OtherOS removed in Firmware update 3.21

[CoBrA2168]

Looks like Geohot won't give up without a fight:

http://geohotps3.blogspot.com/2010/03/dont-update.html

See Sony, now you're forcing hackers to actually hack the system. If they had just not done this, nothing probably would have come out of the exploit, at least not for a few years.

[chrisb]

[MODERATOR EDIT: Merged with main thread. Let's keep these together. -Paul]

Sony's blog announced v3.21 firmware update:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/03/ ... on.Blog%29

This doesn't seem to have good implications for yellowdog. I wonder if this will effect future (paid) development?

[ppietro]

Looks like Geohot won't give up without a fight:

http://geohotps3.blogspot.com/2010/03/dont-update.html

See Sony, now you're forcing hackers to actually hack the system. If they had just not done this, nothing probably would have come out of the exploit, at least not for a few years.

His post here is worth a read, too:
http://geohotps3.blogspot.com/2010/03/w ... ature.html

Cheers,
Paul

[Jenraux]

I wish Sony would do the smart thing and listen to him. But they`re a big company, why do they need to listen to probably about 1% of the PS3 community?

Lol geohotz is getting the hell beaten out of him on those comments, not a popular person today.

[alexbib]

[MODERATOR EDIT: Merged into main thread. -Paul]

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/03/ ... 21-update/

I hope this is an April's fool joke...

[sirgrinalot]

Well, I have made the decision not to update. I suggest we make a list of games with the lowest firmware required to play each, or find a list somewhere else on the interwebs and bring it here. Meanwhile, I hope geohot pulls through he is the only hope we have left. Sony is missing out though, I have been here since january 2007 on the ps3 front as an avid beta tester and purchaser of psn titles...

[CoBrA2168]

Well, I have made the decision not to update. I suggest we make a list of games with the lowest firmware required to play each, or find a list somewhere else on the interwebs and bring it here. Meanwhile, I hope geohot pulls through he is the only hope we have left. Sony is missing out though, I have been here since january 2007 on the ps3 front as an avid beta tester and purchaser of psn titles...

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. No matter what game it is, you won't be able to sign into the PSN, which is required to play any game online on the PS3 (unlike the PSP).

[Chief101]

this is bulls**t! so whats next! sony is going to remove PS2 emulation on 20g 60g 80g phats what it looks like were going to be forced getting slims now if sony removes anymore features like this ill be getting a xbox360 in the near future.

thanks alot geohot!

[sirgrinalot]

Well, I have made the decision not to update. I suggest we make a list of games with the lowest firmware required to play each, or find a list somewhere else on the interwebs and bring it here. Meanwhile, I hope geohot pulls through he is the only hope we have left. Sony is missing out though, I have been here since january 2007 on the ps3 front as an avid beta tester and purchaser of psn titles...

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. No matter what game it is, you won't be able to sign into the PSN, which is required to play any game online on the PS3 (unlike the PSP).

Most games should work. Singleplayer games mainly. Otherwise sony would be unable to sell systems to the majority of people without an internet connection.

[billb]

Some good news -- Geoff says he will continue to maintain PS3 Linux (as a hobby):

http://lists.ozlabs.org/pipermail/cbe-o ... 07236.html
From April 1st, 2010 my work assignment within Sony will
change, and I will longer be assigned to work on PS3-Linux.
After the change I will continue to maintain PS3-Linux,
but as a personal hobby, and not as an effort supported by
Sony Computer Entertainment.

[spykez]

This is really the last straw for me. I think I'm going to buy an xbox and sell the PS3.

* RANT ALERT*

What's really annoying is that some of us have actually ranked up in PS3 online games and are wondering what to do about it

Plus, really, with a games console, they get you on the price of the games, don't they? I only really play 3 games on the PS3, but my God, here down under, to repurchase those games, it's the price of a new console (ie xbox 360 to spite sony).

One other thing:

I really really hope that that CBE-OSS post from Geoff was a spoof, note he quoted himself in the second post. If the second reply was an automated reply to the first.... Maybe someone spoofed the first - the second reply looks genuine. But I did not inspect the headers too carefully. But the Sony PR release and recent events make this too much wishful thinking on my part I guess. If it were even an April fool's joke it is in very bad taste and should be a caveat emptor of things to come.

[ppietro]

Don't think it's a spoof.

Here's a post from Geoff on the PlayStation Blog:

On Fri, 2009-08-21 at 09:58 -0700, geoffrey.levand at am.sony.com wrote:
The feature of “Install Other OS” was removed from the new
>> “Slim” PS3 model to focus on delivering games and other
>> entertainment content.
>>
>> Please be assured that SCE is committed to continue
>> the support for previously sold models that have the
>> “Install Other OS” feature and that this feature will
>> not be disabled in future firmware releases.
…
Please understand that in my position as PS3-Linux maintainer
I can really only provide users with technical support for
Linux and the LV1 hcall interface.
The text above was provided to me by SCE management. If
you have any questions regarding it or any other feature
of the PS3 please contact the Playstation Customer Support
in your country. Using Playstation Customer Support will
insure your inquiry is processed through the correct
channels within SCE.
-Geoff

Cheers,
Paul

[ales]

Well, I have made the decision not to update. I suggest we make a list of games with the lowest firmware required to play each, or find a list somewhere else on the interwebs and bring it here. Meanwhile, I hope geohot pulls through he is the only hope we have left. Sony is missing out though, I have been here since january 2007 on the ps3 front as an avid beta tester and purchaser of psn titles...

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. No matter what game it is, you won't be able to sign into the PSN, which is required to play any game online on the PS3 (unlike the PSP).

Most games should work. Singleplayer games mainly. Otherwise sony would be unable to sell systems to the majority of people without an internet connection.

I would also like to know which games are forcing
people to a FW upgrade even for a simple installation
and local play. This information seems hard to get
(probably not without a reason) unless you put the
actual disk in. I stopped updating after 2.80 and
now it is even more relevant.

[spykez]

I would also like to know which games are forcing
people to a FW upgrade even for a simple installation
and local play. This information seems hard to get
(probably not without a reason) unless you put the
actual disk in. I stopped updating after 2.80 and
now it is even more relevant.

I think it stands to reason that the older ones are probably ok. In other words, if you have a PS3 isolated from the internet, when the game boots it cannot check to see if a newer firmware patch (or game patch) is available. So it just runs 'single player' mode and assumes it is the most recent version and has the most recent firmware version.

Now, I would imagine games released before April fool's day this year will be ok. Probably a little after, too I suspect. New games about to release now are likely to have been manufactured and box some time before.

This is a big assumption though. Who knows what sort of ghastly code may lurk inside a given game, we may be unfortunate that perhaps there is some date -related firmware version checker, ie "come June 2010, when I run, I should expect to see at least firmware 3.50" - I have to admit this sounds silly, though.

Myself, the games I have bought (with the exception of GTA) are really truly online games, ie the single player mode is lacklustre. In fact, I did not buy them for the single player content.

So it looks like I am faced with a terrible choice.

[hardmath]

Ah, it seems like only last summer we were being assured Sony would never do this for older PS3's.

Wait, it was last summer...

http://lists.ozlabs.org/pipermail/cbe-o ... 06965.html

--hm