No it hasn't reamined stable at all. The lead sneaked out to 8-9 million and then shrank again, and is now down to 5.5 million. As you'd expect if you laid two bell curves with different origins over each other.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 13:58

  • Invisible_Cow #55 2 years ago

    Although it's an interesting point, the 'easy to pirate = better sales' argument isn't necessarily relevant here. Unless I'm mistaken, Sony still make a loss on every PS3 sold, so they care more about sales of peripherals than base units. I'm willing to go out on a limb here and say that most people seriously using Linux on PS3s are probably using it as part of a server farm or somesuch, and hence not buying any/many peripherals for it. Therefore, most PS3s running Linux are not profitable for Sony, so it's no great loss to them if they piss those people off by removing support.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #56 2 years ago

    "No it hasn't reamined stable at all. The lead sneaked out to 8-9 million and then shrank again, and is now down to 5.5 million. As you'd expect if you laid two bell curves with different origins over each other."

    Your statement:

    "PS3 has CONSISTENTLY sold more than the 360 since it was released"

    (My emphasis, and spelling correction.)

    Regardless of whether there'd been a bell curve or not (and in fact despite your assertion there HASN'T been any such thing, sales of all three machines are on fairly flat lines with big spikes every Christmas - http://tinyurl. com/notquiteabellcurve if the PS3 had CONSISTENTLY been outselling Xbox 360 since release then it would have cut the lead with every passing month. In fact, the truth is this:

    Sales gap on the day of the PS3 launch: 5.35m <a href="http://tinyurl.com/360v sps3-1">http://tinyurl.com/360v sps3-1
    </a>
    Sales gap today: 5.53m <a href="http://tinyurl.com/360v sps3-2">http://tinyurl.com/360v sps3-2
    </a>

    In other words, the gap between the two machines has grown BIGGER since the PS3 was launched. There may indeed have been fluctuations in that gap over time. But your assertion that the PS3 has "consistently sold more than the 360 since it was released" is simply a great big fat pile of shite.

    It has essentially failed to reduce the 360's lead by so much as a single unit in three and a half years on sale, something which would plainly not be the case had it been "consistently" outselling it for that period of time. See if you can get a grown-up to explain how arithmetic works to you. Here's a clue: it's not by just trying to sound all clever and mature by using maths terms.
    Edited by 2 at 01/04/10 @ 16:30

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #57 2 years ago

    "Therefore, most PS3s running Linux are not profitable for Sony, so it's no great loss to them if they piss those people off by removing support."

    Was anybody saying that it was?

  • K1LLAY #58 2 years ago

    Losing Other OS or wait for CFW? Hmm, decisions, decisions...

  • EvilBob_leeds #59 2 years ago

    Good grief. Right OK, we'll use vgchartz then They're not amazingly accurate, but they do correct against NPD, so they'll do for the purposes of this. I'll explain this in nice simple terms. Look at this;

    Linky 1

    You see the gap between the green line and the red line? The one that's growing? There is where you're clearly wrong.

    You see how the gradient of the X360s line and PS3 s line increases not only in fits and bursts but as a general trend? There's the bellcurve.

    Now look at this;

    Linky 2

    Look at the numbers around April last year. There's where the gap grew to 9 million.

    End of.

    "consistently sold more than the 360 since it was released"

    You've misread something ambiguously worded. Allow me to clarify - the it refers to the 360, not the PS3. Hence linky 1.

    And before criticizing the spelling of others, learn to post links properly.

    See if you can get a grown-up to explain how arithmetic works to you. Here's a clue: it's not by just trying to sound all clever and mature by using maths terms.

    Good one. See above.
    Edited by 5 at 01/04/10 @ 14:59

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #60 2 years ago

    Ah, I see. So in fact when you said the PS3 had been "consistently outselling the 360 since launch", what you meant was "the PS3's figures on a given date were higher than the 360's figures for roughly a year earlier". I feel such a fool now.

    The facts remain the same at the end of the day, no matter which twisted set of special phrasing you try to use: after three and a half years of the PS3 "consistently outselling" the 360, the 360's lead is BIGGER now than it was the day before the PS3 launched. That's a very strange sort of consistent outselling.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #61 2 years ago

    Oh, and:

    "You see how the gradient of the X360s line and PS3 s line increases? There's the bellcurve. "

    That's not a bellcurve, you fucking idiot. It will almost certainly BECOME a bellcurve in years to come (though that's not actually guaranteed), right now it's just a curve.

  • mingster #62 2 years ago

    I actually do believe the theory that people buy consoles that they can get cheap/free software for.
    Would you buy a NeoGeo knowing you had to pay £100+ a cart? No, nor did most people.
    The PS3 has not been outselling the 360 if that was the case it would be catching up with the installed 360 base. It isn't.
    Would you buy a PSPGo and pay for software or get a DS and get an R4? hmmm difficult decision.
    Why don't multiformat versions of PS3 software sell more than the 360 version if you can't copy the PS3 version?

  • EvilBob_leeds #63 2 years ago

    It's contrived to say over the same time period the PS3 has outsold the 360? Yeah yeah, well contrived. So contrived, in fact, that the "Hardware from Launch" graph is one of the default ones views Vgchartz offer, right next to "Hardware by date". Oh, you where thinking it was a fair comparison to take two consoles with releases of a year (over a year in Europe) apart and compare them without taking that into account? Because by that logic the Gamecube was kicking the shit out of the Xbox 360 for a very long time you know *facepalm*

    "It will almost certainly BECOME a bellcurve in years to come"

    Really? You looked it up what one is? Bravo. So it's the first portion of a bell curve. Well done. Can we strike off the bit where you said "sales of all three machines are on fairly flat lines with big spikes every Christmas"
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 15:25

  • mingster #64 2 years ago

    I'm sure a bell curve goes up, flattens off and down again.
    Surely the PS3 sales aren't a bell curve yet but as Rev says eventually will be.
    I would say you are more of a Bell-End using bell curve to describe an upward gradient.

  • EvilBob_leeds #65 2 years ago

    And I'd say you're less funny than xianxin ;-)
    Edited by 2 at 01/04/10 @ 15:44

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #66 2 years ago

    "It's contrived to say over the same time period the PS3 has outsold the 360?"

    That's not what you said, of course. You said it had "consistently outsold the 360 since launch", when in fact what you meant was "has outsold what the 360's figures were a year previously, and is as far behind the 360 now as it ever has been".

    None of which is in the slightest way relevant to the point I was making anyway, which is that the PS3 has unquestionably thrown away the vast, commanding lead Sony had over Microsoft in the previous generation (fact), and that the inability of the console to run pirated games is a significant part of the reason for that (opinion). So quite why you're droning on about it is anyone's guess.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #67 2 years ago

    "So it's the first portion of a bell curve. Well done. Can we strike off the bit where you said "sales of all three machines are on fairly flat lines with big spikes every Christmas""

    If you think this is what a bell looks like, I hope you don't own a bell-repair shop.

    http://vg chartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=Wi...

  • EvilBob_leeds #68 2 years ago

    Well done for finally getting how to post links! Shame you never got the hang of the maths though :-( Keep looking at this graph, you'll get it eventually.

    If it makes you feel better I'm pretty sure the first part of a bell curve is known as the hockey stick. However It doesn't look much like a hockey stick! There's also a curve called a parabola. Unfortunately that doesn't look a tool album either.
    Edited by 3 at 01/04/10 @ 16:00

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #69 2 years ago

    It's not my fault if EG's retarded comments system appends crap onto the end of links that wasn't there when they were entered. I'm not the one who can't count, though.

    5.3m gap + 3.5 years "consistent outselling" != 5.5m gap.

  • Stop-gap #70 2 years ago

    It's a shame for some, but hardly a great loss. Playstations have always lost features, usually physical ports, as time went by and new revisions came out.

  • streetjo1 #71 2 years ago

    This can't be permanent because as kingcrowbar said they should of informed you of what the update is going to do. It has to be temporary until they can find a permanent fix to the hack

  • vizzini #72 2 years ago

    Passed on today's update, while waiting to see if Eurogamer can get an official comment from Sony regarding alternative Cell BE development initiatives for non industry developers.

    I imagine their default answer, will be to buy a slim and keep the old system at 3.15.

    But what do I do for the next 6 months until I can budgeted for a slim purchase?

    Is there going to be a one time option, to return to 3.15 on the phat, for people who register a 2nd PS3 on their Playstation account in the next 12 months?

    That would be an optimal solution for me, as I've still got credit on PSN that I now can't access, and the other half will still want to finish the Blue Toad murder files episodes 4-6 when they arrive.

    6months without ps3 linux, is more realistic than 6months without PSN.

  • Theorendil #73 2 years ago

    OK to be honest i couldn't care less about this Other OS feature and i think that we're just making this matter WAY bigger than it deserves to be. It was never an essential feature of the PS3 or even an advertised one, it was just there... Sort of like the cigarette lighter on your car's dashboard. Does anyone have any comments on the update itself? Is everything running OK? Any bugs or problems we should be aware of?

  • Chupakun #74 2 years ago

    Ah well. I remembered how we spent hours trying to install Ubuntu on my roommate's PS3... Not a huge loss though.

  • FooAtari #75 2 years ago

    I have also held the same opinion as the Rev. Generally speaking the most successful hardware are also the ones that are relatively easy to pirate for, weather that be via downloading now or buying cheap games off your mate at the pub/down the market 15 years ago.

    People like to get stuff free/cheap, and if their mate tells them to get a PS over a N64 "cause you can get free games, init" they probably did so.

  • Theorendil #76 2 years ago

    OK im installing the new firmware as i type this and i noticed that before the installation starts there's a message warning Linux users about the effects of the update and it asks again if they want to proceed with it. So there is warning from Sony before the installation unlike what some other posters seem to suggest...

    BTW, Everything seems to be working fine after the update! The only problem i ran into was the difficulty to find any MW2 multiplayer games, but i guess that's to be expected during an update day...
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/10 @ 20:09

  • Dan234 #77 2 years ago

    @vizzini:

    Passed on today's update, while waiting to see if Eurogamer can get an official comment from Sony regarding alternative Cell BE development initiatives for non industry developers.

    I imagine their default answer, will be to buy a slim and keep the old system at 3.15.

    I can imagine that it won't be "Google Logan5's proxy tool"...
    Edited by 2 at 02/04/10 @ 11:56

  • spiritsnake #78 2 years ago

    to all the people complaining about not being secure that a newer design revision could remove something,doesnt the small print on the documentation that comes with the console say "design and specifications subject to change without any prior notice" most electronic devices have that,if you're not happy with that term then dont buy any of the devices!!!

  • F3nNec #79 2 years ago

    geohot is not hot anymore... bravo Sony [x

  • spiritsnake #80 2 years ago

    i kinda agree with Rev's theory.ive thought that myself many times because i see it happening in my country.the ps1 and ps2 sold by the shit load,gamecube was hardly seen in any store except 2,thats 2 stores in the whole country had a gamecube.at the moment the 360 is flying off the shelves,the ps3 is not even stocked well.you can only buy it after asking the store to order a unit for you.and when you get its priced at $450 for the 120gig.the ps3 games are going for around 90$.i had to pay 100$ for god of war 3.so you see,the gamers in this country go for the console that can play pirated or copied games,and there are many places out there in the world that have the same type of population. personally a pirateable ps3 would be easier on my wallet,but deep inside i feel some pride knowing i have a piracy free machine. sony have my support in keeping it that way.

  • spiritsnake #81 2 years ago

    incase anyone feels to tell me why not i buy the games online,i tried a couple of sites but after entering my address i was informed that the site does not ship to that country.if anyone knows of a reputable online shopping site that can ship to Kenya,please let me know.

  • Luckz #82 2 years ago

    doesnt the small print on the documentation that comes with the console say "design and specifications subject to change without any prior notice" most electronic devices have that,if you're not happy with that term then dont buy any of the devices!!!

    Here at least they'd have to write that on the package. So you see it before you buy.

  • napalm68 #83 2 years ago

    I'm not trying to be rude or denigrade people who do use Linux on the PS3 (go for it by all means) but I never really understood the inclusion of the feature in the first place. I mean sony actually spent real money on building it in the first place.

    And I'm not real keen on them producing a mandatory update that doesn't actually bother even giving users something positive. I mean "Here is a new update you have to upload. New features: None. bugs fixed: None. Features removed: Install other OS". And if you have a slim you have a mandatory update that does nothing...

  • gjgjg #84 2 years ago

    boo

  • Pacman8MyGhostkart #85 2 years ago

    @Dave52 How do you know he is definitely responsible and this wasn't a long time coming? Last time I checked, Sony had phased Linux out on the Slim long before he went public.

    Also I'm in agreement with the good Rev. I spent the whole of last year Beijing and every man and his mother had a 360 for sale (games are only 35-70p) whilst you had to pretty much go to a specialist electronic shop to find a PS3. Get over it. People like the free stuff *remembers the old days of swapping copied Amiga discs and those techno tunes the hackers used*.

  • spiritsnake #86 2 years ago

    @Luckz
    well you have a point there,i checked and my region1 playstation 1 has it written on the box nice and clearly,same goes for my region2 PS2 fat and region 1 PS2 slim. my european ps3 slim doesnt have that anywhere on the box. dont know why sony omitted such a statement from the ps3 packaging.

  • o_ci2007 #87 2 years ago

    this has screwed my ps3. its not reading disks anymore.

  • laharl80 #88 2 years ago

    All hackers and pirates are twats who need shooting.They ruin things for the rest of us and drive up the cost of an already expensive hobby.

  • des #89 2 years ago

    This is not going to stop hacking attempts,it will do exact opposite.

  • spiritsnake #90 2 years ago

    well i hope no matter what hackers do,ps3 remains pirate proof,or i'll shiver some timbers.

  • sonmi451 #91 2 years ago

    will there ever be a PS3 update that will allow us to create and edit folders for our movies and pictures? i keep all our photos and movies on ours but have no easy way of organising them.

  • dfish #92 2 years ago

    Imagine how many developers would be pissed off if Sony didnt remove OtherOs functionality when they had the capability and later down the line a hack was released that enabled piracy. it would iirresponsible of sony not to remove use this seldom used feature. I dont think you'll here any complaints from devs about this decision. At least there will be one piracy free platform on the market even if its not the one they necessarily want.

  • spiritsnake #93 2 years ago

    shouldnt all you guys band together and neg the hell out of those spamming this section with dresses and sneakers and handbags?????i've already neg'd them.....

  • Bonders99 #94 2 years ago

    @ spiritsnake

    If the mods were doing their jobs properly, they'd have been removed by now.

    /Sighs

  • icematt12 #95 2 years ago

    One person on the EU community forums has sent an email to amazon concerning this issue and referring to a few legislation. The person got "compensation"of £84 from amazon, which by must be reimbursed by Sony. Check it out at link.

    The person posted the response from amazon on page 79 and I quoted the email sent to them on page 86.

    Finally got the link to work

    Edited by 5 at 03/04/10 @ 23:34

  • MaxiSleep #96 2 years ago

    @dfish

    You sir, are, an idiot.

  • dfish #97 2 years ago

    @Maxisleep
    at least put your commas in the correct place genius.

    Edited by 1 at 05/04/10 @ 17:26