PS3 Firmware Update 3.21 Conspiracy

Ironstar writes; "So I received a very interesting tip on my YouTube channel today from a user that goes by the name of meowmmmmm. He claims to have heard from a programmer that firmware update 3.21 was far from just removing the other OS function to prevent hackers from exploiting it."

[PirateThom]

I'd say it's bull, since it wouldn't have been in use for the OtherOS during games and they could easily have used it anyway, the 8 SPE was definitely disabled due to yields.

[morganfell]

Exactly. The SPE would be dormant and free to use anyway. The only exception would be attempting to run an application under Linux using Move which wouldn't be something Sony wouldn't officially support in the first place.

If anything this is a clear example of a website that is willing to publish a rumor that came to them on youtube. Idiotic. They do not mention having endeavored to mount one iota of due diligence which makes them irresponsible at the very least.

I would use words such as journalistic integrity but that would be assuming there was journalism involved in the first place and all evidence says otherwise.

[presto717]

Unlike natal that will be eating up 15% - 20% of the xbox's aging processor / gpu / whatever.

I honestly dont mind to be honest.

[shadow2797]

^So.. you believe it?

And here I thought April fool's day was a few days ago.

[zag]

This is all wrong anyway.

The Cell has 2 CPUs and 8 SPUs/SPEs

The first Cell CPUS dropped the 8th SPu/SPE due to making them the process wasn't up to spec yet, that's what NVidia are currently doing with the ferni chips.

anyway 1 CPU is only used for the xbar and the other is for running games etc.

The SPus/SPEs aren't used for any xbar or games or otherOS as the CPu tell them what to do on the side so you couldn't shut them down anyway.

[tuaamin13]

This guy has no idea what he's talking about or that his answer even technically makes sense.

We all know that "OtherOS" can't touch the PS3 OS. Why would Sony create a processor with 8 SPEs, then give 6 to the game (Known), 1 to the XMB (known), and 1 to a function you can't even use simultaneously?! If you had OtherOS running in some bastardized form it couldn't touch the PS3 OS, so what good is it running?

Now all of a sudden this hypothetical core is going to be used for Move. I'd buy a core dedicated for Move, not coming from this source (OtherOS I mean, not this site, though he's full of crap too).

Why can't we just admit that Move isn't resource intensive? You don't need a dual core to track your mouse. It's doing far less computation than Natal is, so it's not inconceivable that it's fairly lightweight.

[sikbeta]

Bah... the last thing I needed... Conspiracy Theories... First of all, is it true that the 8th SPE is Locked only to be used by The OtherOS?

The PS3 Cell have 1 PPE and 8 SPEs, 1 SPE is locked-out, and another 1 is reserved for the OS, leaving 6 SPEs to be used by games code, so there is no SPE locked for the OtherOS

So, as Far as I can Understand, IF the OtherOS use 1 SPE is only when you use Linux and by that is FREE when you don't use it, so a Game like UC2 can Use that SPE + The Others (6SPEs) cuz you're not using the OtherOS at the same time...

[Ju]

One is locked because of yields (of the early production chips). One runs the OS - and that would mostly mean the hypervisor security code. This is always locked away, no matter if GameOS or OtherOS. Any OS can only use the remaining 6. That's it.

[pixelsword]

The "other OS" and Move won't be in use at the same time, so it's removal wouldn't be necessary on that front.

And how did the demo booths run Move when the update wasn't even out yet? I doubt that the made upgrades specifically for the booths or that those were devkits and no one noticed.

[Quadrostacker]

that they remove the Other OS & updated the flash on the browser

[YoungKiller25]

According to him One SPE or SPU is used for the Hypervisor which lets users run more than one operating system on the system at a time, removing the Other OS feature would no longer warrant the need for a hypervisor freeing up a SPU but then again no one really even knows what the locked SPU on the system is for, some say to improve chip yeilds but thats kind of stupid, so who knows they might be able to unlock it whenever they want, but id like to beleive this guys theory cause that means more performance, and theoretically improving the PS3's power by 16% which is significant and would help in the ps3's quest for full 3D

[quadalupeupe]

and yet again I read the Future accurately

you can probably google my nick and search shacknews might still be there

yes i was sort of trolling but only because that site is littered with 360 fanboys

[rroded]

said this ages ago that i think they b using the extra core for the move but it was never needed for other os...

sucks imo bought a 60 gigger n other os is a cvore feature to me its like them taking away my b/c sure i dont use it much but i paid for it n expect to have access ta it.

[PSFan100]

I can't believe someone made an article based on a random users youtube comment...It's not even logical, when a game is being played you couldn't run the other OS at the same time, therefore a reserved 8th spe, as claimed, wouldn't be needed.

[Anon1974]

So, we're to believe that this is some conspiracy, a Sony cover up rather then a legitimate response to someone hacking their system after he hacked it, released his hack and then bragged about it on his blog?

I think that's a bit of a stretch.

[HSx9]

sounds to me like someone is being an attention whore to get more subscribers.

[Tachyon_Nova]

Seriously, what a load of BS. Think about what that would mean. If the 8th SPE was left aside just for the other OS function, then surely it would be logical to say that this means that the other OS would be running only on that SPE. Agreed? Well this clearly isnt the case, if it was then that particular OS would be run incredibly slowly. Does the other OS function also have 5Mb of RAM set aside for it? Of course not, that's not how it works at all.

I think it highlights that the person who posted this is pretty stupid. There would be no need to set aside part of the processor for a particular OS, as only one of them (OS) is running at once, allowing the OS to use the entire CPU and all its SPE's. So put simply, either the PS3's OS is running, or a version of Linux is running, not both at the same time.

[Pwee]

I think some nerds look too much into it tbh!

[xAlmostPro]

@articlewriter for a start sony didnt say "its to stop geo hotz" so stfu

[LordMarius]

Why exactly should I believe a Youtube commenter?

[harv711]

Because everything posted on the internet is the god's honest truth and should be followed blindly without looking at facts or logic.

[jerethdagryphon]

on the spe reserved for the os more then the hypervisor runs on it all of the os features are run through that os

but this is a bs article anyways

[NightVyper]

This must be true, I am totally a Nigerian Millionaire thanks to the internet.

[ClownBelt]

I'm going to make up some lie and pm the writer's youtube channel to get some spotlight too.

[thebudgetgamer]

It read: Everytime you buy a PSN game Sony slaps a pixie right in the face.

[Cajun Chicken]

Lots of slapped pixies face for me then.

[Johnny Rotten]

I once read a button the said "every time you masturbate you kill a kitten"

SHHHH don't tell PITA.

[pixelsword]

:D

[DlocDaBudSmoka]

People Eating Tasty Animals

[Chaostar]

LMAO! This is ar$e clarts of the highest magnitude. I can't believe someone actually believed this, well done Meowmmmmm you really fooled that guy.

Honestly though anyone with a decent enough grasp of their hardware would know that this is foolishness gone mad, perpetuated in some vain attempt to undermine Sonys Move marketing. Motion controlling is gonna have a hard enough time appealing to hardcore gamers without this kind of veiled mudslinging.

http://www.thesixthaxis.com...

http://www.community.eu.pla...

No idea why i'm defending motion controls of any sort, just don't like vicious rumours.

[Johnny Rotten]

"Sony to hide the fact that the 8th SPE is needed to process the "Move Controller/s" without sacrificing existing graphics and game play.”

Umm even though I know nothing about the tech behind the PS3 I'm pretty sure the "8th SPE" is not being used while your using linux. But hey what do I know? I'm only a guy that watches YouTube!!

[Lookbehind]

What ever...............

[Mo0eY]

Honestly, I believe there's something else up with 3.21. It took me a long time to download and install the thing unlike the previous updates. I'm thinking there's some functionality behind cross game voice chat. *cross fingers*

[mastiffchild]

Really?It took me no time at all even with the UK's pathetic broadband speeds(we were down to just over 1meg of a supposedly 8meg package-that "up to" thing is a real pain, imo-just the other day while I downloaded the update)so I assumed it must have been a tiny little amount to update.

I'd seriously suggest your internet connection was having a funny five/ten minutes if it took you any great amount of time to download this update. That being the case I don't think there was a lot of room to have hidden bits and bobs this time round, though as XGC's biggest critic I'm in no hurry for it to emerge on PSN/PS3 in any case! I like to use a console to game, primarily and, oddly, a phone to talk to my mates! When I'm playing TF2 I like to think my team mates are listening to or talking to me , thinking tactically about the game and not wittering on to their mate who's stuck on Resi5 or having issues with his GF over Goodknowswhat.

No, count me out of cross game chat at all costs. Wouldn't it just be better to, IDK, wait five minutes or til you're finished and THEN talk t your mates when you can politely give them your full attention? I really don't see the benefit of XGC and find quite a few drawbacks-I also feel it's only become so important as it's one of very few features Live has that PSN doesn't and became a bone of contention because of it. Bloody XGC! Grrr!

[Gun_Senshi]

You could boot isos from Linux of some PS3 Games, thus you could pirate PS3 games.

Resistance and Burnout Paradise are example of games that you could use Linux to boot their image

[techie]

I haven't read anything so stupid. Who reads YouTube comments?

[Majors]

Sony is only protecting it's investment just like every other company would and even yourself if you were in their shoes. Some would even 'get rid of' that arse Geohot who's no good to no one...
Out of the millions of PS3 sale probably only 1% use the O/S (which can be run the same on an old pentium3 pc) so stop whining and get on with it like a man..

[You Noob]

Bullsh!t.

How the hell can this theory be true?
It's totally nonsense

[Zero 007]

[lh_swe]

The fact that one has such badly designed hardware that at it's peak 1/3 360's bricked, so badly designed that the fan chosen to cool the system might as well been crafted by a crackhead hobo with sticks and feathers and makes the sound of a jet-engine! Mind you this is after placing my 360 in a open space, vacumed and dusted often and very rarely moved ( I even have it placed by my window which has a very cool draft always breathing on my 360)

[Glasscocked]

@lh_swe

He didn't say anything about the 360. He was referencing the PS3 and for some reason you just had to pull the 360 topic out of thin air. Users like you are why this site sucks.

[karan8624]

We all know what he meant, dont play dumb

[RagTagBnd445]

@MrBalls
Read the rest of his posts and you will understand he is just a troll who likes to bash the ps 3 and praise the 360.

So the source is a youtube user, it would not happen to be you Zero would it? No, you probably don't got enough brain to think that far.

[ChrisW]

It's unfathomable to think that Sony would lie about anything, especially PS2's DRE!

[lh_swe]

Congrats on dragging everything out of context! Please read some of his other posts, please do and then make a judgement on wether or not this guy is advertently saying that to "stealth" bash on the PS3.

[nefertis]

Oh God! We still talking about this removal of OtherOS? let it go its not coming back move on. ironstarmovement.com site is a conspiracy. Playb3yond

[That_Genius]

Ah well didn't intend on trying to hack the PS3 anyways. Good that they did that though cause now I don't have to be annoyed by some ass hole saying, "Yeah you should mod your PS3 to get free games like me" when in reality I'm to paranoid that they'll ban my PSN account or I'll get screwed over if something happens to it.

[34543534798]

lol what a load of crap
if you believe this sh*t you're just a retard like the guy who posted this and the guy above me

[avengers1978]

Sounds like Bot ranting to me, They know there in trouble so they spout crap all the time.
And really, who doesn't think that there will need to be a firmware update for the Move, and Honestly MS 360 will have to update for Natal as well.
I think Sony would have just come out and said it was also for the Move, because there is nothing really bad about that.
I'm all for them doing whatever they think is needed to stop Hackers, modders, and people like geohotz, people that I don't want or need anything from.

[DR-IVO]

make something up...check
create a free youtube account...check
use a silly username like meowmmmm...check
find a random blog thats not known for reliable news source...check

[keysy420]

get netscape

[xg-ei8ht]

The PS3 actually has 16spu's.

Sony decided to disable them for the future.

When the time is right, it will unlock the power.

This news was brought to you, by the BS network.

[Fedorp4p]

Anyone who says they bought a PS3 to install another OS and now they are angwy is most likely a 360 fanboy trolling.

[Persistantthug]

I think what Sony did was BS, and any lawsuits incurred, assuming they don't rectify and/or compensate those they've wronged in this, any lawsuits I would gladly welcome.

Why?
Sony has a bad history with reacting badly in the face of piracy (2005 SPYWARE) and once again they react badly AGAIN.

Tell me I'm wrong.

[Treezy504]

First off I would like to apologize for this poorly researched article. I will admit that looking back at it, it was pretty dumb on my part to post a rumor that really has no percentage of being completely accurate. Sorry again folks I'll make sure nothing like this happens again. Have a Happy Easter.

[Hellsvacancy]

I couldnt care-less, such a borin day

[va_bank]

Some guy on some forum once said he knows a guy who already has a PS4 with a 100 games for it. What the hell, SONY???

[DigitalAnalog]

But this is just......

Well, the comments here have summed it up!

-End statement

[Treezy504]

i know man should have thought it through a bit more before posting this crap. Sorry :(

[DigitalAnalog]

Anyways, at least you acknowledge your mistake, something that has yet to be seen BY a lot of author and their crap articles.

-End statement

[Kluv]

Sony didn't say anything about why it's removing the other OS, WE did. First we said it's cause of the hack, now this idiot is saying it's for Move.

[theunleashed64]

I SMELL BULLSHIT

[infekt]

Yup. I've been smelling this for a while. Now I know what it is.

[TD_RJ]

Sorry...

[HypermysticsonicHMSX]

I SMELL GREENTURD

[AngryTypingGuy]

This story has been brought to you by Jesse "The Body" Ventura.

[Dellis]

PS3 with Other OS/ps2,4 USB slots/card readers>>>>Slims with no OS feature at all and nothing else I mentioned.

[Wardog1368]

"So I received a very interesting tip on my YouTube channel today from a user that goes by the name of meowmmmmm."

I think it just debunked itself, right there. Seriously. 0_0

[Hatemaker]

haha well put

[gamerage360]

i think it may have been done for cross game chat as they seem to have problems putting it in

[AngryTypingGuy]

Maybe they should just call Microsoft and ask for help.

[hill71]

bullsh*t move only needs 1 meg to run

[NeutralGamer]

The source is a youtube guy?

I mean come on you know that random people from youtube are just a reliable source as Sony insiders

(sarcasm)

[Darkspade]

I'm not to sure about what this guy say, but am a little Disappointed, I would not have hacked my PS3 but I did own and had installed Yellow Dog..To Me it's like Buying a car and in 3 years there going to come and pull the Radio out... This was a Major Feature for me.. Thanks a lot sony Lets just hope they can't find a loop hole in the blu-ray department

[NeutralGamer]

Never believe bullsh*t from youtube commenters...

[MIDDLE_FINGER_U]

These people need to give it a break already what's done is done time to move on. The only thing I want to know is if any of the people that are complaining actually used this feature and if they did then that gives them the right to be angry. I know for one I didn't use this feature so there's no problem with me if they had to remove this to keep their product safe from hackers then so be it. Whatever their cause was must have been justifiable at the time and had to be done.

[xXSilentXx]

LOL no chance that a youtube member could reach a sony developer lol :)

[robep3]

When the chips are made some may have a faulty ie non working SPE(U)
SO Sony basically made dev's assume all PS3 would only have 7 SPE(U) to work with, if when a chip is manufactured and all 8 are ok THEN one is swithed off thats why it increases yield.
If you think about it if Sony had said you will have 8 SPE(U) to work with and chips came off the production line with only 7 working they would be NO USE but if you say you will only have 7 then if all 8 are working you switch one off and ALL the chips can be used.
This article BS.

[karan8624]

I never used the other OS anyways, and it would be cool if move got its own full core just to process movements. So either way, win

[karan8624]

The Truth = GR8 1 = Alan Wake = meowmmmmm

How many damn accounts do you xbots have?

[DirtyLary]

SKYNET is real!!

[THC CELL]

we have 77mb unlocked woo hoo

i got the ps3 for gaming they can remove
im happy they have removed the os feature cause i never used it

[mistajeff]

i thought the 8th spu was off in case one of the others fails, and the 7th was reserved for the ps3's operating system? it doesn't make sense to have an entire secondary processor that's only to be used when you install and activate another OS

[-IronMan-]

Ya there is alot of talented people on youtube. And the commmentors are really bright.

NOT!!!!!

[Lionsguard]

The PS3 never landed on the moon.

[Justin_bristoe]

ps3 is still more powerful than 360 and we fused together to make the megazord

[Zero 007]

if a$Station foolboys try xbox 360 they never teach a$Station 3 once again
Just like me :)
before im a$Station fanboy but after ill try xbox 360 i never teach the a$Station 3 lool
just grow up fools

edit : hey karan8624 i reply ur message on CheaPSN
i still waiting for picture !!

[cereal_killa]

Yup this loser thinks he was a Playstation fanboy check out his PSN id AlanWakes he had no trophies 4 day ago and now he has 7 he says he beat GOW3 in less than 5 hours but has not 1 trophy for it check it out he nothing but a lier like most of these fanboy Muppet's who say they own PS3s but do nothing but bash the system left and right.

[hesido]

By simply being logical, I couldn't (score was 10/12). I guess you have to have this mindset to be a contributor!

[shamon]

i cant put movies on anymore by usb after the update

[Kushaholic]

this is the biggest conspiracy theory since the JFK assassination LOL this article is pure garbage clowns like this guy are pathetic get over the fact that sony removed the worthless Other OS feature

[DJKGBYF]

I'd trust Fox News before someone from YouTube.