New PS3 Firmware to Remove “Other OS” Feature
New PS3 Firmware to Remove “Other OS” Feature
March 29, 2010
Sony’s next PlayStation 3 firmware updated, scheduled for release on April 1, will remove the “Install Other OS” feature.
In a post on the PlayStation Blog announcing the new firmware (version 3.21), Patrick Seybold, Senior Director of Corporate Communication and Social Media, stated that the removal of the “Install Other OS” functionality was due to “security concerns.”
Seybold also wrote:
In addition, disabling the “Other OS” feature will help ensure that PS3 owners will continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a more secure system.
Sony’s firmware update could be a direct response to the work of tinkerer George Hotz, who claimed to have hacked the PS3 earlier this year, reportedly using the “Other OS” functionality as a lynch pin of his work.
For users who already have another operating system, such as Linux, running on their PS3, it was suggested that they could “choose not to upgrade their PS3 system,” which could effectively cripple the console when it comes to games that might require the new 3.21 firmware.
Sony did not include the “Other OS” feature in its refined PS3 Slim when it was released last September.
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Crispy Gamer
GamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 09/05/10 at 04:01pm
BearDogg-X: Adding to PHX Corp's link to the Salt Lake Tribune's opinion piece, it was written by Christopher Ferguson and it also urges Utah AG Mark Shurtleff to sign an amicus brief opposing California.
BearDogg-X: Adding to PHX Corp's link to the Salt Lake Tribune's opinion piece, it was written by Christopher Ferguson and it also urges Utah AG Mark Shurtleff to sign an amicus brief opposing California.
Posted 09/04/10 at 11:55pm
C. Aaron Browbowski Jr.: no way they euthanized a sick whale with c4, thats like the obama healthcare plan for the world, no i'm just kidding, let him bankrupt america :D
C. Aaron Browbowski Jr.: no way they euthanized a sick whale with c4, thats like the obama healthcare plan for the world, no i'm just kidding, let him bankrupt america :D
Posted 09/04/10 at 10:30pm
PHX Corp: PSA: The ECA forums(and GP website) are Not a Ad Toilet, plz do not Drop your Pants and poop out an ad on it(I'm going to end up Getting in trouble for a Toilet Joke)
PHX Corp: PSA: The ECA forums(and GP website) are Not a Ad Toilet, plz do not Drop your Pants and poop out an ad on it(I'm going to end up Getting in trouble for a Toilet Joke)
Posted 09/04/10 at 03:26pm
JDKJ: Does anyone recall exactly when Zippy came down out of the trees and mastered bi-pedalism?
JDKJ: Does anyone recall exactly when Zippy came down out of the trees and mastered bi-pedalism?
Posted 09/04/10 at 11:41am
PHX Corp: Attempt to revive video game law a waste of money opinion on salt lake tribune
PHX Corp: Attempt to revive video game law a waste of money opinion on salt lake tribune
Posted 09/03/10 at 04:31pm
Andrew Eisen: While a desire to conserve a particular marine ecosystem is a laudable goal, securing a 31-foot whale in the middle of it with a 10-ton anchor is probably not the best way to go about it.
Andrew Eisen: While a desire to conserve a particular marine ecosystem is a laudable goal, securing a 31-foot whale in the middle of it with a 10-ton anchor is probably not the best way to go about it.
Posted 09/03/10 at 04:01pm
ZippyDSMlee: Was thinking more of feedig dieing reefs ,ps life is suffering
ZippyDSMlee: Was thinking more of feedig dieing reefs ,ps life is suffering
Posted 09/03/10 at 03:35pm
Andrew Eisen: Number three, explosives are a hell of a lot cheaper, logistically feasible and humane then drowning a sick whale with a 10-ton anchor.
Andrew Eisen: Number three, explosives are a hell of a lot cheaper, logistically feasible and humane then drowning a sick whale with a 10-ton anchor.
Posted 09/03/10 at 03:25pm
Andrew Eisen: Unbelievable. Number one, reefs are in shallow water. Number two, they blew the damn thing up because they couldn't drag it into the water.
Andrew Eisen: Unbelievable. Number one, reefs are in shallow water. Number two, they blew the damn thing up because they couldn't drag it into the water.
Posted 09/03/10 at 03:13pm
ZippyDSMlee: Thats a waste of explosives drag it out to deep off to a reef and put a 10 ton anchor on it, here fishies feeding time!.
ZippyDSMlee: Thats a waste of explosives drag it out to deep off to a reef and put a 10 ton anchor on it, here fishies feeding time!.
Posted 09/03/10 at 11:07am
Andrew Eisen: ...and dozens of stray cats come running from all directions.
Andrew Eisen: ...and dozens of stray cats come running from all directions.
Posted 09/03/10 at 11:04am
Andrew Eisen: Hey, if it's too big to shoot, what recourse do we have but to blow it up?
Andrew Eisen: Hey, if it's too big to shoot, what recourse do we have but to blow it up?
Posted 09/03/10 at 11:01am
E. Zachary Knight: Did they get the idea from the SImpsons?
E. Zachary Knight: Did they get the idea from the SImpsons?
Posted 09/03/10 at 10:55am
Andrew Eisen: Australia: Sick whale euthanized with explosives. No kidding. Video included.
Andrew Eisen: Australia: Sick whale euthanized with explosives. No kidding. Video included.
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:19pm
Andrew Eisen: Seems so. Hence my lack of surprise.
Andrew Eisen: Seems so. Hence my lack of surprise.
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:14pm
E. Zachary Knight: AE: But isn't that what it normally takes for people in power to make stupid decisions?
E. Zachary Knight: AE: But isn't that what it normally takes for people in power to make stupid decisions?
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:12pm
Andrew Eisen: Sadly, but not surprisingly, it sounds like the decision was based on nothing more than “I heard on the internet you can play as the Taliban.”
Andrew Eisen: Sadly, but not surprisingly, it sounds like the decision was based on nothing more than “I heard on the internet you can play as the Taliban.”
Posted 09/02/10 at 04:09pm
Andrew Eisen: I take it the service folk are unable to decide for themselves whether MOH is something they want to purchase and play. Good thing there's someone to make such tough decisions for them.
Andrew Eisen: I take it the service folk are unable to decide for themselves whether MOH is something they want to purchase and play. Good thing there's someone to make such tough decisions for them.
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Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
Ummmm.......... didn't they sell this thing for tis computing options?
BTW its not lunix they are using to hack the DRM....its the hardware itself.....
Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy! CP/IP laws should not effect the daily life of common people! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
I thought that that was the PS2.
That was obviously a terrible idea. Was probably forced into the feature set by some bozo in Marketing. It's like adding an "click here to hack" button.
I think it was a great idea. At least from a user's standpoint. Sure it makes security harder but it also means you can add a PC to your home theatre setup without having to physically add a PC.
Not that there's a ton of extra functionality you'd want that the PS3 doesn't already give you.
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Chris Kimberley
Chris, a lot of people at the PS Blog are really not happy about this. that article at the blog got lower then 4 box rating (it's at 1.64 box rating).
Also I think this is a April's Fool joke. Since when did other OS are security risk. I don't remember any article about PS3 getting hack in by going into PS3 "other OS" feature. I bet you by tomorrow, I'm going to hear Sony announcing on PS Blog saying "April's Fool. the 3.21 doesn't exist instead. We're giving you a new real update. we're giving you Cross game voice chat, Software Emulation for PS2 game. Enjoy April's Fool everybody."
"[...]disabling the “Other OS” feature will help ensure bla bla bla[...]
He thinks were completely dump. Everyone knows that this is a lie.
They are removing a advertised feature. A feature that people paid for. Nothing else. Thanks for crippling my PS3.
Hey Sony. You should disable the BluRay drive because of "security concerns". One game might contain a possible exploit. So you should prevent playing games on the PS3.
This, right here. There's no way I could possibly see increased security coming that couldn't have kept the "other OS" function.
This is just another reason why the PS3 is a pile of garbage, and the company that makes it is a pile of garbage, too.
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You KILL Vampires. You don't DATE them.
Wow, a nice unbiased opinion there. All I hope is that the rest of the openness of the console isnt removed (such as using 3rd party memory storage) which puts MS's overly-restricted Xbox 360 to shame.
Give it time.
Well, for one, it makes sense now why they did remove the option to use those cards...how would the system recognize the flash drives within them after the new update is added on April 6th that allows you to use any flash drive (and some USB HDDs) for storage and gameplay on the system? So while they blocked an unlicensed third-party accessory, they are adding in a new feautre in its place that will make things easier for people.
The Wii has only removed loopholes for adding modded content to their system. No features have been removed that were there from purchase, only background things that allowed external code to run. They did make a change in the music system for the Photo Channel, but they made that optional...no other contect is blocked should you decide to not get it. They also added in new features for using external memory and playing games from said memory, which expanded the systems use and gave a cheaper option to store more games.
This whole thing with the PS3 is just removing an option from the system that they sold to people as a bullet point. While this only exists on the older models (the PS3 Slim was sold without the Other OS option...but it was made clear by Sony beforehand which is fine), people bought the older PS3 and used Linux in order to make it a cheaper option for a media center setup (including myself). From what I have seen, the ways to "crack" the PS3 don't actually use Linux (thought I do understand you can use it to run ROMs and such...it's basically a small PC at that point...people will try and run the NES and SNES on everything now). Now if they did find a way to hack the PS3 via Linux, they need to find a workaround other than just completely removing a feature, that while I admit I'm in the lower ends of the numbers of people that use the option, was a point for me finally getting my PS3 when I did (along with backwards compatibility). This just sets an example that if a feature is given...Sony has no issue taking it. Whats next, someone finds a way to use an old PS2 game on the older systems (again..these aren't the higher volume sold newer models...but the expensive older ones only affected by this change) will they just remove backwards compatibility to "protect" themselves? I'm just tired of having things taken away with the PS3, but they are slow to add in even the basic things people ask for like cross game chat.
Thanks for the rant, can't wait for a response.
Zen aka Jeremy Powers
www.ZensPath.com/WordPress
Xbox Live Gamertag: "Zen of the Dark"
PSN Gamertag: "Zenspath"
Wii System Code: "4919 8280 4221 9114"
So according to you when Nintendo use firmware updates to disable piracy-enabling things on the Wii, good for them.
When Sony do the same thing on the PS3, it turns the PS3 into a pile of garbage along with Sony? That's amusing.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Stop a crack without changing anything for the consumers on the console...that's fine. We get PC patches all the time that stop people from doing things they aren't supposed to do and nobody complains.
Start removing features for people...that's when I start having a problem.
Zen aka Jeremy Powers
www.ZensPath.com/WordPress
Xbox Live Gamertag: "Zen of the Dark"
PSN Gamertag: "Zenspath"
Wii System Code: "4919 8280 4221 9114"
Exactly. The Wii was never advertised as being accessible to homebrew. The PS3 WAS advertised as having an option, that is now taken out "for security concerns," with no address to what those security concerns are.
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You KILL Vampires. You don't DATE them.
Here is what I have said elsewhere:
Is it a security risk? Yes for the content providers, but I do not see how this can be a security risk for the end user. You know the content consumers. And that is how they are describing this patch, as a security risk for end users.
They should tell it like it is and tell the world that the only reason they are removing the feature is because it can be used to bypass their Blu-ray DRM.
I also love the iron fisted way they are pushing the patch. Update or lose complete future functionality of your game system.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
But don't they all pull the same trick. Don't update and you lose future functionality as well as current online capabilities (which coming from a software developer's POV I find completely acceptable). Microsoft pretty much forced the pointless avatar system (and worse GUI) onto everyone.
"(and worse GUI)"
I disagree, I like the interface now. And at least the avatar system didn't take away options, just forced a few extra ones.
If Microsoft added the ability to add Linux or Windows onto their 360, it would essentially be perfect, and I doubt Microsoft would be stupid enough to take it away just in the name of "security."
-Optimum est pati quod emendare non possis-It is best to endure what you cannot change-
I find the new interface a pain. With nearly all Microsoft products the belief that simplifing the interface makes it easier is wrong. IE removed the menu bar (options exist and registry hacks exist to return it to its correct location), Office the ribbon, Xbox the simple blades system removed and a new system added meaning that it takes a lot longer to get to basic functions (such as clearing out the HDD, or setting other basic options).
Don't know if it is related, but I heard of a few hacking cases (my father works as a network architect, and works mainly on security) where PS3 were used as "zombies". I don't know the details, but having the linux OS probably makes it easier (this is just an hypothesis on my part, though).
And from what I know, PS3 are favored by hackers because they're much cheaper than a personal computer.
I could be wrong, but this could be the security risk that they're talking about.
Okay, I would love to be credited my money back for buying into an expensive system with this feature.
Well, I'll give it abotu a week, probably less, before hackers find a new method.
I have one url to respond to that quote.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlatantLies
You've probably got as much chance of successfully suing Sony for this as you have for successfully suing them over the Star Wars Galaxies New Game Enhancement fiasco. That is to say, none at all because their EULA gives them carte blanche to do this.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
The first of what month is the date near to?
I smell a joke/hoax.
I think so too, it would extremely silly of them to remove the feature, since it's actually a technological step backwards from Sonys ideals of a single home entertainment centre, whilst I wouldn't be entirely surprised if Sony showed that kind of lack of busniness acumen, as their past performance has shown, I agree that this is probably some kind of bad joke.