It has been over a year since Sony released a firmware that disabled the OtherOS function on the PS3, several people at the time took court case’s, but none as yet have been fruitful, it seems that Sony has won in removing its OtherOS, or has it.
Just recently the Norwegian, Consumer Council has stated that the removal of OtherOS breaks its marketing act, Thomas Nortvedt from the Consumer Council, states that consumers have very little rights when it comes to games consoles he also states that the Consumer Council, should set an example of how much a company should be allowed to strip away from a machine, here is a roughly translated quote from the source:
Consumer Council are now choosing to complain about the game console PlayStation 3, the Consumer Ombudsman. It is after they received several complaints in 2010 that they have chosen to go through the terms of use for the machine, and thus argue that Sony marketing violates the Act.
According to the Consumer Council is the removal of the feature that gave consumers the ability to install Linux as the core of the matter.
- Consumer Council received during 2010 several complaints about a software update for PlayStation 3, which removed the ability to use other operating system other than the manufacturer’s own. The change meant that consumers, including lost opportunity to install Linux and use the console as a normal PC for web surfing, playing legal copies of films or music, or use another software chosen, according to the Consumer Council.
It was in April 2010 that Sony updated the hardware on the PlayStation 3 machines, where they removed the ability to install alternative operating systems. This function has previously been completely open and supported by Sony.
If consumers still want to play PS3 games have no real opportunity to turn down the update – because newer games require the latest version of the hardware update. The removal of this feature should also have been the motivation for the hacker George “Geohot” Hotz recently “opened” the PS3 machine for all time.
Right Resolve consumers
According to Thomas Nortvedt from the Consumer Council, owners of gaming consoles has very few rights.
- When the Sony via the web link to the game console can remove significant properties under the guise that this is an update, so it shows how poorly made the digital consumer in reality, “said Nortvedt in a statement.
- Sony gives itself the right to modify or remove features of the game console of their well-being. We consider this as an obvious violation of the Marketing Act and not least in confidence between producer and consumer.
He adds that there are examples where manufacturers exploit consumers’ lack of rights to remove features, without the consumer’s ability to turn down the changes.
Nortvedt believes it must set an example of how much can be stripped away from a product.
- There must be a limit to what can be considered reasonable changes in the products we buy. Terms of agreement which provides manufacturers free to downgrade the product or reduce the functionality is unreasonable and in violation of the law, “said Thomas Nortvedt in the press release.
- When it used terms such as updates and upgrades, arouses the legitimate expectation that the quality of the product gets better, not that you risk being left with an inferior product.
NB! The lawyer representing Nordisk Film Interactive had no opportunity to comment on this matter to the press four.
According to Nordisk Film Interactive, which is the supplier of the PlayStation 3, there are just under 400,000 PlayStation 3 machines in Norwegian homes.
Thomas Nortvedt
For those of you interested, here is more information on the Norwegian Consumer Agency
Thanks to Multibluesboy and advocatusdiaboli for the tip
01-27-2011
12:56 PM
Glad to see that people are still looking into this.
01-27-2011
12:57 PM
Well hopefully at some point the courts do take consumers side. The case against Geo and Fail is going to be a big stepping stone for consumers if Sony loses and we can hopefully finally get back what we've loss.
01-27-2011
01:00 PM
It would be fun to see that except for kicking itself in the ass by motivating people to hack the PS3, Sony might also get a hefty fine for their decision to remove the otherOS option.
Serves them right!!!...I paid a lot of money for a Console/PC when I bought the PS3 shortly after its release just to have it downgraded to a simple Console not even two years later.
01-27-2011
01:05 PM
Sony please put OtherOS back in <3. firmware 4.0? :D
01-27-2011
01:09 PM
Ha Ha Sonys not gonna like this!!!! 1st the hackers crack 3.55, & we can all go online & have access to PSN & it wont be long till 3.56 will be cracked open too. Maybe the next update we will get OtherOS back? Not that i would use it but thats not the point!
Awwww poor Sony :thefinger:
01-27-2011
01:11 PM
I had to buy a second console for games/psn.
So even if they restored OOS tomorrow its pointless for me to stay legit now.
01-27-2011
01:16 PM
Well they are right to think that way, like many said ; Sony PlayStation 3 is the only console I know that actually loses features along it's lifespan instead of gaining some (well, besides ps move, but I'd rather get otherOS than this crap)
Personally Im not into standing in front of my tv when I turn the console on, i'd rather be sitting comfortably on my couch and use the good old controler.
And well, all in all, Sony is pretty agressive when it comes to hacking, I wonder if they changed their mind on open-source softwares that my TV runs on, since the otherOS (Geohot) incident.
To me, 60 gb launch model (my actual paperweight due to some YLOD) was the best console ever made. it had linux, 4 usb port, backward compatibility, more ram, a god damn switch (love switches) the card reader, some will say it was superficial but I liked it, the way I could just put any type of support in my ps3, and the shape was extremely beautifull. It was superior to xbox and wii in every way. It was shaped to be a super computer with superior graphics design.
Now with the slim model, it looks like a low cheap-made console, that lost half of the usb, killed the switch, system update killed Linux and oh yeah, no more ps2, less ram.....no more card readers, I'm kinda tired of being laughed at.
It was supposed to be the greatest gaming console ever made. And it was...
01-27-2011
01:16 PM
sony have stripped the ps3 naked throughout the years
1.they removed ps2 compatibility, (sacd compatibility aswell but who cares! lol)
2.removed 2 usb ports
3.memory card slots
4.linux support (other os) support
5. ntfs support (can't support playback of files bigger than 4gb)
now we're left with a smaller, far more uglier version of a ps3, the wifi is still only wireless G speeds, no ntfs support so anything over 4gb won't play. Its no longer a decent media centre as it can't stream fast enough wirelessly & can't playback HD movie files (which are usually bigger than 4gb)
looks like sony have gone back in time because the ps3 slim looks like a sega mega drive lol. and its a very limited & closed system
all for the sake of earning a lil more cash.
They never focused on improving software such as updating the plain xmb menu,
online features are very basic, no in game party chat, unique profiles are very poor. And overall psn service is lame.
Whereas xbl are taking the online experience to another level, with a much better service thats worth paying for. also now the 360 slim has wireless n and more usb ports. 360 maybe a very closed system but there're a lot a features that keep consumers happy.
ps3 needs to be jailbroken for it to be a decent console.
i am not a fanboy i have both 360 & ps3 but atm i prefer 360 alot more, mainly due to its online service because im more of an online gamer.
01-27-2011
01:18 PM
The worst thing in this case is probably that if people choose to stay on 3.15 like I do, we are not able to play online, and that is a service reduction too.
This way the consumer looses something choosing any option.
************* [ - Post Merged - ] *************
adding exFAT or ext4 support on the other hand...
01-27-2011
01:46 PM
Sonys not gonna give us anything.. they boned us they know it. but there is nothing we can do since we had to agree to a terms of agreement to download the latest updates and play online. they figured no ones using internet anyways its just in the way.
They tried to stop pirating and modding. So we did it ourselves. Now we just need to keep pioneering forward to unlock all these hidden abilitys that papa ps3 wants to keep from us.
They tell us were free but sonys hand is on the leash.
I almost started liking sony when xbox 360 was being evil.
Now sony is turning their spokeperson into a 2 faced devil..
they are the greater of two evils once again.
Lets take matters into our own hands and keep the scene going.
Hopefully geohot can change his name and continue modding in secret.
Maybe hotgeo? no one will ever find out.
01-27-2011
01:51 PM
NORWAY got balls AND brain ! SweeT !
01-27-2011
02:39 PM
FYI The Norwegian Consumer Agency is the same agency that made Apple remove some parts of the DRM from iTunes.
01-27-2011
03:26 PM
lol This is funny, I love it...Sony is getting into so much trouble left and right. Hopefully they The Consumor Agency goes after them about this and gets sony to re-enable OtherOS.
01-27-2011
03:31 PM
01-27-2011
03:50 PM
I love my country lol
if they think other os should be put back on the ps3 they will make it happen or a very big fine will be given
you get $400 fine for 15k over the speed limit lol
01-27-2011
06:22 PM
This isn't the first time Sony has been in the lime light for backstabbing.
I remember back in the day (and I am showing my age here :aetsch: LOL) Sony Music had a big case against them by George Michael !!
Anyways, he got one up on them by releasing a video (still under contract with them) wearing a pair of oversized headphones with a logo "Fony" printed on them!! I just thought that was a cool :thefinger:.
Point being that Sony always have been and more than likely will continue to be "agressive".
That said it's about bloody time the coorporates got a taste of their own medicine.
Maybe, finally our time has come :boxing:
01-27-2011
07:55 PM
I think buying a second sony playstation is very stupid you only provide sony with money to play more legal tricks. so unless you are a developer i think it's very intelectuel deficient to say that "because you bough a second ps3"the reintroduction of other OS is pointless.. no one really cares what you think... they only care for the improvement of the ps3 scene as a whole.. so please keep your remarks to yourself
01-28-2011
03:54 AM
Kian -> fines?
How about a prohibition of future sales in Norway for Sony?
But I hope this could lead to SONY letting people on 3.15 have PSN access... and a fully fledged OtherOS
01-28-2011
03:57 PM
Also, hooray Norway!
02-14-2011
10:39 PM
say has anyone copies of the key elements of this statement and sent it into the FTC? I just did.. but that was before knowing it was an older story.
Or does the FTC Even care?