Sony's PS3 Drops Linux; Why You Should Care

[tinmann]

In the early days of gaming the real king of the hill was the Arcade Machines. Every really successfully console game was a port from the Arcades. The goal then was to have a near perfect Arcade port of games like Street Fighter, Tekken, Virtual Fighter and so on. Then they started porting PC games to the consoles. When they first ported Doom and Descent to the PS1 I think I went without sleep for 96 hr straight each release. I migrated to the PC from that point and I've never gone back. That's where all the really great games were. Now the trend has somewhat reversed, they bring console games out and port them to the PC. The controls suck because they weren't meant to be played on a PC. I gave up on consoles some time ago and I've come to the point that if it doesn't come out on the PC I just don't play it. Also if I have to buy a game pad to play the game on my rig it's just not worth it. I bought Dead Space and without a Game pad it was unplayable for me because I couldn't customize the keyboard layout to my own liking.
Consoles are and always have been for people that want to Plop & Play. Plop on the sofa and play. And don't even get me started on the no dedicated server thing and paying to play.

For all you "REAL" gamers out there ask yourself, when was the last time you've been to the Arcade where it all started?

 

[suoeno]

@Alan Dang
I tell ya what Alan...Do a follow-up to this along the lines of "So what's your PS4 wishlist IF it's gonna happen?" subject and let the comments rip.That way we all can vent,brainstorm and crack ridiculous ideas and maybe gain some semblance of insights.Oh and make sure that you're ready to prnt scrn everything and top it off with your own list for an epic eye searing email to Sony.

I'll start off by saying that AMD should seriously look at going all in for the next PS4 CPU+GPU+the whole works.Llano APU **drools**

 

[viometrix]

does anyone else want to join me in my class action lawsuit? i have already been working with a lawyer, and basically i need more upset people to make a case. the fact that everyone that bought a system with ps2 compatability and they stripped it is a case. that was one of its major selling points and was printed right on the box, they took away something we can say influenced our decision to buy and we paid for a particular model for backwards support. also linux installation was a part of what we paid for and a selling point for many and we lose that? there are other things they have done in the same respect. but basically it is in print on our boxes what we get for xxx amount of dollars, for them to remove these features for whatever reason is a direct violation of features our systems came pre-bundled with meaning we paid for it, and removing it constitutes them stealing money from us. anyone interested please email shuumi@aol.com, and you must have an original ps3, not a slim.

 

[Guest]

I haven't really seen what *I* to consider the biggest problem with what Sony is doing. What should alarm people is that Sony is making a substantial change to existing hardware through a software update. Now, I'm all fine with software patches and new features and such. However, it's completely wrong to take away a capability that somebody bought the PS3 knowing it had from the beginning. I can understand dropping features with newer hardware revisions of the PS3. There has to be a line drawn about how far such software updates can change an existing system.

 

[gm0n3y]

To me, having no Linux support isn't really a big deal. What really matters here is that Sony provided a product with Linux support as a feature and then removed that feature from customers that had already purchased the product. It would be one thing if they just disabled it on all future PS3s sold, letting those customers know before they bought it. But the people that bought before the change are getting screwed here. This is just bad customer service.

 

[wikiwikiwhat]

Man, if scientists were using it for more power I'm sure they have other ways to get that. They probably couldn't give a flip. You know what's coming next. Fee-based online gaming for Sony. Its going to happen. They are going to need to make up for the flop that 'MOVE' is going to be.

 

[Guest]

Ps3 stands for (profit x sony) to the third power.

 

[Guest]

Whilst the leading edge of homebrew 'supercomputing' may have moved away from the PS3, the availability of PS3's and associated open source tools, makes it an ideal platform for educational/DIY 'supercomputing' projects; it is very easy to link together 8 PS3's and once finished the cluster can be dismantled and the individual PS3's used for other purposes - just try creating a similar sized cluster with similar flexibility using equivalent mass market products.
So I think that Sony have lost the plot, education etc. was and is a big strategic market for the likes of Microsoft, Apple et al; even though they don't actually make much money directly from it.

 

[hennnry]

[citation][nom]kevin butler vp of indian giving[/nom]i'm extremely unhappy that sony is stealing features from me that i paid for. would love to participate in litigation against them for it. i'm stunned that there aren't more people who care. it doesn't even matter whether or not you used linux, it only matters if you bought a model with that feature.[/citation]

While I agree with you that Sony should not have taken features out, but by your logic, should Sony force to charge you for new features added? Such as real time decoding of DTS TrueHD audio?

So it's like... we take for granted when Sony adds a feature, but want to sue them when they take out a feature...

 

[CptTripps]

[citation][nom]builderbobftw[/nom]How is PSS 3 best for playing games?That's the PC.[/citation]

Read it again, he was saying a PS3 is best "used" for playing games and watching BR as he was not impressed with it running linux. He never said "IT'S THE BEST PLATFORM FOR PLAYING GAMES!!!" and I understood his comment 100%.

 

[CptTripps]

[citation][nom]hennnry[/nom]While I agree with you that Sony should not have taken features out, but by your logic, should Sony force to charge you for new features added? Such as real time decoding of DTS TrueHD audio?So it's like... we take for granted when Sony adds a feature, but want to sue them when they take out a feature...[/citation]

Are you serious? Sure it's nice to get new features, features that were not announced upon purchase. That is a hell of alot different than taking features away that "were" advertised.

 

[-unknown-]

While Sony removing 'OtherOS' support from the PS3 is a straight knee-jerk reaction to the recent GeoHotz developments, what I'm surprised at is the sheer level of panic and fear that Sony has expressed in such an action.

Has no one at Sony noticed that the 360 has significant levels of piracy on it (where the PS3 has none)... you have a similar install base (worldwide), similar demographic (generally) ... and yet, multi-platform titles sell approximately the same amount on both platforms. Doesn't this strike anyone as odd? As in, maybe piracy isn't as much of a threat as its made out to be? Theoretically, if you take all the dogma that's touted about the dangers of piracy, the PS3 should be outselling the 360 titles (we're only talking about multi-platform titles) by a significant margin, yet it doesn't. Don't get me wrong, there are several factors involved as to why a title sells better or worse on one system or the other, but the way the industry speaks about piracy is as if half their sales are compromised due to it, yet I don't see the PS3 selling 50% more units on the average multi-platform title (say sport games for example). The attach rates are similar on both systems, one has piracy, the other doesn't.

Just a thought.

 

[Guest]

I hate Sony for this move, I got the last version before the PS3 Slim. Because it could run Linux, and I have Linux on the machine. Now I am stock with a PS3 that can not do what the intension was, to play PS3 Games, watch Blu-ray movies, and run Linux.
Now if I want to run Linux, I may not be able to run the latest games or watch the latest Blu-rays.
But I have the solution, pirated games and Blu-rays, and why you ask? Because thats gonna be the only way in the future I can do with the PS3 what I brought it for. Sony will never see a cent from me ever again.
Have fun Sony!

 

[Guest]

Dcypher: Probably best not to advocate piracy in your posts.

 

[kronos_cornelius]

Sony complicated itself trying to provide a Linux platform and making it coexist with a tight proprietary system. I think they do the right thing by pulling away from Linux and focusing on their core business. Anybody that wants to run Linux should do what normal people do... buy a computer (or build it) and install your favorite distro.

I considered buying a PS3 to play with linux (and wipeout HD) before when the PS3 was newer, but they left the graphics access out of bounds, and I am not a fun of hacking, trying to get things to work is hard enough when there are no barriers. So I just invested the money in my big computer, and that is where I do my gaming. I always say it, Windows is the most open platform when it comes to gaming.

 

[Guest]

If you are in the UK, sue Sony now, in the small claims court. It's easy, you can do it online, it costs only about £35, which you can claim back. I am asking for the cost of a new PS3 so I can retain the old one with the Other OS option. Even if I do not have legal ground to stand on, I have moral ground, and its gonna be cheaper for Sony to pay up than employ a lawyer to even look at the case. I have done this before, it works. I urge you all to do it now! google "Money claim online" https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk

 

[gm0n3y]

@kronos_cornelius,

You're kind of missing the point here. People HAVE bought PS3s so that they could game AND use Linux on the same system. Now Sony has stripped that out after they already paid for it and Sony isn't refunding or excepting returns.

 

[IFLATLINEI]

The PS3 was something I couldnt wait to get. I was a big Sony fan and a big fan of consoles in general. But this generation of consoles sickens me. Ive had enough. From here on out I will invest only in a real multi-purpose machine. MY PC.

 

[geeess]

This is so much fun to watch ! Within one day the empire is already crumpling at at its edges.
What is happening ? Sony is getting a feel of the force. They took on the linux community thinking they could crush the feeble - but wrong, less than 24 hours later PSN is back for those that can put up a proxy.
It appears that there was already a lot of knowledge about the workings of the PSN around, but nobody cared to exploit it - until now. But now the forces are grouping, joining, communicating. Over the last 18h I've been watching the lists and forums; considering that only 1% of all able users will go to a forum or list - and I've spotted about 100 new competent posters - then an army of about 10000 has formed today with the sole goal of keeping linux on the PS3 and on PSN.
If the Geohot hack of the PS3 has proven something then it is that the PS3 concept was briliant ! If you need to glitch the chip-selects to get to a point where you can read everything but exploit next-to-nothingt then - sorry - that platform is perfect.
So that is not the reason why Sony dropped linux - no way !
But now they will have to redesign/fortify PSN and I hope this will come at a high price.

 

[ronml]

As one of those people who use Yellowdog Linux on my PS3, I can saw that it isn't great. Oh sure, i could safely visit sites I would never do on my notebook, but lack of flash etc sucked. That said, I am livid about the principle of this. Half the reason I chose PS3 over Xbox360 was linux.
I swear, if they brink my Bluray player, I'm delivering my unit to their NYC building via catapult.
And the TV I'm buying with my tax rebate will either be a Samsung or a Vizio. Congrats Sonia, you just lost 1300 on the KDL-40EX700 I was going to buy!

 

[gtown]

wow about sony's ps3 "For hardware that is almost 4 years old"...

its 3 years and 3 months old... since when is that almost 4 years?

 

[kronos_cornelius]

[citation][nom]gm0n3y[/nom]@kronos_cornelius,You're kind of missing the point here. People HAVE bought PS3s so that they could game AND use Linux on the same system. Now Sony has stripped that out after they already paid for it and Sony isn't refunding or excepting returns.[/citation]

Yes your right. Sony could remove Linux in future consoles, but not take it out of the consoles that it sold with the feature. In that case it would be similar to what happened with Amazon and some book for which they could not secure a deal to sell, in effect it would be a bridge of privacy. But yes, I guess I was focusing on business strategy going forward not thinking about the existing users.

The lack of freedom was evident when I made my decision a couple of years ago, but I am no Oracle, I just made an arbitrary decision to install Linux on a PC.

 

[captaincharisma]

still don't care i actually play games on the PS3 which last time i checked was mainly supposed to be a gaming console

 

[hemelskonijn]

No captain it was build to do just everything the linux function was created so it would officially becomes possible for sony that the ps3 is a super computer. It is sad to read you just use it for gaming while it can do so much more ... its moronic to claim its no problem to remove the function because you don't see any use for it and its even more idiotic that you accept them to remove any function knowing damn well the next time it might be something that does concern you.

 

[captaincharisma]

No captain it was build to do just everything the linux function was created so it would officially becomes possible for sony that the ps3 is a super computer. It is sad to read you just use it for gaming while it can do so much more ... its moronic to claim its no problem to remove the function because you don't see any use for it and its even more idiotic that you accept them to remove any function knowing damn well the next time it might be something that does concern you.

LMAO yea maybe if they actually remove the option to play games on it then maybe i will care. like i said i actually bought the PS3 to play games. not watch movies, not browse the internet, not stream video or play music on it, and especially not to use some useless OS on it s. if you really expected to be anything else then you wasted your money.