Courts Announce Class-action PS3 Bundle
Ah, c’mon, Sony, don’t look so surprised. Sure, you issued a sincere, heartfelt apology to the masses after you removed the OtherOS feature citing “security concerns”, and probably gave yourself a congratulatory pat on the back for handling the situation so well, but you didn’t honestly think it would all go away, did you? The small number (Sony’s words, not ours) of users affected by the change in system functionality who ultimately filed a combined total of seven class-action suits after voicing their outrage are still here, only now the courts have conveniently bundled them all up into a nice, little, more manageable single class-action.
This news comes courtesy of the fine folks over at Ars Technica, who obtained a document detailing the request from all of the attorneys involved, stating:
“In essence, the claims in these cases are that Sony Computer Entertainment of America (“Sony”) falsely represented that PS3 purchasers would be able to use their PS3s as a computer by installing another operating system, such as Linux, in a recent firmware update, Sony removed the ability of consumers to utilize this feature. As a result, seven class actions were filed against Sony in federal court in San Francisco, California.”
If the courts rule in favor of the class, presumably those who purchased a PS3 between November 17, 2006 and March 27, 2010 will be eligible for some type of compensation, albeit nothing to quit your day job over. Still, if anybody deserves to get something out of this, it’s definitely the USAF. Without a cluster of Linux compatible PS3’s, how else do you suppose they crunch numbers on such a tight budget?
28 Responses to “Courts Announce Class-action PS3 Bundle”
-shrugs- a lot of people will make nothing off this even if a case in won… I mean i got a 60 gig phat which i bought about a year ago, but i lost the receipt a long time ago (bought referb from gamestop) so i doubt ill get anything, and i doubt im not the only one, not to mention all of those who will be voided over things like “didnt buy new” and all of that
There are a couple of problems I have with some of the details surrounding this case. First and foremost, the Slim replaced other available PS3 models in September of 2009, and the Slim model did not ship with the Other OS option. I don’t think it is entirely fair for the class action suit to cover the time period between September 2009 and March 2010. Also, the USAF is not accessing the PSN with research clusters, so they very likely never did the update in the first place. The same applies to the other research firms that purchased PS3 units for cell clusters.
Absolute cunts the people who have been complaining about this feature are. SERIOUSLY !! Get a damn PC if you want to run a proper OS and hook it up to your TV. I would smash the head in of someone who complained about this if I ever met them.
This is stupid. I personally didn’t know about the OtherOS feature until at least a year after I bought my PS3. I never saw/read/heard that Sony was advertising the feature. I know I’m not alone in this because a lot of my friends still don’t know of it, or just didn’t care about it. From what I’ve read, you can’t even do much with Linux installed. It’s nothing like having a real computer.
I gonna make this short and sweet,
IT’S A FUCKING GAMING MACHINE. IF YOU WANT LINX USE A BLOODY COMPUTER
Quite right PS3vsXBOX360, though, you might want to wipe the blood off your computer first for sanitary reasons…you Brits and your silly expressions
Sony did handle it pretty well if you ask me, it’s not Linux with ability to run PS3+PS One(PS2 if you have it) games is it? Didn’t think so
I’m sure having Linux on a computer and plugging up to your TV is loads better anyways.
Point is, who bought a PS3 for Linux?…. Really?
I bet the Lawyers are just laughing all the way to the BANK since they are the ones that will make out with the most from these suits. I doubt that Sony will bring back that feature anytime soon. So maybe your money would be well spent on a college education in Computer Science and learn how to program your own OS for the IBM/Sony/Toshiba CELL Broadband processor.
The PS3 is a powerful computer and when properly enabled with a proper OS it can do wonders. But first and foremost it is an “Entertainment Computing Device” designed to play Blu-Ray Games and Movies. If you want a Playstation to run Linux then get a PS2 and mod it, I think that version of “Other OS” Linux worked better than the PS3 version… GET OVER IT!!!!!!!
Don’t really care but if I get some dough out it, I won’t be complaining about it.
I used to have some very small amount of sympathy for the Linux users, but after reading so many bitter and hateful posts written by their ilk…to hell with them.
ಠ_ಠ really …. really… next these same people are going to take m$ to court cuz they tried to “Jump in” and broke their 360 .
hello …
the USAF doesn’t need to update the consoles & should still be able to use Linux. If some people would have some compensation for having the otherOS removed off their system, this will never go beyond the US territories, at least will not reach my part of the world …
cheers!
I don’t blame Sony for removing it. It may have been the most underused feature of the PS3. And besides, they only removed it to prevent hackers from hacking the system.
how incredibly stupid of u some ppl… This should be fought tooth and nail in the courts. Sony should not be allowed to set the dangerous precedent of being able to remove out of box, advertised functionality from a product citing security reasons full stop. Linux was even able to be on the ps2, linux and playstation have been closely linked for awhile now.
So you personally didn’t use it, you say go get a real computer, well guess what I do have a real computer. My gf used it for uni, I used the ps3 to do uni work using linux while she was on it so we could both do uni work at the sameitme. I needed the ps3 so me and my gf could do uni work at the sametime while at home, but when linux was taken away i was effectively out of pocket 1 computer, and didnt have money to get another. My other housemate accidentally updates it, guess what. I lose 3 assignments. Linux was important, if it wasn’t for u fine, but why in this day and age ppl feel that they have to comment on stuff which isnt to them I dont know.
People, please keep in mind about those who are actually affected by this.
As for the normal consumers, like myself, I paid more the the feature, wanted it and used it.
Now Sony has the extra $$ I spent out because of this feature, and I don’t have the feature?
Even though I rarely used the OtherOS, the idea that a company can charge you extra for a feature, then remove that feature, and keep your money should not be tolerated.
I don’t care either way about it, but the idea that Sony wants to get away with this, I cannot stand.
If Sony can do this, what else will other companies try to get away with?
The argument that you were charged extra for a feature falls flat I am afraid. Every model that shipped with “Other OS” was sold below cost. I am not saying Sony is right, but let’s keep our facts straight.
I just want to know how do I GET IN THE LAWSUIT. Me and a2 friends, all got a 60gb at launch. WE WANT IN!
But nothing in the article, or the subsequent articles, gives a link on how to join it.
Eh, if you are wanting to cash in, then don’t worry your lazy head to much.
Unless you send in a letter saying you want to be excluded, you’ll be included.
@AssassinHD:
The facts are that I did pay for a feature I do not have anymore.
We can argue the value and payment of it, but facts say I spent more money on a feature I no longer have due to their removal of it.
I honestly don’t care about the very little amount of cash each person will get, again, but I do care about the principles of it.
@Iyashii
So let’s get together and sue game developers who dropped the online support for their games. We paid for that feature didn’t we?
This isn’t about the Other OS feature. This is people trying to get free money, plain and simple, probably less than 1% of the people in these class action suit’s even cared, they just want free money. I had my ps3 then but I don’t want any money from Sony, I hope Sony wins and the people who brought the suit have to pay their legal fees.
people engage the gray matter and read the TOS and EULA they have the right and if the suit is won it’s under false claims.
I’m pretty sure that like all other EULA’s out there it says something along the lines that they reserve the right to modify the software as they see fit.
I’d really like people to stop speculating on my behalf, and I’d certainly like people to stop telling me why I did or did not buy the PS3.
The fact is, I bought a PS3 on launch day. Part of the reason for me buying it was that I could install Linux on it. A large part of the reason I bought it on launch day with so few launch titles was that I could install Linux on it.
I’d be grateful if Johnny-come-lately would stop telling me to buy something else now that the device I bought to do a particular job has suddenly decided to stop doing it.
Having said all that, I’m extremely sympathetic to Sony’s dilemma, and quite tempted to give Geohot a knuckle sandwich should I ever meet him.
@Iyashii
Believe me I care about the principal too. That being said however, you must have a basis for comparion in order for you to say you paid more for the feature. More relative to what exactly? For the most fair comparison the scope of your response should be limited to the options available to you at the time of your purchase.
@AssassinHD:
Lol, mines a launch CECHA01 60GB PS3.
I’m pretty sure that says it all.
xD
Joking matters aside, it’s not even about how much more I payed for the feature, not really.
The idea of removing something I payed for, that was advertised and numerous remarks from Sony saying they would not remove this feature, then the removal of it, shouldn’t be tolerated.
I payed $751, (PS3, Resistance, extra Sixaxis), and I think that says a lot.
Though I really hope the lawsuit doesn’t yield out refunds, but how else can you get a company to realize what they can and cannot do without fines?
That does say it all actually. Your options at the time of your purchase were the 20GB model for $499 and the 60GB model for $599. Both models had Other OS so the price difference between the two, for the sake of your argument, is irrelevant. The Other OS option was also available on both 80GB models and the 40GB model, so the price difference to those models is also irrelevant. In fact the only model that could be considered relevant is the slim model. Considering the 3 year gap between the 60GB and the Slim though, the price difference could easily be explained by the lower material cost. So how do you think you paid more for Other OS?
I would like to clarify that while I understand the reasoning behind Sony’s decision to remove Other OS, I also don’t like the precedent that could be set if they win this case. I am indifferent about the Other OS feature because I was never goinb to use it ( I have a PC for that), but I don’t like the idea of taking away an advertised feature. There may not have been a marketing push for it, but it was a listed feature on the PlayStation website. That makes it an advertised feature.
these people are bitching about losing a feature that NOBODY used. Where the hell were you when Sony stopped backwards compatibility or two of the usb ports? why didnt anyone rise up when first and second gen models started crashing from the CPU and GPU coming loose?
…you know the useful things that went wrong.
no, of course these asshats werent complaining then, they are bitching now (about something I have yet to see or hear of anyone ever using… EVER) because the possibility of a hack has been taken away. Thats the obvious clear reason. why else? you actually prefer to use linex on your PS3? I DONT BELIEVE YOU! Nobody with half a brain finds your stupid story believable (and that includes the Judge on the bench and the lawyer representing you)
I fucking hate you losers (even those not involved but are supporting them) who are essentially stealing from Sony because Sony took away your ability to steal from them. Fuck you and fuck anyone who likes you.