Sony Sued for Removing Features in Latest Firmware Update

I didn't think Sony would get away scott-free with changing its PSN Terms of Service to include the ability to remove features at will, and they haven't (yet). Plaintiff Anthony Ventura is bringing a class-action lawsuit against the company claiming that "Sony's decision to force users to disable the Other OS function was based on its own interest and was made at the expense of its customers." This kind of bait and switch is clearly illegal and I think Sony has little hope of winning this one despite their claims that the feature was removed "due to security concerns." The suit seeks "damages for Plaintiff and each class member, including but not limited to compensatory damages; restitution; injuctive relief; attorneys' fees; and the cost of this suit." Court documents have noted that "the amount in controversy is in excess of $5 million." I expect them to settle outside of court.

Update: Sony Stands By Decision to Remove Features At Will

Sony has sent members of the Playstation Network an updated Terms of Service. It looks like the company is trying to retroactively make it allowable to have removed features from the PS3 (such as the ability to install an alternate operating system). The final statement issued is an aggressive one: "If you do not agree with the new Terms of Service and User Agreement or Privacy Policy, please contact Customer Service to terminate your PlayStation(R) Network account(s) and do not visit PlayStation(R) Network or our websites." So basically, if you don't like it, GTFO. This is not the kind of customer service I would expect from a company with such a good reputation. Sadly for Sony, it appears that they have violated consumer law prior to issuing the new ToS, so in my opinion they are still open to a lawsuit.

PlayStation Network is down; rampant panic and terror ensue

The title may be glib, but the PlayStation Network issue that struck last night and has yet to be remedied is a serious problem for those gamers with older ("fat") PS3s. Not only is the network down, preventing users from logging in to online gameplay, the bug is also affecting the ability to load many offline games and has corrupted some user data. Rumors are circulating that the bug is related to improper handling of leap years. Sony has recommended that gamers leave their older PS3s off until this bug has been fixed. Updates on the situtation can be found on Engadget.

The question here is, how could this kind of bug have made it past Sony's quality control? This problem appears to be similar to what happened to Microsoft's Zunes in 2008. For such a foreseeable issue, it is disappointing that not only was Sony unable to prevent the bug from affecting gamers in the first place, but also that it is taking so long to release a fix. Get on with it, please, as my forecast calls for... Heavy Rain. (The pun, much like the PSN bug, was both foreseeable and permitted despite widespread disapproval.)