US Air Force To Suffer From PS3 Update

tlhIngan writes "The US Air Force, having purchased PS3s for supercomputing research, is now the latest victim of Sony's removal of the Install Other OS feature. It turns out that while their PS3s don't need the firmware update, it will be impossible to replace PS3s that fail. PS3s with the Other OS feature are no longer produced since the Slim was introduced, so replacements will have to come from the existing stock of used PS3s. However, as most gamers have probably updated their PS3s, that used stock is no longer suitable for the USAF's research. In addition, smaller educational clusters using PS3s will share the same fate — unable to replace machines that die in their clusters." In related news, Sony has been hit with two more lawsuits over this issue.

Re:COTS = COST

[LighterShadeOfBlack]

Levenshtein disagrees.

Well they have the bargaining power

[Chrisq]

Well they have the bargaining power. Like, if you don't supply us with an OS install feature you better get nervous when you see an aircraft flying towards your headquarters. Or maybe you won't see a thing. Accidents happen you know

Re:Sony is a terrorist organization

[Anonymous Coward]

Benjamin Franklin said it best. "Anyone who would trade money for something produced by Sony deserves neither, and will lose both."

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Sony is a terrorist organization

[PopeRatzo]

Bomb them to hell if they don't bring back this feature, vital for national security.

This was their plan all along.

It's payback for Hiroshima.

Idea

[kurtis25]

I have an idea... Let's make the PS3 useless, then sell a PS4 with the other OS option, when it's time to sell PS5 (to be nicknamed the piss) we will turn off the other OS option in the PS4. We can do this for 50 years before anyone catches on.

Re:Not really a surprise...

[Dog-Cow]

The original post had spaces, but they were removed by Sony in a firmware update.

Re:Well they have the bargaining power

[Anonymous Coward]

Not a problem. US missiles have a highly accurate targeting system. Its calculations are powered by a cluster of PS3s.

Re:Sony is a terrorist organization

[smooth wombat]

You know, the whole "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me"

No, no. You have it all wrong. Here's the actual quote:

There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on -- [pauses] - shame on you. Fool me -- You can't get fooled again. - George Bush, September 17, 2002.

Re:This was already an issue

[tophermeyer]

Personally I think it was a dick move to not include it on the slim models without putting it very clearly on the packaging that it was a crippled machine, and not a real PS3.

I don't mean to be rude, but I think you might need to adjust your definition of crippled. It is still a 'real' PS3, still plays Blu-Rays, PS3 games, connects to PSN, etc. They removed a theoretically popular feature that very few people actually took advantage, and that posed a mild security/piracy risk to Sony. They didn't send killbots out to peoples homes to force the update. They simply stopped offering this completely extraneous feature, and stopped supporting it.

For what its worth, I agree that it was inconsiderate on Sony's part to go about it the way they did.

The Onion right again

[FireofEvil]

http://www.theonion.com/video/sony-releases-new-stupid-piece-of-shit-that-doesnt,14309/ [theonion.com]

USAF to Sony:

[damien_kane]

"Really? You want to play this game? We've already nuked Japan once, did you like it that much?"

Re:Sony is a terrorist organization

[Arthur Grumbine]

Bomb them to hell if they don't bring back this feature, vital for national security.

This was their plan all along.

It's payback for Hiroshima.

Someone better tell them that it was Cow and Chicken that's been responsible for Hiroshima all along.

Re:Sony is a terrorist organization

[Xeno man]

You mean it wasn't whale and dolphin? I need to make some apologies...