Sony PS3 Firmware Update to cause severe headache to US Air Force

Published on May 14th,2010 at 6:38 PM
By >Akihabara News Team

Sony PS3 Firmware Update to cause severe headache to US Air Force

Category: Software - Tags: AIr Force, Firmware, GameOS, Linus, Ps3, Sony

PS3

You have probably heard about Sony’s recent firmware update (Firmware 3.30) which nicely prepares your PS3 gaming console for 3D gaming but with it also disabling it to run any OS other than this latest one (GameOS). It may not be much of a concern for us, the consumers who got their PS3 for Gaming purposes, anyways. But it is not the same case with US Air Force research Lab who as you may remember from our news back in November 2009 “US Air Force acquiring 2,200 Sony Play Station 3 to enhance its “Super Computer” , use thousands of PS3 in clusters for other purposes. Likewise, institutions using PS3 for scientific purposes are affected as they also have been using Linux OS instead of the Game OS. As with this sudden ban for Sony to protect its copyrighted content, in case of an imminent problem or if one device dies, it will be interrupting their ongoing-researches. And It is simply because there seems to be no solution as the new hardware and even the refurbished one will be coming with the latest firmware.

It seems acquiring PS3 for cost-effective reasons will ironically turn out to be effectively costly for them.

Via Ars Technica

9 Comments

Category Software

Sony PS3 Firmware Update to cause severe headache to US Air Force

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[14/5/2010 08:44]

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why would it interrupt their research? if theyre using it in clusters for research then they have no need to update the firmware since they dont use the game OS. just leave it as it is and continue the research exactly as before. i doubt any of them have even upgraded from the original firmware the ps3 was shipped with. this wont affect anyone in the scientific or military community at all.
- Daimaou – G-A.G
  
  What about then if you need to add more PS3 to the cluster or need to replace one or several? The company who provided these PS3 must have a support contract and they need to make sure that they can at any given time be able to do that.
VinTheDean

What makes you think that Sony has not kept these people in mind?

I am sure that Sony has an Old Version of the FW or Dual Firmware available. One for the masses (Basic PS3 Consumers) and One for the Institutions (Schools, AirForce, etc). They may have to go through some validation process but I am sure that they can provide these institutions with an older FW (or special FW) that has the feature available.
speculatrix

so, lots of cheap PS3s will hit ebay, and Sony will see no sales for a month until the DOD has cleared their stocks?
- hisashiKOU
  
  if that happens, then good for the people who’ve been waiting for cheap ps3′s
Kuya Che

im pretty sure ive read somewhere in the internet that Sony Computer said that they are willing to give special care for such institutions and create a special firmware for their ps3′s that still has Linux support. those with valid credentials will be given proper service by sony.
WiG

And this is news because??

If they are running Linux on PS3 already, why would they need to update their firmware?

Sony has stopped PS3-Fat production, and the new PS3-Slim has no Linux support since its first introduction last year.
- Mikael
  
  It matters because as it was already mentioned (and mentioned if you would have read the linked article about it) if any of their PS3s fail and need to be repaired/replaced they are returned with the NEW firmware on it. The Air Force is not the one updating the firmware. If they have the systems sent out to sony for repair, sony updates them before sending them back, and the new PS3 systems you can get retail already have the newest firmware on them.
Signal

I seriously doubt either of the following will convince Sony to restore the OtherOS feature but interesting to note that the decision did/will cost them some money. However insignificant the amount maybe to Sony, I’m sure it wasn’t planned on.

Due to this feature removal, if you live in the EU it appears you are eligible for a partial refund for your Playstation:

http://www.ps3news.com/PlayStation-3/european-law-grants-partial-refund-due-to-ps3-otheros-removal/

And in California a class action lawsuit has been filed against Sony for similar compensation:

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2010/04/playstation-3-owner-files-class-action-suit-against-sony-for-dropping-otheros/

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