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Game Over for Sony
September 01, 2009
Posted by: Glyn Moody
I've never really liked the company Sony. On the computer side, it's hardly been a friend of GNU/Linux, while the music division gave us the Sony rootkit, which was pretty much as bad as a bad thing can be:
Sony BMG Music Entertainment distributed a copy-protection scheme with music CDs that secretly installed a rootkit on computers. This software tool is run without your knowledge or consent -- if it's loaded on your computer with a CD, a hacker can gain and maintain access to your system and you wouldn't know it.
The Sony code modifies Windows so you can't tell it's there, a process called "cloaking" in the hacker world. It acts as spyware, surreptitiously sending information about you to Sony. And it can't be removed; trying to get rid of it damages Windows.
The one glimmer of hope for the company was the PS3. Now, that might seem relevant to business users, but Sony's decision to allow other operating systems – like GNU/Linux – to be installed on the PS3 turned what seems a rather specialised piece of kit into something rather splendid: a really low-cost supercomputer. Indeed, if you needed really high-end computing, the PS3+GNU/Linux combination was probably the cheapest way to achieve this.
The announcement earlier this month for the new Playstation 3 (PS3) Slim model caused some consternation for Linux users, as it revealed that PS3-maker Sony would no longer support the "Install Other OS" feature that currently operates on existing PS3 machines.
...
It's easy to assume that the only users affected by Sony's decision are the ever-present tinkerers who try (and typically succeed) to install Linux on every new device that comes out. Hence, Linux on iPhone and the like. It's a challenge that seems to range from ardent hobby to mild obsession.
In the case of the PS3, however, the benefits of Linux on the CellBE-processor device were immediate. In 2007, the researchers at North Carolina State University clustered eight PS3 machines that ran Fedora Core 5 Linux (ppc64). That same year a University of Massachusetts team found that putting together an eight-node PS3 cluster together (for a cost of about US$4000) would perform with the same processing power as a 200-processor supercomputer.
This latest move is incredibly short sighted. By providing this “Install Other OS” option Sony not only gained a huge amount of goodwill from an influential community, but it also allowed it to learn about the open source community – something that is vital for its long-term survival. By cutting off that dialogue, Sony has effectively cut itself off from the future. It's certainly removed itself from my list of companies with even the slightest relevance to free software.
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About the author
Glyn Moody Glyn Moody's look at all levels of the enterprise open source stack. The blog will look at the organisations that are embracing open source, old and new alike (start-ups welcome), and the communities of users and developers that have formed around them (or not, as the case may be).
Comments received
Kjetil Valstadsve said on Tuesday, 01 September 2009
Well, aren't you a bit of a drama queen.
I've installed Linux on my PS3 (a first-batch US model, the one with PS2 hardware inside). It's fun, but I can't recall using it much since. The partitioning is set by Sony, allowing to you either use 10G for Linux - or use everything BUT 10G for Linux. This is true even if you insert a bigger HDD. It has a measly 256MB RAM, and anything not compiled to target the Cell processor is dog slow. I.e. most things.
It's way better than Linux on the PS2, which I also did. That took fifteen minutes to start Firebird. (Which was what Firefox was called back then - and it was minimal.) But overall, Linux never was such an attractive option for PS3 users, besides the university communities you mention. And they are probably better off building a PC with lots of GPU power on cheap graphics cards, these days. The PS3 is getting older, after all.
Of course, it would be cool to see Linux support survive, but I don't think the game is over without it.
Glyn Moody said on Tuesday, 01 September 2009
@Kjetil: well, over symbolically: it's just the last straw in Sony's complete failure to get open source.
patermann said on Tuesday, 01 September 2009
The reason for loss of the "other OS" option is mentioned here: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/08/28/sony_ps3_slim_linux_install_loss/
The official line is that they wanted to offer a low(er)-cost PS3 and providing the Other OS option costs too much.
The unoffical explanation is that Sony sell the PS3 at a loss in the hope that they will make the money back on the games but organisations have been using clusters of PS3s to create low-cost supercomputers and so Sony lose money on all PS3s that are used in this way.
Perhaps they should consider making a machine specifically for use in clusters that has all of the necessary hardware and software. Even if they sold it at a price where they made a profit, it would probably still be a lot cheaper than the alternatives.
Glyn Moody said on Tuesday, 01 September 2009
@patermann: exactly. This is an opportunity, not a threat. Just junking it shows incredible short-sightedness.
want some cheese with your whine? said on Tuesday, 01 September 2009
how does a university buying $4000 worth of ps3's to run nothing but linux help a financially struggling company such as sony when they are selling the PS3 at a loss?
Fred said on Tuesday, 01 September 2009
While I am sad about the change, I can't blame Sony for it. Every PS3 sold to someone intending to use it as a cheep supercomputer costs them money that they will never get back. Junking the option isn't "short-sighted", because it isn't an "opportunity". Until the PS3s can be sold for a profit by themselves (don't hold your breath), Sony has a responsibility to it's investors, and we shouldn't blame them for acting responsibly.
Glyn Moody said on Tuesday, 01 September 2009
@fred and @Cheese: well, two things. The first is that Sony might actually try selling a version of PS3s designed for supercomputing work at a different price so as to make a profit - rather than just walking away from that demand.
And secondly, my broader point is that here was Sony working with the open source community; now it's not, and that's not a clever move long-term for its bottom line. It needs to *increase* those links, not reduce them.
randizzle said on Tuesday, 01 September 2009
well sony is doing it's job if their focus is to sell units despite what they're used for. the problem comes down to games. people that use the ps3 as supercomputers bring down game sales to an already ridiculously priced game. so I think sony is screwed either way. long live the 360!!!
Mick said on Tuesday, 01 September 2009
@want some cheese with your whine?
Umm... Last I checked it was Sony selling for a loss, nobody is holding a gun to their head. Funny that Nintendo can bring out a console and turn profit from day 1 but Sony and Microsoft loss lead and then cry foul when they aren't profitable.
Hasn't this "cost cutting" effectively removed the hypervisor? Shouldn't that make a full hack of the entire console less problematic? I say bring it on, we might have access to accelerated graphics soon!
Henrik said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
At least they seem to comply with the GPL http://products.sel.sony.com/opensource/
Fred said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
@glyn
I wasn't aware there was a "demand" for a PS3 supercomputer. It was always my impression that the demand was for a cheep supercomputer. If Sony has to raise the price for a PS3 with the "other OS" option, then the demand for it will drop. Consider also that the computer hardware industry has considerably more competition than the video game industry, and Sony won't have the benefit of exclusive software in that market to drive up sales.
sony's commitment to open.. said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
i thought i read sony was going to commit itself to making their products more 'open' and standards compliant. this message came together with some representative saying: if we where 'open' and standards compliant from the start we wouldn't have lost from apple.
Glyn Moody said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
@Henrik: that's good, but it would be foolish for such a high-profile company to do anything but that...
Glyn Moody said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
@Fred: obviously it depends on how much more they would have to charge. But based on the figures I quoted in the post, I think they could easily double the price, say, and still be hugely competitive with existing supercomputer solutions.
You're right it won't have the exclusive software, but if it prices correctly this won't matter.
Glyn Moody said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
As for Sony's commitment to "open", talk is cheap...
Luca Beltrame said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
Sorry, but I disagree with the tone of the article. The move was to cut costs (as the hypervisor is no longer present), not to cut off tinkerers.
Glyn Moody said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
@Luca: but I'm suggesting that was short-sighted, and a way of losing more money. If, instead, they came out with a slightly more expensive version aimed at that market, they could *make* money.
OrlandoNative said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
I believe it has already been reported elsewhere that Sony officials in an interview stated that the option was only removed for the PS3 "Slim" model. Supposedly because of a lack of compatibility with some specially developed "cheaper" hardware. They also said that this decision wasn't applicable to the rest of their units.
I'd say unless and until a PS4 arrives, and the same thing is done, it's not a big deal.
Rambo Tribble said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
Sony has long had a Janus-like, two-faced character. A contributor to Open Source projects on the one hand and the producer of some of the most Draconian DRM schemes on the other. This is just another chapter in a story with more swings than a grandfather clock's pendulum.
Ulf Joronen said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
We've been evaluating approaches to supercomputing on a budget for a research project for quite a while. We've got loads of simulations to run. The more processors we can purchase with our dollars the faster we'll see a product and return on investment, the less we'll spend on overhead in the R&D stage.
The first approach (plan 1a) was to use three racks full of Sony Zegos (Cell/BE processors in a 1U rack form factor). When Sony orphaned this product mere weeks before the expected rollout we had to fall back and punt.
Plan 1b involved the use of PS3s in the same capacity. With the PS3 slim, it seemed like a shoe in, though the RAM was a bit lacking. Now they won't support the "other OS".
With Sony's commitment to academia, research, and Open Source communities, we are left with Mercury or Nvidia solutions.
Don't worry Sony, I'll still recommend you to gamers, but your attitudes make any real work impossible. Our research dollars just went to Nvidia for their Tesla pr
Glyn Moody said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
@Rambo: true; but you would have thought they'd have learned to smooth out the oscillations by now...
Glyn Moody said on Wednesday, 02 September 2009
@Ulf: thanks for that interesting - if sad - feedback
Andrey said on Thursday, 03 September 2009
Not getting it. All I read on the topic tells me Sony removed SUPPORT for the other OS. Nothing claims they made anything that makes installation of the other OS impossible. My bet is that they will be properly hacked by the interested parties soon.
Phil T said on Thursday, 03 September 2009
Wow.
So Sony does not 'get' Open Source?
What is this then?:
http://products.sel.sony.com/opensource/
They do get it, and removing the ability to install Linux on a PS3 is no loss. (Except maybe to Ulf who replied in the comments, but he may find that he gets more mileage from commodity PC's and nVidia / AMD graphics cards.)
I have a PS3, and I use Linux every day, at home and at work, but I have never had the inclination to install Linux on my PS3. Why? Because I play games on it, watch Blu-Ray movies on it, and do the occasional internet surfing on it, as well as looking at photos etc.
Will I be sad they removed the ability to run another OS on the hardware? No. They lowered the price, which is great.
So instead of needlessly bashing Sony for all the 3 people out there who are upset about this, maybe you should focus on something which is a bigger issue. May I suggest pointing your spotlight at Apple?
trasz said on Thursday, 03 September 2009
Nice theory, about the scientits and stuff. Problem is, it has nothing to do with reality - Cell is a fast CPU only in IBM's benchmarks; in real workloads, its performance sucks compared even to modern x86 CPUs.
Home Entertainment Computer said on Sunday, 06 September 2009
This makes no sense. Why do they keep removing features? The ability to Install Other OS is the primary reason I bought the PS3 over the other consoles.